In most team sports there are certain positions that get the glory. In football it’s the quarterbacks and receivers. In basketball it’s the guy or gal who scores 40 points in a game. And in soccer it’s the strikers who score the goals. But what about the rest of the team? The linemen who pass protect for the quarterback or the point guard who sets up the star shooter or the defenders on the back line in soccer. That’s where we find Hilldale senior Jenna Leeds-at center back for the Lady Hornets.

“I don’t let the lack of recognition for what I’m doing bother me,” said the Hornet co-captain. “My approach is that no one person can win or lose a game by themselves. It takes the whole team to get the win or suffer the loss, so my focus is on doing what I need to do to get the win,”

Jenna is a three-year starter for Hilldale after being hurt most of her freshman year.

“She’s a very smart player who communicates well with her back line on tactics and where to be and when to be there,” said her coach, Michael Foreman.

Jenna, like most kids, got her start young after experimenting with some other sports.

“My parents put me in all different sports when I was elementary age, but soccer is the one I fell in love with,” said Leeds who is also in the National Honor Society, Spanish Club and active in her church youth group. “They have always pushed me to reach my goals even when it’s been uncomfortable.”

Jenna thinks of former high school and club teammate Emerson Glass as a role model for the kind of player and leader she strives to be.

“I think setting a good example for everyone and helping build a winning culture are two of the goals I have as a team leader this year,’ said Jenna. “We’ve made the playoffs the last two years I’ve played but I’d really like to see us get to at least the second round this year.”

After high school Jenna plans to attend OU and study business.