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.