Vertrees stood out, but so did these 10 girls from Kent-Meridian, Kentridge, Kentlake and Kentwood

It’s not every year that an athlete comes along who has garnered 12 varsity letters during a prep career.

More rare, however, is the athlete who can earn so many letters and post a near-perfect grade-point average. But that’s exactly what Kent-Meridian’s Melanie Vertrees did.

The K-M senior not only collected all those varsity letters during her four years at the East Hill school, she also delivered big in the classroom. Vertrees will finish high school with an astounding 3.898 grade-point average.

Talk about a balancing act.

Yet, when selecting a Female Athlete of the Year, Vertrees was no slam dunk. That’s by no means a criticism of her, but rather is a compliment to the overall high school athletic gracing the Valley these days.

Kentwood’s Jessie Genger took home the Kent Reporter’s top honor last year and probably could have received the nod a second time around after helping the Conquerors win a state basketball title and place among the top four at state in volleyball for the third straight year.

Vertrees’ volume of work, however, proved to be the clincher. Not only did she qualify for state in four events in track and field, but also was a standout on the basketball court and cross country trails — and that was just this school year.

Vertrees also has a state swimming appearance on her resume and will graduate from K-M with a healthy share of school records from track.

Still, the final decision was difficult — and a look below at the Reporter’s Top 10 will show why it was difficult.

LINDSEY MOORE, KENTWOOD

Moore finished off a near-flawless run at Kentwood by leading the Conquerors to their first-ever state championship on the girls basketball court. Moore’s numbers – 15.5 points, 8 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game – were impressive, but the intangibles are what essentially separate her from the pack. Moore’s a gamer. A complete gym rat who brought her teammates up with her. The 5-10 guard didn’t care who had the ball or who scored, but simply that Kentwood won. And that the Conks did that with precision, finishing the season 28-1. The University of Nebraska-bound Moore was named the SPSL North Division MVP for hoops. She also was a standout in track, clearing 5-7 on the high jump. The mark would have garnered third place at state, but instead Moore chose weeks into the season to focus on basketball.

KAYLA SHIRA, KENTLAKE

How good of gymnast was Shira this past winter? So good she even named her own gymnastics pose during the state meet, albeit jokingly. Boiled down, Shira proved to be the best gymnast to hit the area since Kentwood’s Liz Grajewski (2002). She was the backbone to a deep and talented Kentlake team that took a school-best second at the state meet with 173.025 points, which also was a team scoring record. A Level 10 club competitor, Shira was in her first year on the high school team and certainly left her mark, winning the state all-around title (38.05 points), along with individual event titles on the floor (9.825), beam (9.825) and uneven bars (9.575). During the state meet, she even delivered a pose during her beam routine – a one-armed handstand with her legs raised in the air – that she coined, “The Shira.” The KL star will attend Washington State University next year.

JAMIE LARSEN, KENTWOOD

Quietly, Larsen produced one of the finest all-around seasons by any local athlete this year. A gifted all-around athlete, the KW senior qualified for state in gymnastics during the winter and on the track during the spring. More than just qualify for state, Larsen left an indelible mark on both programs. In gymnastics, she posted a 37.025 all-around score at the state meet, which earned fourth place. And though she has been competing in gymnastics the majority of her life, Larsen left her biggest mark in the pole vault this spring by establishing a new school record in the event at 10 feet, 3 inches. That was good for ninth at the state meet. Larsen will be competing in the pole vault next year at Central Washington University.

KELLI SUGURO, KENTRIDGE

The Kentridge junior is the equivalent of the Energizer Bunny. She just keeps going and going and going. It didn’t matter what the sport, Suguro was one of KR’s steadiest athletes all year in volleyball, basketball and fastpitch. An outside hitter on the volleyball team, Suguro routinely registered double digits in digs. During the winter, she led the Charger basketball team in scoring with a 9.8 points per game average. The spring, however, proved to be Suguro’s high point. A pitcher/shortstop on the fastpitch team, she was a hitting machine, collecting 12 multi-hit games. A gifted shortstop, the right-hander showed plenty of talent in the circle, too, delivering a one-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts in an April 8 victory against Auburn. Despite a heavy athletic schedule, Suguro still maintains a 3.9 grade-point average.

