FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Onosko stood out, but so did these athletes from Kent-Meridian, Kentridge, Kentlake and Kentwood

Of all the years I have been in the newspaper industry and have selected a Female Athlete of the Year, I have to say this was the tightest race of all.

Kent-Meridian’s Melanie Vertrees took home last year’s honors with relative ease.

Kentwood’s Jessie Genger walked away with the award the year before.

This year?

After everything was added up, Kentridge’s Jaclyn Onosko proved to be the best selection. Great student. Great athlete. A true leader. And here’s the kicker — Onosko’s star is rising. The Kentridge volleyball and track athlete didn’t begin throwing the javelin until late in her junior year and quickly has blossomed into one of the state’s best. Also one of the state’s top runners in the 400-meter dash, I suspect Onosko will find success at Washington State University, where she will try and walk-on next season.

Again, however, it was a tight race. In light of that, just as we did last week with the boys, we’re going to take a quick look at the rest of the field in something we like to call The Reporter’s Top 10 (in alphabetical order).

Kelsey Bueno, Kent-Meridian

The sky is the limit for this Kent-Meridian senior, who will be taking her pole vaulting skills to Washington State University in the fall. Three weeks ago, Bueno put her talent on display at the Class 4A state meet, uncorking a mark of 12 feet en route to a tie for the top spot. After the tie-breaker, Bueno brought home a silver medal for a second year in a row.

Erin Crowley, Kentlake

For all the numbers Crowley posted on the fastpitch diamond this spring (and there are plenty), it might be her amazing throw against Puyallup in the SPSL championship game that’s remembered most (bases loaded, no outs, Crowley nails the runner tagging from third on fly ball to mid center field). The SPSL North’s co-MVP, this Falcon rakes at the plate (.559, 27 RBIs, 23 runs scored, 8 stolen bases), but covers more ground in the outfield than Ichiro. In a program that’s produced its share of elite players, Crowley deserves to be right there at the top.

Holly DeHart, Kentwood

Kentwood High track coach Steve Roche summed up DeHart rather aptly late in the season: “She’s just a rock star. She’s amazing.” Indeed. DeHart was a big reason Kentwood was able to capture its first SPSL North track title in school history. This girl was simply built for speed, and it showed at the Class 4A state meet despite the fact that she was battling flu-like symptoms the day before and the day of the meet. DeHart, a one-sport sensation, snagged a gold medal in the 200-meter dash (25.35), took third in the 100 (12.62) and helped the KW 4 x 200 relay team take third. All while she was feeling considerably less than 100 percent. This junior has multiple gold medals in her future.

Kylie Huerta, Kentwood

Generously listed at 5-foot-1 on the team’s roster, Captain of the Headband can flat-out play like few I have seen. The SPSL North co-MVP, Huerta tied for the league lead in points per game (18.9), was third in the league in 3-point percentage (40.3), second in assists (65) and led everybody in steals (57). Left out of the stat line is the fact that she never came out of the game — ever. Nor does she run out of energy. Huerta’s best performance may have come in a losing effort at state against Mead, when she ripped off a 16-point third quarter to help put the Conks back in the lead. I suspect a day will come when Huerta looks up into the KW student section during a game and notices most of her classmates wearing identical headbands in support. No doubt, she has earned it.

Courtney Johnson, Kentwood

There are few athletes who are grittier or tougher than this two-sport standout from Kentwood. Johnson wasn’t afraid to get into a tussle — or two — on the basketball court, take or give an elbow here and there and is as competitive as they come. An honorable mentioned selection in basketball, Johnson led the SPSL North in field-goal percentage (53.7). The KW junior may even be better at soccer, where she teamed with Megan Walburn in goal to post 19 shutouts on the season and help the Conquerors take third at state. Expect a big multi-sport season from this kid.

Nora Keith, Kent-Meridian

Keith has enjoyed a remarkable run at Kent-Meridian. One of the school’s top gymnasts of the last 20 years, Keith brought home a medal from the Class 4A state meet for the fourth-consecutive season. A bum back stole a little bit of Keith’s thunder down the stretch of the winter season, but she still pulled through for a seventh-place finish on the vault with a score of 9.4. In addition, Keith turned out for track for the first time this spring, gave the pole vault a go, and wound up with the ninth best mark in the SPSL (9-3).

Alexia Martin, Kent-Meridian

Just a sophomore, Martin has blossomed into one of the state’s top runners in a very short time on the track and the cross country trails. One of the most determined kids I’ve ever had the pleasure of writing about, Martin grabbed a ninth-place finish at the state cross country meet in the fall, crossing the finish line in 18:54. She continued the pace in the spring, taking 13th at state in the 3,200 with a time of 11:17.24. Something tells me we’ll be hearing quite a bit more about this Royal in the near future.

Laura Rayfield, Kentlake

One of the most gifted athletes at Kentlake, there’s little Rayfield can’t do. And she’s only a sophomore. The South Puget Sound League North Division MVP (again, just a sophomore) on the soccer pitch, Rayfield accounted for nine goals this season, which was nearly half of what the Falcons posted overall (20). Rayfield was nearly as good on the track, where she has quickly blossomed into one of the North’s top high jumpers and long jumpers.

Dana Wareham, Kentwood

It was another outstanding year for the Kentwood senior, who helped the soccer team finish third at state and the track team win its first South Puget Sound League North Division title in school history. A defender on the soccer pitch, Wareham earned second-team all-league honors and was the leader of a defense that posted 19 shutouts and allowed just three goals all season. On the track, she anchored the Conquerors’ 4 x 200 relay team, which took third at state with a time of 1:42.91.

Kelli Suguro, Kentridge

Seems like she has been on the Kentridge athletic scene forever. No doubt, Suguro has left an indelible mark at the school. One of the most accomplished fastpitch players in KR history, Suguro will graduate with the most hits in school history and most runs scored. She finished with a career average of .468 and nearly 300 strikeouts as a pitcher. A first-team all-league pitcher, Suguro also was a key ingredient to the success of the school’s volleyball team.