Many high school athletes get to experience the sweet taste of success at some point during their prep careers.

Consider what she has accomplished:

• As a freshman, she was one of Timpview's starting five that ended Mountain View's run of four straight championships and reached the 4A state title game.

• After most of that team graduated, she led her Thunderbird team as a sophomore back to the 4A semifinals, where they were only a few seconds from defeating the eventual champs from Orem.

• Her junior year was spent on the sidelines after a devastating knee injury, but she was a huge support to the Timpview squad that defeated Orem for the 4A championship.

• She once again led a team with little overall experience to a successful season as the T'Birds went undefeated in region play and reached the 4A state final for the third time in four years.

"Each year built me up," Kaufusi said. "That first year with those girls showed me where I could be. As a sophomore, I had coach Wendy Anae, who was one of the best coaches I had.

"Last year I learned a lot and it helped me grow, then this year was really fun as I was able to play again."

As a senior this past winter, Kaufusi proved to be a big part of the Timpview success. For her dominance in the paint and her strong leadership, the Daily Herald is pleased to name her the 2008 Utah Valley Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

"She was huge for us in what this team did, going unbeaten in region," said Thunderbird head coach Kawika Akina. "Defensively, teams couldn't stop her; they could only try to slow her down. With her numbers and the way she led this team, she deserves this award."

Akina pointed to Kaufusi's attitude in 2006-07 when she wasn't able to play as an example of how she guided the team.

"Even though she didn't play, she was a big part of the team on the bench," he said. "It was great to have her on the floor this year to help us out."

The senior said the knee injury -- which still isn't 100 percent recovered -- turned out to be a big learning experience.

"It was really hard," she recalled. "I was in denial, saying I'd be back for region or back for state. But it took a whole year to get back."

She still remembers when she finally was able to get back on the court.

"I was like a kid at Christmas," Kaufusi said. "I would be at every open gym and sometimes I'd be the only senior there. I was so excited to be able to play again."

Akina said that her determination to get back on the floor was an indication of her toughness, what he believes to be her biggest strength.

"She toughs it out," he explained. "She plays through everything. That got her through the year."

It's an asset she'll take with her to college as she signed to play basketball for BYU in the summer of 2006. Both Akina and Kaufusi believe that getting the knee back up to par is the biggest area she needs to work on before she starts with the Cougars.

"I need to work on my agility and quickness because I lost a lot of that," Kaufusi said. "I'm working on it. Instead of being a step behind, I want to be a step ahead."

According to the Timpview head coach, BYU will be getting more than a strong player; it will also be getting a great individual.

"She has a great personality," Akina said. "She's always on the go, doing everything. She's a genuinely nice person who helps people to feel involved."

Kaufusi said that beyond basketball, she also likes music, playing Guitar Hero and keeping in touch with her friends. Right now she's planning on becoming a doctor and really enjoys anatomy in school.

Before she gets to that point, she hopes to keep getting better on the basketball court. She said she'd picked up a couple of things during her four successful seasons at Timpview.

"You need to listen to your coaches," Kaufusi advised. "You also can't be afraid to do what you know how to do. Just because other girls are older doesn't mean you can't show them up. You just have to go for it."