There was a super profile of Cabrillo hoops star ROXANNE RENTSCHLER by Brad Memberto in today’s Lompoc Record/Santa Maria Times--
In a basketball game against Santa Maria on Jan. 4, Cabrillo guard Roxanne Rentschler scored her 1,000th career point. She became the all-time leading girls scorer in school history.
But two things were more important to her that night - one, her team won; two, she set the school record for assists in a game.
This is a girl that is a team player, who just happened to score a lot of points.“I'll tell you two facts about the game against Santa Maria that tell you what you need to know about Roxanne Rentschler,” said her coach, MARK TASCH.
“That same night she set the school record for assists in one game by dealing 11. She hit five-of-six 3-point shots, but was in the gym at 6 a.m. the next morning working on her shooting - that's Roxanne.”
It is the work ethic that Rentschler (5-7) brings to the court that has led to her success. Each year her stats improve and that comes from all the extra hours in the gym. Since averaging about eight points a game as a freshman on the varsity squad, Rentschler's scoring has improved. She was the leading scorer for the past three years, averaging 11.6 as a sophomore, 10.6 in her junior year and a solid 14.6 so far in her senior year. As a sophomore she led the team with 49 assists; this year she already has 107. And on a team that has some big players under the basket, she is third on the squad in rebounds at 6.4.
As Rentschler's all-around game has improved, so has the Conquistadores total wins. From 3-20 her freshman year, the team improved to 11-13 her sophomore year, 16-10 her junior year and now the Conqs have 11 wins this season.
“It was obvious at the beginning that she had skills beyond her age,” said JESSE DAVIS, the current athletic director at Lompoc High and Rentschler's varsity coach when she was a freshman. “She had great vision and made very good passes,” he continued.
Coming into high school, basketball was not the only sport this competitor played. Rentschler played soccer and volleyball as well. But she stuck to only basketball after her sophomore year.
“I played soccer until the 10th grade and volleyball for two years, but my junior year I wanted to get serious about basketball and play all year,” Rentschler explained. “I wanted to play to win, not just play.”
Rentschler has always loved the game of basketball. She started playing at age 6, with her dad as the coach of her team. Her parents have been by her side for the entire time.
“My parents have been so supportive of me, they would do anything for me,” Rentschler said. “They would drive me to tournaments as far as Oregon - we've been all over the place.“They buy me basketball shooting tapes and stuff,” she continued. “They push me, but not too much, they know how much I love it.”
Her father David works at Vandenberg Air Force Base and her mother Susan is a retired teacher. Both are dedicated to her successes on and off the court. “My dad will wake up in the morning and rebound for me,” Rentschler said. “I'm really thankful for all they do.”
With her family support system, the close relationship with her head coach and her work ethic, Rentschler has succeeded and presented a model for future athletes - female and male - to follow.“For four years hers has been the name that people have associated with Cabrillo girls basketball,” Tasch said. “She has always represented us as we would wish, playing hard, playing unselfishly and never ever quitting.”
Playing unselfishly has always been a benchmark of Rentschler's game. “I love the games with the whole team contributing, when everyone's doing well,” she explained, “when you get pass, pass, basket.” Team has always been the focus of her game, as evidenced in her comments about the other record she broke in the Santa Maria game. “I liked the 11 assists, it's one of my strong things that I do, Rentschler said. “The 1,000 points, now that's cool, but anyone can shoot a lot, but an assist helps get your teammates up.”
“She's very unselfish with a basketball,” explained Tasch. “I don't think I've ever seen her pass up a person that is open. She reminds me of Marcus Jenkins a bit,” he continued, comparing Rentschler to one of his star players from his years as the boys coach. “If we won and Marcus had two points, it was fine with Marcus. If we lost and he had 35, it wasn't fine with him. Roxie's much the same way.”
Rentschler has worked on her entire game throughout the years and her shooting has really improved, especially her 3-point shooting as of late. She has become an all-around threat, something that has not been lost on Coach Tasch. “I am proudest of how Roxanne has worked to develop a complete game,” said Tasch. “When you check the Los Padres League on MaxPreps you'll find her at or near the top in scoring, assisting, 3-point shooting and rebounding. And she has become a very good on-the-ball defender.”
“He's pushed me to be the best I can be,” Rentschler said about Tasch. “Make smart decisions. Everybody has different goals. If I want to go to the next level, I can't go out at night and the next morning be ready to shoot.”
Another indication of her dedication to the game can be found in her senior project. Rentschler read several books on sports psychology and wrote a paper on the subject. “I wrote it last semester, so it was during pre-season,” she explained. “I learned a lot of ways to prepare for a game.”
Rentschler recently signed a national letter-of-intent to attend Division II powerhouse Sonoma State next fall.“I'm excited, that's the school I wanted to go to,” Rentschler said. “I will get to play with girls that are just like me. They really want to win and are really dedicated. The school is very nice, it's really pretty up there,” she continued. “And I watched the team practice and play.”
She said that she was going to major in business, but wasn't sure what her life after basketball would include. “A teacher maybe?” she said. “I like English. I like reading a lot and writing.” And how about coaching? “It would be kind of fun, I could try,” Rentschler answered with a smile. “I'd have to work on my patience - but you never know.”
For now it's complete the current basketball season with a strong finish. “I don't want to end the season thinking I could of done more,” Rentschler stated. “So I need to always work my hardest.”
“The program and I will miss her tremendously,” Tasch said, “but at the same time, I'm thrilled that her hard work and determination will be rewarded by being able to play at the next level.
“If work ethic, determination and desire to win have anything to do with success,” he continued, “we will be hearing great things.”And Rentschler has appreciated her time at Cabrillo and will miss the camaraderie of her teammates and schoolmates.“Going to the football games, the team dinners, we have a good bond - I love my team,” she said. “I learned a lot from my coaches and my teachers here.“It's a good school,” she concluded. “I'm happy I came to Cabrillo.”
And the school is happy she did too.
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