Profiles of girls player of the year finalists

After nine months of competition, here are the five finalists for The Seattle Times' sixth-annual Female High School Star of the Year Award. Kristi Kingma of Jackson and the four other finalists profiled on this page were selected by Times editors, reporters and freelancers covering high-school sports because of their accomplishments for the 2006-07 school year. Finalists must attend schools in King or Snohomish counties, or in Metro, WesCo or SPSL 3A leagues, and must excel in more than one sport.

Kristi Kingma, Jackson

Class: Junior Age: 17 Height: 5 feet 10

Sports: Soccer, basketball, track and field

Soccer recap: Kingma, a forward, scored 13 goals and had six assists, leading the Timberwolves of Mill Creek to the state tournament. She received first-team All-WesCo South honors, helping Jackson finish the season 13-4-1.

Basketball recap: Selected to Star Times all-area team, and Seattle Times All-State second team. A guard, she averaged 18.3 points. Scored a season-high 31 in an early season win over eventual Class 3A champion Auburn Riverside. The Timberwolves placed eighth at the 4A state tournament and finished the season 23-4.

Track and field recap: Helped her 400-meter relay qualify for the 4A state championships. She also placed fourth in the triple jump at the Northwest District meet.

Betcha didn't know: She's the oldest of five kids.

Quick quote: "You have to be willing to sacrifice a lot of things," she said of playing three sports.

Favorite athlete: Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns guard. "It's unbelievable what he can do with a basketball."

Most admires: Her brother, Brett. "I've never seen someone work so hard for something as he does for basketball."

DVDs or video games: DVDs. "The Notebook" is a favorite.

Family matters: Father Gregg, mother Gail, brother Brett, 14, brother Dan 11, sister Kelli, 11, sister Brooke, 10.

Favorite class: Spanish

Hobbies, interests: "I love to lay in the sun."

"Lost," "24" or "American Idol"? "24."

Future plans: A junior, Kingma has already given Washington a verbal commitment to play basketball.

Zach Landres-Schnur

Devin Brooks, Holy Names

Class: Senior Age: 18 Height: 5-6

Sports: Basketball, track and field

Basketball recap: Averaged 12.7 points and was second-team All-Metro selection on 17-9 basketball team.

Track-and-field recap: Won state 3A 100-meter hurdles championship for the fourth consecutive year.

Betcha didn't know: Loves to eat cheese and is allergic to pets.

Quick quote: "I was looking forward to breaking 14 seconds (in the 100 hurdles) at state. After I crossed the finish line, I was kind of disappointed that I hadn't done it. But once I got up on the podium and they gave me the award and announced that I had won four times, everyone stood and clapped and that felt good."

Most admires: Her coaches: Kali Roberts, Holy Names track; Lee Adams, Holy Names basketball; Jack Craig, summer track; Eric Metcalf, summer track.

Family matters: Father Randy, mother Kim, brother Darian, 14. Randy was a hurdler at Rainier Beach, and Kim ran for Chief Sealth.

Favorite class: Math.

Hobbies, interests: Music and movies.

DVDs or video games? "I'm not a video-game player. I don't get it."

"Lost," "24" or "American Idol"? " 'American Idol' because I don't like the other two."

Future plans Undecided on where she'll attend college. Hopes to be on track team for a West Coast university.

Craig Smith

Kate Herren, Auburn Mountainview

Class: Senior Age: 18 Height: 5 feet 7

Sports: Soccer, basketball, fastpitch

Soccer recap: After transferring from Auburn when Mountainview opened her junior year, Herren twice earned All-SPSL 3A first-team honors as a defender and led Lions to state tournament.

Basketball recap: Scrappy player averaged 7.4 points and 3.5 rebounds for surprising Auburn Mountainview team that finished eighth at state.

Fastpitch recap: Catcher earned All-SPSL 3A first-team honors after batting .550, with 22 runs and 21 RBI — all bests for a Lions team that earned a state berth.

Betcha didn't know: Herren's 1-year-old black lab is named "Catcher."

Quick quote: On her decision to accept a soccer scholarship from the Naval Academy: "As soon as I stepped on the yard, as they call it, I was hooked. I knew this was where I wanted to be."

Favorite athlete: Ken Griffey Jr. "He's always been a great athlete, clutch hitter and good person."

