TIGER ATHLETICS
SUPER SEASONS IN THE MAKING An elementary school teacher. An ultrasound technician. A financial trader. The world will be getting some talented professionals when Whitney Randall, Jaden Hobbs, and Jared Vitztum leave Fort Hays State University to embark on their careers. But the real world will have to wait. That trio is gearing up for the final season of their standout careers after the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility to athletes competing in winter sports last year because of the pandemic.
All three received some type of All-America honors and were leaders for their respective teams during their traditional senior seasons. With an unprecedented fifth season made available, these “super seniors” have one more chance to take their teams to new heights. Whitney Randall, Jaden Hobbs, and Jared Vitztum are looking to make this a super season – one for the ages. Visit fhsuathletics.com for more on winter athletics and schedules.
Forever Friends
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hitney Randall and Jaden Hobbs were high school teammates and best friends in Alva, Okla. (population 5,100). The formidable guard tandem led the Goldbugs to three consecutive state championships during their high school careers. Following graduation, Hobbs – one of the most sought-after high school point guards in Oklahoma at the time – took off for Oklahoma State. A year younger than Hobbs, Randall came north to Fort Hays State the next year. Hobbs redshirted her freshman year at OSU because of injury, so she got on the court for the Cowgirls the same
year as Randall did for the Tigers. When Hobbs came to visit her friend in Hays one weekend during her sophomore season, she watched the Tigers play in the Central Region Tournament. The roaring crowd in Gross Memorial Coliseum gave Hobbs goosebumps. She later checked out the medical diagnostic imaging (MDI) major, which was not available at Oklahoma State, and she was impressed with the program. By the next season, the dynamic duo from northern Oklahoma was back together. By the time they had completed their second year together at FHSU, Randall and Hobbs had definitely left their mark, leading the Tigers to their second MIAA championship in three years while garnering records and honors galore. But those personal accomplishments aren’t all that important to Randall ROAR
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FALL/WINTER 2021
and Hobbs. They would like to do something no other FHSU women’s team has done. “We want to get past regionals,” Hobbs said. “Yes,” Randall echoed. “We want to get farther than last year. Of course, we always to win the league title. But the Elite Eight – that’s what we are shooting for this year.” Sometimes, Coach Tony Hobson has to pinch himself to realize the impact of having not one, but two, players of this caliber back for another season. “Everybody is calling this group ‘super seniors,’ and with these two, that description is literal,” he said. “Not only are they great players, but they are very good leaders off the floor, someone for the young players to look up to. They are good at explaining to the younger players what to expect. It’s a real bonus to have a couple of players like this in your program to lead the way.” Randall is student teaching this semester at O’Loughlin Elementary School in Hays and plans to substitute teach in the spring. Hobbs will complete her bachelor’s degree in health and human performance this fall and earn another bachelor’s (in
