Simply, Yohn went beyond

Class act.

That's about the best and most simple way to describe Katie Yohn.

And while this story is of Katie Yohn's senior year at St. Edward more than anything, it's also about the end of an era in girls sports at St. Edward High School and throughout the Fox Valley area.

If ever a female athlete has been iconic in this area, it's Yohn. And her senior year was the best yet. Not only did she help lead the Green Wave volleyball team to a third-place finish in the Class 2A state tournament, she also became the storied girls basketball program's all-time leading scorer, breaking the record of another St. Edward and area icon, Beth (Hasenmiller) Sauser.

For her accomplishments this school year, both as an athlete and a student, Yohn has been selected as the 2008-09 Daily Herald Female Athlete of the Year.

She becomes the first St. Edward athlete, male or female, to earn the award since its inception in 1998.

"The way she handles herself, Katie is just a class act," said St. Edward girls basketball coach Michelle Dawson. "Her goal is to make everyone around her better, whether that be volleyball or basketball. She treats her teammates with respect and her coaches with respect and you can't ask for anything more than that."

The volleyball season kicked off Yohn's senior year and she used her imposing 5-foot-10 frame to be a force at the net as the Green Wave finished their season with a win in the third-place match at Redbird Arena. She was an all-area choice as a setter who racked up 294 assists in addition to 270 kills, 160 digs and 94 blocks.

"There was never a question as to whether she'd work hard for you," said Wave volleyball coach Jaime Walton. "You always knew you'd get 110 percent from her. She always knew her job and knew what she was there for and she came in and got it done."

Getting downstate in volleyball was one of Yohn's top goals this year.

"I really wanted to go downstate in volleyball," she said. "We had so many seniors. Going downstate and ending my volleyball career with a win was awesome."

Yohn remembers the one moment that stood out for her this year and, no, it wasn't breaking the school scoring record in basketball.

"The one that stands out the most is the volleyball game against Harvard (a 3-game win in the regional finals)," she said. "Everybody played so hard and we put so much into that game. That's when we knew we could go downstate."

Then came basketball, Yohn's chosen sport and the one she accepted a scholarship from Bradley University to play. Her Green Wave teammates were relatively young and it took the bulk of the season for them to come of age, but behind their savvy leader they made it to the sectional finals, allowing Yohn enough games to break the school scoring record. She finished her career with 1,812 points, smashing the old record of 1,772.

Additionally, she averaged 23.6 points per game this season, was unanimous all-state by the Associated Press and the IBCA, was the Suburban Catholic Conference Player of the Year and the Honorary Co-Captain of the Daily Herald's All-Area team.

But what really set Yohn apart on the basketball court was her desire to get her teammates involved at all times, which resulted in a 5 assist per game average.

"It was exciting to watch her play," Dawson said.

But Katie Yohn the person is so much more than what you see on the court.

"We were at her graduation party and so many faces that she didn't expect to be there were there because she's meant so much to so many people," Dawson said. "It's hard to put into words what she has meant to our school and our community."

Through it all, Yohn has remained humble.

"I never would have thought I'd go downstate with two different teams," said Yohn, who helped lead the Wave downstate in basketball her sophomore year. "That's more than anyone could dream of achieving. I just think about all the regional finals and sectional finals I got to play in and all the athletes and coaches I've met. I've been really lucky and I couldn't have asked for anything more."

The daughter of Steve and Janice Yohn of rural west Elgin, and the sister of Matt, Jake and Sarah, Yohn also excelled in the classroom. Her four-year GPA was 3.86 and she ranked No. 12 in her class of 103. She also scored a 24 on her ACT.

And Yohn offers this advice to those who follow her.

"I always tried to do my homework and get it all done throughout the day," said Yohn, who still study to be a physician's assistant at Bradley. "After practice or games, on days I'd have tests, I'd be up until midnight or one studying. Being able to manage your time is a big part of being a student-athlete if you want to get scholarships."

Yohn has left a lifelong impression on Walton.

"She's just a great kid," said Walton, who was recently married. "The best thing about coaching her has been watching her through junior high and watching her grow up these past five years. She's a great person and she's just so mature. She's the type of person I can see staying friends with and taking those trips to Peoria to see her play at Bradley. She's just a great person from a great family."

And one who doesn't stop at helping the young players in the St. Edward basketball program, even though she's graduated. She will leave today for her three-day orientation and some basketball practice at Bradley, but all this week she's been at St. Edward, in the gym, helping Dawson with her summer camp.

"She's helping the young kids and working on her game," Dawson said. "That's Katie."

Yohn is quick to thank several people for helping her become the athlete and person she is.

"First is my mom and dad and my brothers and sister," she said. "And there's Jaime, coach Dawson, coach Denny (Butzow), coach Stacey (Wahlberg), and (St. Edward AD) PJ (White), and all my friends from the teams and the athletes I played with."

She does reserve the late-night phone call for one special friend, though.

"Molly Kelly," Yohn said. "I always call her when I need to talk and we always agreed we'd call each other, even in the middle of the night if we needed to."

And while Yohn's entire career has been about being a good teammate and helping those around her, she does admit the individual accomplishments have been fulfilling.

"I worked so hard for my teams to succeed," she said. "It's always nice to be individually recognized."

And, in Katie Yohn's case, it is also so well deserved.