Auburn Journal girls athlete of the year: Kaia Diederichs of Colfax shines in 4 sports

What makes small schools so special when it comes to athletics is the lack of specialization in one sport. While it isn't uncommon for athletes from a small town to play multiple sports, excelling at all of them is far from the ordinary. But Colfax's Kaia Diederichs is anything but ordinary. The four-sport star led Colfax on one of its best athletic runs in school history during her four years with the Falcons. Diederichs graduates as a league champion, section champion, NorCal champion and one of the most decorated athletes in Colfax history. She is the Auburn Journal girls athlete of the year for the second consecutive season. Her monstrous senior year started in flag football, where she led Colfax to a 15-1 record, the Pioneer Valley League title and the Sac-Joaquin Section final. In her second year playing the sport, Diederichs was a ball hawk defensively with 11 interceptions. She showcased her versatility on offense with 10 touchdown receptions, 638 yards rushing and 18 touchdown passes. Learning from one of the region's top football minds in coach Tony Martello, Diederichs said her game elevated to new heights once she gained experience on the field. "Having another year of experience definitely helped. A huge part of the game last year was just learning our offense and defense because it is very complex," said Diederichs. "Once we knew that, coming into this year, I feel like we had the skills necessary to be a good team." Diederichs also was a standout on the girls volleyball team, helping lead the Falcons to a fourth-place finish in a strong PVL. While she was a star in the fall, the winter is where Diederichs was in her element. A star on the pitch and hardwood, she led the Falcons to league championships in soccer and basketball and a third consecutive section title in basketball. A four-year varsity starter under head coach Rexanne Simpton, Diederichs helped transform Colfax into one of the state's powerhouses. The Lady Falcons reached the state tournament all four years and claimed two NorCal titles in 2023 and 2024. Last season, Colfax narrowly fell to Salesian in the NorCal quarterfinals. Diederichs averaged 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.2 steals per game. She credited her defense in basketball to her flag football, saying she learned how to better anticipate the pass in the fall. "I was really learning how to read the game and it helped in basketball a lot," said Diederichs. "They're kind of similar in that way. When you're on defense, you've got to know where everyone is and my position taught me how to see the whole field and read the other player well." Diederichs graduated Colfax as one of the winningest groups in school history in girls basketball, amassing 121 wins, including 21 consecutive playoff victories over NorCal opponents. She said while Colfax is a small school taking on goliaths Harvard-Westlake and Salesian, she never felt the Lady Falcons didn't belong. "We just focused on what we can do and didn't really look at who we're playing because we don't really like to think of ourselves as like little old Colfax," said Diederichs. "We like to just think that we're one of the best around, too. We had this confidence that we can play with anyone, no matter how many more players they have or what schools they are committed to." She shared that mentality on the soccer pitch. While her quest for four straight section titles fell short in the D-III championship game against Roseville, she leaves Colfax having never lost a league match. Diederichs had no problem torching the back of the net, amassing 133 career goals in four seasons. In her senior year, she led the team with 22 goals and added seven assists in 22 matches. She says she wouldn't be where she was if it weren't for her teammates. "That's honestly just a testament to the whole team, because we are a smaller school and we don't always play the best teams. If you just look at our whole schedule, we did a very good job of kind of getting everyone involved and it didn't just have to be one person scoring all the goals this year," said Diederichs. "That was huge for us." While trying to balance four sports, oftentimes playing them in the same season, Diederichs still balanced her studies. There were many late-night study sessions and early morning practices, but sticking to the routine helped her maintain her status as an honor student. "There was a strict schedule every day that I held myself to," said Diederichs, noting she still managed to get enough sleep somehow. "I had outlets and people there to support me and make sure that I could be where I needed to be at any time." Diederichs was also an advocate for women's sports on campus. She was an instrumental member of the Women's Sports Organization, founded by her mom and soccer coach Kara. It was there that she helped the girls sports on campus unite and support one another on the field and off. "It really just helped connect all the sports and all the female athletes on campus. It's a really special bond that we all have together," said Diederichs. Diederichs will play soccer at Westmont College in Santa Barbara in the fall, saying she chose the Warriors because she wanted something that reminded her of home but allowed her to visit the beach with ease. Said Diederichs, "I had a few schools reaching out, and all that I really knew was that I wanted to go to a smaller school that had a similar vibe to Colfax. I just knew I'd have this community surrounding me and they would always be there if I needed anything."