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The Klein Athletes of the Month: Koonts, Smith super-talents on field; classroom

Welcome to our feature - the Klein ISD Athletes of the Month - highlighting some of the best student-athletes in one of the most proud districts in the state of Texas. One girl and one boy will be selected each month representing the independent school district.

Kathryn Koonts, Klein Cross Country

So what would she do for an encore? Kathryn Koonts exploded onto the Texas high school running scene as a sophomore, but it was all a part of her master plan. The Class of 2024 super-athlete took fifth place at the 2021 UIL State Cross Country Championships with a time of 17 minutes, 46.6 seconds. Now a junior, Koonts is just hitting her stride. She won the Class 6A Region II Meet with a time of 18:07.20, heading into the State Meet this weekend. Can she better her fifth-place finish from a year ago? Stay tuned.

Jaelen Smith, Klein Cain Football

With a win over Tomball this week, Klein Cain will clinch the district title holding the tie-breaker over Collins after winning their head-to-head meeting. The leader in the locker room for the Tigers is receiver Jaelen Smith, who has 15 scores and averaged over 70 yards per game this season. The 6-foot-2 senior is also a star in the classroom with a 4.0 GPA and is garnering scholarship offers from the likes of Ivy League schools and the service academies.