Suburban Life Female Most Valuable Athlete: Kaitlyn Kjome, York, basketball, junior

WHY SHE WAS SELECTED:

Kjome scored 15 points to lead the Dukes past St. Charles North for their first regional championship since 2009. Shaw Media sports reporter Jacob Bartelson caught up with Kjome after a loss in the sectional semifinal to Lake Park. Below is an edited transcript.

Bartelson: What are you feeling right now, considering such a tough loss and how far this team came?

Kjome: Definitely a little heartbroken. We thought we could go a lot further than this. And we came out, we played what we could, but so did Lake Park.

Bartelson: How much will you miss the seniors and what they were able to give this year?

Kjome: The seniors are my family. All of us grew up together, and we played together since we were little, so it was definitely really hard to [see it end] and not be able to play with them next year. I love them more than anything, and it's very tough. But I know that we're still going to stay close and still be best friends and family outside of this sport.

Bartelson: The good news is you have one more year. Maybe in a couple of days, are you going to get ready for next season? Are you already excited for what that could look like?

Kjome: Yeah, these juniors, we've played together since our childhood. Tomorrow is a new season. So we've got to come out of the summer – whether it's AAU or just through June – and work hard. And go further than we did this year.

Bartelson: Do you have a professional athlete that you look up to?

Kjome: [Phoenix Mercury and former Notre Dame star] Skylar Diggins-[Smith]. I think she leaves 100% of it on the court every game.