Kaitlin McKenzie Parr first caught our eye as a seventh-grade pitcher for the Tabernacle Christian School softball team.

Even at that young age, Parr — better known as Katie for short, or K.P. for shorter still — was blowing away batters in the Alabama Christian Education Association ranks. No-hitters were common, but opposing teams in the ACEA weren’t exactly top caliber, so her family decided to move her to a team where she could get better competition and exposure.

They ended up at Hayden, and Parr quickly rose to the level of her new competition. She also found that her size and her intimidating presence worked well on the basketball court, where Wildcats basketball and softball coach John Simmons was more than happy to use her talents.

Six years after stepping into the pitching circle on a hardscrabble field at Mt. Olive Ball Park, Parr now has an AHSAA softball state championship to her credit, and a spot on the roster awaiting her at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville.

And for a body of work that has put her name more times than we can count in our pages, both in print and online, Katie Parr is chosen as the 2014 North Jefferson News Female Athlete of the Year.

At Hayden, Parr found that she usually had enough talent surrounding her that she didn’t have to carry the team on her shoulders. She was a force as a pitcher, depending more on speed than placement. But fellow pitcher Caitlin Kirkland provided just the opposite, and allowed Parr to shine as a big-bang hitter and a solid defensive player at third base.

Likewise on the court, Parr provided the inside presence for the Cats, while point guard Krista Stricklin ran the show from the perimeter. and when Stricklin — herself a past NJN Female Athlete of the Year — moved on to Samford University, Parr took over as the heart and soul of the team.

Parr is one of very few athletes this year who has stood out in more than one sport, one of the primary criteria for this award.

Among those also considered for this year’s honor:

• Bailey Murphy, Mortimer Jordan: The sophomore pitcher led her team to an upset win over then top-ranked Hayden and a spot in the regional playoffs.

• Tori Gann, Pinson Valley: One of the top goalscorers in all of Alabama high school soccer last year, Gann scored seven goals in one match for the Indians.