Wave's Yohn flourishes in leadership role
The best example of Katie Yohn's ability to dictate the flow of a basketball game came during a game between St. Edward and Rosary in Elgin. The Green Wave junior had the basketball in her hands with about 20 seconds left to play. She dribbled unguarded while Rosary's defense waited to see what she was going to do.
Would she drive to the basket and try to draw the foul? Would she pass off, then take a pass back and score? Or would she shoot?
So strong was Yohn's ability to do any of the above, she left opposing defenses stymied more than once. In the above case, the 5-foot-10 Yohn decided to pull up from NBA 3-point range and shoot. And when the ball hit nothing but net, the crowd just sighed and shook its collective head. That, by the way, was one of two 36-point games Yohn had this season.
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"She does some of the most spectacular things on the floor that you're just in awe of what she does," says St. Edward coach Michelle Dawson. "We always had to tell the team, and the coaches as well, that you can't just stand there and watch Katie. But you want to, because you'll be in a game situation and watch Katie do something and you'll just get caught up in the excitement of what she can do."
After being a starter on a senior-laden team that made to the final Class A Elite Eight her sophomore year, Yohn took over as the leader of a young St. Edward team this season that was hit heavily by graduation and a transfer.
Nevertheless, Yohn had a stellar junior season and put her name on many college recruiting lists. She led the area in scoring at an even 20 points per game (21.4 in SCC play), and also averaged 5.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 4.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. She also made 40 3-pointers and now has 91 3s for her career.
For her efforts, Yohn has been chosen as the honorary co-captain of the Daily Herald's 2007-08 Fox Valley All-Area team, along with Cary-Grove senior Danielle Smith. With the rest of the all-area team and players of the week, they will be honored at the newspaper's annual basketball recognition awards dinner Sunday, March 16 at Stonegate Conference Banquet Centre in Hoffman Estates.
"She really had a terrific year," said Dawson. "She had to become our go-to girl this year. With the makeup of our team last year she could pretty much settle on her jump shot. But this year she learned to take it to the basket and get to the free-throw line too.
"For the future and the level of play she'll see in college, for her to have to become that go-to girl this year brought up her level of play. She didn't want to let her teammates down."
Despite not returning to Redbird Arena, Yohn made the most of a .500 season for her team.
"I couldn't have asked for anything more," she said. "We knew it would be difficult. But we had so much fun this year and I wouldn't change anything."
Yohn, a west Elgin resident, knew coming into the season she had to elevate her game. With the loss of senior standouts Katie Chambers (last year's all-area co-captain), Caiti Childers, Mary Knuth and Lindsay Birchfield, and the transfer of Katelyn Payne, the leadership roles were left to Yohn and returning senior starter Celeste Von Ahnen.
"I had to step up more as a leader this year with all the seniors gone," said Yohn, who will enter her senior season with 1,127 career points. "I really looked up to those four and now I had to be the one all the girls looked up to and I had to be the one to get everyone involved and feel welcome."
Dawson was more than happy with the job Yohn did in that regard.
"Her work ethic is incredible," said Dawson. "Coach (Dennis) Butzow gets calls from her all the time to open the gym so she can shoot. She has a personal trainer. She brings the level of play of everybody around her up. The younger kids want to be like Katie.
"And she's so personable. She's so easy to talk to and joke around with. But she has that serious side. She's a competitor and she wants to win. She has a great attitude about sports and life."
Freshman year, Yohn played volleyball, basketball and softball. She gave up softball after her freshman season but still plays for coach Jaime Walton's volleyball team and will again her senior year. She easily could have been a Division I recruit in any of the three sports.
"My dad (Steve) always told me to do what makes me happy," said Yohn, a second team AP All-State selection and a second team Class 2A IBCA choice who will turn 17 on Saturday.
"Over the past couple of years I've found that basketball makes me the happiest. I never get tired of it."
And basketball will be her future as well. Top-notch programs are filling the Yohn family mailbox on a regular basis. The list includes Iowa, Wisconsin, Eastern Illinois, Bradley, Minnesota, UIC and Loyola, just to name a few. She's been to the Iowa and Wisconsin campuses a couple of times and realizes the time is coming to start making choices. Her participation with the Full Package Lady Lightning this summer -- an AAU team that travels nationwide and includes Montini's Michala Johnson and Allison Seberger -- will certainly continue to increase her stock.
"I try not to think about it," said Yohn, who added she'd prefer to commit early. "Lately I've had to start choosing where I want to visit. I want to go bigger -- maybe the Big Ten or The Valley. It's nice to be rewarded for all your hard work."
Yohn is also quick to acknowledge all those who have helped her get to this point.
"My mom (Janice) and dad first," said Yohn, who is the middle child with two brothers and a sister. "Coach Dawson, coach Stacey (Wahlberg) and coach Denny have helped me so much. And my teammates, especially those seniors who graduated last year."
Graduations that put Katie Yohn into a leadership role, one that she had and likely will continue to have amazing success at.