WEST SUNBURY, Pa. (EYT/D9) — When someone meets Catherine Kelly for the first time, they can hardly believe she is only 16.
Maybe 26. But 16? No way.
Maturity is the calling card for Kelly, who is just entering her sophomore year at Moniteau as a guard on the girls basketball team and a mid-distance runner on the track and field. It was forged by growing up with two older siblings — Carolyn, 20, and Nathan, 17 — and has served her quite well in all matters of life.
“It helps me be a good sport,” Kelly said. “Being able to handle both winning and losing and knowing when I need to step up and be a leader for the other girls on the court.”
Kelly, a 5-foot-6 guard, had a big freshman campaign for the Moniteau girls basketball team, averaging 11.4 points, five rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. She also drained 26 3-pointers, shot 70% from the free-throw line, and played 30 minutes per game for the Warriors, who went 14-10.
Kelly was named District 9 Rookie of the Year. Her teammate, Aslyn Pry, was the district’s player of the year.
Pry graduated, so the onus will be on Kelly this season. That’s OK. She said she can handle it.
No sophomore slumps here.
“It’s made me work way harder,” said Kelly, who is quite literally a gym rat — she plays AAU basketball for the Pittsburgh Gym Rats. “I know people are expecting me to come out and do big things. I’ve been working on my outside shooting a lot and (Gym Rats) has been helping me with finishing around the rim, considering I’m a smaller guard and need to be able to finish around bigger players.”
There’s that maturity again.
“It’s all about knowing how to act,” Kelly said, “and how to go about things in your life the right way.”
Name: Catherine Kelly
School: Moniteau
Jersey Number: 5
Graduation Year: 2024
Sports: Basketball and Track and Field
2020-21 Highlights: Helped Moniteau to get to the District 9 Class 3A girls basketball championship game. Named District 9 Rookie of the Year (basketball). Helped Moniteau girls to an undefeated Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference record (track and field)
Q: Who do you consider your mentor(s)?
A: I would say my mentors are my parents. They push me to be the best I can be and push me out of my comfort zone and make me do things I sometimes do not want to do.
Q: What kind of music do you listen to?
A: My favorite genre of music is pop, but I will really listen to anything. My favorite artist right now is Machine Gun Kelly.
Q: Machine Gun Kelly? (Chuckling) Any relation?
A: (Laughing) No.
Q: Best pregame meal?
A: Anything my mom makes because she is an amazing cook.
Q: What sports movie would you watch every day if you could?
A: Mine would probably be “The Blind Side” because it is truly inspiring and makes you realize that good things can still happen even though all the bad in your life. You just have to persevere.
Q: What are your goals for the season?
A: To win as many games as we possibly can, make the playoffs, and get back to the D9 championship game and bring home a title.
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