Rankin rolling for SCC women's basketball team

Shannon Rankin didn't need much convincing on where to continue playing basketball after a stellar career at Napa High School.

Rankin, who graduated from Napa in 2010, narrowed her decision to two schools – Napa Valley College and Solano Community College in Fairfield.

"Coach Matt (Borchert) approached me and opened my eyes to what Solano had to offer," said Rankin. "He's been at Solano a long time and it's a successful program. I went on a visit and that was all it took."

While the 25-minute commute was something that concerned her, it didn't take long for it to become second nature.

"At first, I thought, 'This sucks – driving through the (Jameson) Canyon every day,'" said Rankin. "But I'm fine with it. I don't mind."

Rankin has learned a lot about college life in the four months since school started at Solano – being held more accountable ranks among the top though.

"The teachers don't remind you about tests, and when assignments are due," she said. "You get the syllabus at the beginning of the semester and it's up to you to remember."

Solano plays one of the toughest schedules in the state. The team travels all over the Northern California for preseason tournaments and games, meaning Rankin and her teammates sometimes miss a class or two.

"The teachers are great and so helpful," said Rankin. "Solano is a really friendly environment. The teachers always have something to offer if you are confused about something they are teaching."

Rankin, a 5-foot-10 guard/forward for the Falcons, is learning and adjusting to the college game as well.

"We've played some great basketball players," she said. "There were some teams in high school that had players who didn't know what they were doing."

Rankin has stepped up her game tremendously to be able to compete with some of the state's top competition.

"Playing here teaches you to deal with tough situations," she said. "You have to be smarter. You can't get away with mistakes here. You have to be confident to be successful."

While Solano's 4-7 record may indicate little success so far this season (Solano's RPI ranking, which determines playoff seeding, is 13^th among North teams), Rankin is having plenty of individual success.

She's Solano's third-leading scorer, averaging 9.2 points per game. Rankin also averages 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game and hits 41 percent from the field. She's also started every game for the Falcons.

"Shannon is a solid player for us," said Borchert, now in his 11^th season at Solano. "Coming from Napa High, she came to us with great fundamentals. She's learning how important it is to have that in the college game."

Rankin is able to play multiple positions on the floor and defend guards and forwards from other teams. She says she's motivated by her teammates.

"I love my team," she said. "We are all goal-oriented. It's completely different from high school where some people were just playing for fun. Everyone here has the same goals and wants to move on after we're done at Solano."

Rankin hasn't given much thought to where she'd like to play after Solano – it's still early, after all. But she says that going to college and playing sports is in her blood.

"I always thought about college," she said. "I have two older brothers that went to college, so it's what you do."