A ninth member has joined the Powell Panther Hall of Fame, after Jaci Hitz (formerly Jaci Heny) was inducted during halftime of the Powell Panther girls’ basketball game on Friday night.

Hitz is a former Powell High School athlete, attending as a Panther from 1998-2002 and competing as part of the tennis, basketball and track teams.

She earned All-State honors in tennis and basketball three years in a row while also being the most valuable player at PHS all three years.

Hitz was the senior athlete of the year, an 11-time varsity letter winner and was a finalist for the Milward Simpson Athlete of the Year in 2002 while being named the Wilford Mower winner.

At the ceremony on Friday, Hitz was inducted into the hall of fame by her former coach and fellow member Dale Ann Meeker while the third female member of the hall, Jesseca Cross, was in attendance.

“It’s an honor, it really is,” Hitz said. “Two people I looked up to my whole life. I always wanted to play for coach Meeker and Jesseca was in high school while I was finishing elementary school and into middle school. To be up there next to them it is truly an honor.”

She said that with Cross having Meeker as a coach, she knew that honor was something she wanted to chase moving into high school and beyond.

After high school, Hitz went to Sheridan College for basketball where she was an All-Region IX regular season and tournament team player both years before moving to Montana State University-Northern.

She scored over 1,000 points in two seasons while being named All-Conference both seasons and a second team All-American in 2006.

Hitz still holds records at both PHS and MSU-Northern, which include single season, and single game scoring records at both institutions while she is the career leader in points at PHS with 1,135 and steals with 214.

“It’s nice to see that you are recognized, but I loved playing the game and playing hard,” Hitz said. “I didn’t care about stats, I didn’t care about any of that and I just wanted to have fun and play the game I loved so much.”

After her playing career was done, Hitz served as the head coach at Douglas High School for six years before serving as an assistant coach at the University of Great Falls in Montana.

She returned to Powell in 2015, and is currently a health and PE teacher at Powell Middle School and is a member of the Northwest College Trappers Booster Club board.

“Being back in Powell it’s where I want to be,” Hitz said. “It’s where I want to raise my family and I’m excited to be back.”

She’s hopeful that her accomplishments can help inspire the next generation of Panthers, including her own students.

“I’m standing around here with my students and a lot of kids that I have taught here and they are like, ‘Whoa, I didn’t know you did that,’” Hitz said. “I think they can see that anybody can do it. I’m super thankful and humbled. I’m glad to have all my family and friends and the community support.”