Shepard, Kline DV's scholar-athletes of the year

Wake up. School. Practice. Game/Meet. Homework. Bed. Repeat.

Both John Kline and Katie Shepard had their plates full this year. Yet both more than managed their time, and graduate as the Ahwatukee Foothills News' Desert Vista male and female Scholar-Athletes of the Year for the Class of 2008.

Kline, a three-time state champion in the Class 5A-Division I state track meet earlier this month, is graduating with a 3.95 GPA and No. 34 in the class of 710.

He has a hand in three all-Arizona records, including his time of 1:51.33 in the individual 800-meter race. Kline also ran on the 400 and 800 relay teams that set state records.

"The running is definitely pretty nice, but my academics, keeping my good grades, does make me proud, too," said Kline, who will take his academic and athletic talents to Arizona State University next fall, where he will compete on the Sun Devils' track team.

Shepard, the captain of the girls' soccer team, will graduate with a 3.87.

She led the Thunder in goals (14), assists (10) and points (38) this past season, and is also heavily involved in club soccer.

"It's not really difficult (balancing school and soccer), it's just hard when I want to do a lot of other things socially and I can't because of soccer and that stuff," said Shepard, who will also move on to play soccer with the Sun Devils.

In addition to receiving an athletic scholarship, Shepard received the Provost Scholarship and has already been accepted to the Barrett Honors College at ASU. She'll study architecture next fall.

"I eventually want to do the interior and exterior of homes," she said.

Kline said his secret was simple: staying on top of things.

"It's busy," he said. "Sometimes it just happens where you have tests the next day and then meets and projects and stuff. Sometimes it gets overwhelming."

But, he added, "Really, it's not procrastinating, because that's when you get into the trouble."

Shepard agreed, adding, "It was just finding time to do all my academic stuff."

See the rest of AFN's complete graduation coverage:

Graduation Night:

DV and MP weather the rain during graduation

Wet weather won't keep Mountain Pointe grads down

Desert Vista's '08 class record-breaking

Class Lists:

Mountain Pointe

Desert Vista

Features:

Identical triplets set to walk in Mountain Pointe grad ceremony

Boatload of DV grads to become midshipmen - or women

Sports:

Carman, Hood MP's scholar-athletes of the year

Shepard, Kline DV's scholar-athletes of the year

Ellenberger, Sangston Horizon Honors' student-athletes of the year