Most admires: Her brother, K.C., a former football and baseball standout at Auburn who was drafted by the Texas Rangers and now plays for their Class A team.

Family matters: Father Dee, mother Terri, brother K.C., 21; sister Kristin, 15. Dee, who played baseball at Brigham Young, coaches Auburn Mountainview fastpitch; Terri, former gymnastics coach at Auburn, is assistant principal at Mountainview..

Favorite class: AP calculus with Pete Debolt. "I don't necessarily love the class, but I like our teacher and it's a fun class."

Hobbies, interests: Herren is an avid outdoors person who enjoys playing with her dog and kayaking.

DVDs or video games? DVDs. Favorites include "Happy Feet" and "Dumb and Dumber."

"Lost," "24" or "American Idol"? "I'm embarrassed to say it, but 'American Idol.' " Her favorite is "Grey's Anatomy."

Future plans: In addition to playing soccer at the Naval Academy, Herren plans to become a pilot like her grandfather, Karl Khuner. "I've always wanted to fly."

Sandy Ringer

Rachele Kloke, Stanwood

Class: Senior Age: 18 Height: 5 feet 11

Sports: Basketball, track and field

Basketball recap: Was second in the area in scoring average at 23.3 points. Also averaged 11.6 rebounds, nearly four steals and 2.5 blocks. Kloke scored in double-digits in every game, including a season-high 35 points in a loss to Marysville-Pilchuck. Honors included Star Times all-area, Class 4A AP all-state first team and All-WesCo North Division first team.

Track-and-field recap: Won the Class 4A state title in the triple jump with a mark of 38 feet. Her long jump of 18 feet, 8 ½ inches tied for first, but she finished second on a tie-breaker. The senior competed in four events at state, the first time a Stanwood athlete has done that in nearly 20 years. She also won the long jump and 400 meters at the Northwest District meet.

Betcha didn't know: She likes to shop for basketball shorts. "It's the one thing I'll buy wherever I go."

Quick quote: "The friendships I made was the best part of it," she said of playing sports throughout high school.

Favorite athlete: Michael Jordan. "My brother liked him a lot, so it made me like him."

Most admires: My older brother, Nathan.

Family matters: Father Dennis (also Stanwood girls basketball coach), mother Michele, brothers Nathan, 21; Micah 23; and Shawn, 38.

Favorite class: P.E. "It's the easiest and most fun."

Hobbies, interests: Going to the movies. She just saw "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."

DVDs or videogames? DVDs. She just watched "The Holiday."

"Lost," "24" or "American Idol"? "Lost."

Future plans: She has a scholarship to play basketball for Idaho.

Zach Landres-Schnur

Kelsey Shimada, Newport

Class: Senior Age: 18 Height: 5 feet 3

Sports: Diving, gymnastics, track and field

Diving recap: Placed third at Sea-King 3A District and 11th at Class 3A state meet. Shimada was the captain of the diving team for the Knights from Bellevue.

Gymnastics recap: After sitting out the end of her junior year with broken foot, she was co-captain for the team that won the 3A/2A state title with 175.875 points.

Track recap: In just her second season of pole vaulting, she finished third in the event at 3A state meet, clearing personal-best 10 feet, 9 inches. Track was her favorite sport this year.

Betcha didn't know: Shimada once recorded "A Whole New World," the theme song from "Aladdin," with a friend. The recording found its way onto MySpace.

Quick quote: "Being a captain, it was new to me. I matured a lot this year. Before, if I had a bad meet, I would get upset. But this year, knowing I was supposed to represent the team, I realized it wasn't all about me."

Favorite athlete: Kimiko Soldati, U.S. Olympic diver in 2004 and Shimada's distant cousin. "She puts a lot of emphasis not on what you achieve but how you achieve it."

Most admires: Her younger sister, Jami. "She makes me want to be a good role model for her. She makes me a better person."

Family matters: Dad Jon; mom Vickie; sister, Jami, 15.

Favorite class: English

Hobbies, interests: Sports, music.

DVDs or videogames? Video games (Halo).

"Lost," "24" or "American Idol"? "American Idol." "I love singing," she says.

Future plans: Shimada, who has a 4.0 grade-point average, plans to attend Washington and is considering walking on to the Huskies' track-and-field team. She also might dive for a local club.

Michael Ko