Armstrong’s Jenna Clontz Off to Gannon to Continue Softball Days and Become Educator

Jenna Clontz is a native of Kittanning, Pennsylvania and is currently a senior at Armstrong Junior-Senior High School. The high school senior is committed to Gannon University where she will study to become a social studies teacher, while continuing her days on the softball diamond with the Golden Knights.

(Photos submitted by Jenna Clontz)

Beginning softball a bit later than some of her current teammates, it did not take her long to fall in love with the sport and eventually make it a goal to play at the college level when she first entered high school. Playing for Armstrong Elite, the Pittsburgh Predators, and now Steel City Athletics, each program has provided her with different experiences to get her ready for her final season of high school and eventually the college game.

The Riverhawks senior has had a standout three-year career to this point that includes being named a First-Team All Section and a Second-Team All-State player as a sophomore. Her junior year was even better, earning Second-Team All Section, the nod as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 5A Player of the Year, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette All Area Team, and a TribLive HSSN Softball All-Star selection. With Armstrong, the team has been a WPIAL runner-up in 2021, WPIAL champions in 2022, two-time PIAA runner-ups.

In addition to her standout play on the diamond, she’s also involved with Student Council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Yearbook, Class Cabinet, and is the president of Interact Club. Clontz also joined the cheerleading squad this year and is enjoying those final moments with peers and teammates in her new sport.

It’s taken many great coaches and mentors to help her become the person and player she is today, but the number one inspiration in her life being her father, Mike. The time they’ve invested together have made moments like hitting the walkoff homer to win the WPIAL title over Penn Trafford earlier this year possible. 

While this fall has meant a new found passion in cheerleading, the task at hand is repeating as WPIAL champs and coming away with state gold in her senior season. There’s an old saying that goes, third times the charm; something Clontz and company hope will be the case for them in 2023.