JESSIE GENGER, KENTWOOD

Talk about a gifted athlete. Genger jumps out of the gym on the volleyball floor and shoots one of the prettiest 3-pointers around on the basketball court. The Reporter’s Female Athlete of the Year last year, Genger continued to impress, earning co-MVP honors on the volleyball court and taking home first-time accolades in basketball. Moved from middle blocker to outside hitter in volleyball, the 5-10 senior helped the Conquerors finish among the top four at state for a third straight year. In basketball, she was KW’s No. 2 option on the floor and averaged a steady 14 points per game. One of the Valley’s truly gifted athletes, Genger will play volleyball on scholarship at Boise State next year.

KELSEY BUENO, KENT-MERIDIAN

It might be early to start calling K-M’s Bueno a golden girl, but the junior’s future is bright. Bueno was a good pole vaulter coming into track season this past spring, but sprung to new levels during the final month, when she established new personal bests three times. Fittingly, the K-M standout saved her best for last, registering a school record 11-9 in the pole vault at state. The mark brought home a silver medal for Bueno, but actually tied the top Class 4A mark in the state. Bueno nailed the 11-9 mark on her second attempt – one attempt after eventual winner Jessica Christian of Richland – and narrowly missed 12 feet. Bueno will enter the pole vault next spring as a heavy favorite to win it all.

JOLENE CROOK-MEYERS, KENTWOOD

Crook-Meyers is as gritty and tough as they come, yet she was all smiles holding a bouquet of flowers at the end of the state wrestling tournament. Her ear-to-ear grin was understandable as Crook-Meyers became the school’s second female to ever win a state crown, pinning Skyline’s Alexis Willcher in 1:12. She finished the wrestling season with an impressive 29-3 record. In addition, she also pinned her way to league and sub-regional titles. But Crook-Meyers was nearly as good on the soccer pitch, where she earned first-team All-SPSL North accolades as a midfielder, leading Kentwood to a league title and its fourth straight state berth.

CHELSEA BAILEY, KENTLAKE

Considering everything Bailey did in the swimming pool last fall, it’s hard to believe she’s still just a sophomore. At state, she became the first girl in state history to break the 50-second mark in the 100-yard freestyle, stopping the watches in a mesmerizing 49.82 seconds. That was fast enough not only for Bailey to win the Class 4A title, but also fast enough to eclipse the old mark of 50.16, set in 2003 by former Bainbridge High star and 2008 U.S. Olympic swimmer Emily Silver. But Bailey wasn’t done there as she placed second in the 100 backstroke and also helped the Falcons take third in the 200 free relay.

BRIANA SHANNON, KENT-MERIDIAN

One of the most well-rounded basketball players in the South Puget Sound League North Division, few teams could stop Kent-Meridian’s Shannon. The 5-foot-5 junior guard is as quick as they come and can fill up the hoop. Shannon ranked second in the North Division in scoring, averaging 15.9 points per game. She routinely poured in 20 or more points per game and registered a season-high 29 twice, doing so in back-to-back games on Jan. 16 and Jan. 20. The K-M guard was so effective with the ball that opponents kept her to single digits in scoring just four times all season. “She is special,” former K-M coach Tim Riles said. “She has outstanding quickness, which makes her a tough cover and has her getting three to four steals per game. Most teams try to double team her to get the ball out of her hands. She can flat-out score.”

JACLYN ONOSKO, KENTRIDGE

During an era of specialization, Onosko proved to be one of the rare kids who can do it all regardless of sport. A key member of the volleyball and basketball teams, the KR junior saved her best for last, when she decided to turn out for track for the first time. The results couldn’t have been any better as Onosko was part of Kentridge’s state-qualifying 4 x 400 relay contingent. However, her best work came in the javelin, an event Onosko began practicing just a month before the end of the season. Despite that limited practice time, Onosko won the SPSL title with a toss of 101 feet, 4 inches. She will head into next spring among the favorites to qualify for state in the event.