Times High School Girls Star of the Year | Jackson's Kristi Kingma poised for success at Washington

Kristi Kingma's love for the University of Washington started early.

By kindergarten, she decided she wanted to be a Husky.

By fourth grade, she attended then-UW women's basketball coach June Daugherty's camps.

By middle school, she was watching the UW women play in Spokane for a 2001 NCAA Final Four berth.

By ninth grade, she was being recruited by Washington.

"My dad says I bleed purple," said the Jackson High School senior. "I'm a Dawg at heart."

And she's about to become a Husky in reality.

One of the most decorated high-school athletes in recent memory, Kingma is The Seattle Times' High School Girls Athlete of the Year for the second straight year. Now the standout in soccer, basketball and track moves to the basketball court at Washington.

"Each year I've improved," said Kingma about making the transition from high school to college. "I'm not worried about it. I still haven't reached my potential. Critics say I won't be able to do this at the next level, I won't be able to do that. ... I've heard that my whole my life. It makes me that much more determined to work hard and prove everyone wrong."

She proved everyone wrong by her freshman year at Jackson. She started on the Timberwolves' varsity at 14 and was the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 11.9 points. By her senior year, she averaged 23.1 points — leading all scorers in the area — and set a 4A state tournament-record with 43 points in a season-ending loss to Skyview of Vancouver.

A Star Times all-area selection in basketball for the second-straight year, Kingma also was Star Times in soccer, with 22 goals and seven assists as senior.

In track, she competed in six events — long and high jump, 400 meters and all three relays — and just missed qualifying for state in the 800 relay. She also set several school track and field records.

And she still found time to earn a 3.9 grade-point average and become homecoming queen her senior year.

No matter how many honors Kingma receives, she always pushes to become better.

"You should never be satisfied where you're at," said her father, Gregg, a former Seattle Pacific basketball player. "I think she's totally understood that and done whatever she has to do to get better. She's working harder at her game now than she's ever worked before. She's not resting on her laurels."

Right after track season ended, it was back to the gym. Working with former Huskies basketball player Gary Gardner, the 5-foot-10 Kingma spends hours every day perfecting each part of her game — from ball handling to outside shooting to defense.

"She's so confident," said Huskies coach Tia Jackson, who is entering her second year. "She has the right attitude. Her mentality about every sport she plays is where you want it to be."

Added Gardner, who has worked with Kingma for more than a year: "I would be disappointed if she wasn't on the Pac-10 All-Freshman team. All the work she's put in and the skill level I see her at right now, she does things that high-school kids can't do right now. She's ready."

She's been ready since kindergarten.

"I probably had one of the best high-school experiences that I could have," she said. "I'm so glad I was able to have a great career."

But a new career is just beginning. It's now time for the next step.