Under different circumstances it would have easily been one of the greatest moments of her life.
Dan Bates / The Herald
In reality, it probably felt more like grinding salt into a fresh wound.
About one year ago – 368 days to be exact – Caitlyn Rohrbach roamed the court with her jubilant teammates at Tacoma Dome. The Meadowdale Mavericks girls basketball team had just defeated Rainier Beach to claim the Class 3A state championship.
While the other Mavericks celebrated with triumphant screams, coordinated dance routines and hearty hugs, Rohrbach couldn’t enjoy the moment as much as she would have liked. In fact, some onlookers didn’t realize Rohrbach was a player at all, let alone a high school sophomore.
The confusion likely stemmed from her formal attire and unusually mature demeanor, but there was another noticeable difference between Rohrbach and her teammates.
Tears welled up under Rohrbach’s large, reddening eyes.
While the gathering droplets were certainly motivated by some joy, they also flowed because Rohrbach had to swallow a jagged pill: after suffering a torn left Achilles’ tendon that kept her out the entire season, Meadowdale had just reached the pinnacle without her.
“It definitely was bittersweet for me, just not being able to play in that state championship game and experience it on the court,” Rohrbach said.
But today Rohrbach, now a junior, returns to Tacoma Dome as a player. Her surprising Meadowdale (22-1 overall) team plays Auburn Riverside (18-7) at 10:30 a.m. in a first-round 4A state tourney game.
A 6-1 forward who started as a freshman, Rohrbach surged back following last year’s injury. Despite the Mavericks losing five seniors, including state tournament MVP Quinn Brewe, Rohrbach led Meadowdale to its first 4A state tourney appearance by averaging a team-leading 10.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. She’s also the most vocal floor influence on a team with only one senior, point guard Ashley Fenimore. The two are co-captains.
“We’ve all just really risen to the challenge,” Rohrbach said of her team. “I know some people thought we weren’t going to get this far, so it’s just really exciting.”
Meadowdale began its season with 22 straight victories, including a 48-46 last-second stunner over highly touted Garfield (22-1). Last weekend Snohomish (22-1) finally snapped the Mavericks’ overall win streak at 38.
“It’s been fun,” Rohrbach said of the season. “Not playing last year, I really missed being out there. … Just being out on the court is amazing.”
Fenimore said Meadowdale wouldn’t be back in Tacoma without Rohrbach’s effort.
“Caitlyn’s just a great player and a great person,” Fenimore said. “She’s really motivational and she’s always getting us going. She’s just really been there for me as (well as) for the rest of the team.”
According to Fenimore, Rohrbach also made a difference last season with her constant encouragement from the sidelines.
“I can’t imagine watching my team win a championship and not being able to contribute (on the court),” Fenimore said, “but I don’t think she realizes how much she did contribute. I feel she had a role and she followed through with it.”
Meadowdale coach Karen Blair said Rohrbach did whatever was necessary to help the team during her rehabilitation. When this season started, a healthy Rohrbach projected an attitude many of the inexperienced Mavs ate up: “We can get this done. Who cares how young we are?”
Rohrbach, the tallest player on the team, also set the tone by switching positions. A natural perimeter scorer, she moved to an interior forward role this season. Her new responsibilities require more post defense and rebounding than long-range shooting.
“She’s a team player,” Blair said of Rohrbach, “and she’s willing to do whatever she can to help us win.” Rohrbach, who hopes her perimeter game will earn her a college scholarship, admits she initially didn’t want to make the switch. “But then,” she said, “I realized that it’s best for the team.”
Fenimore admires her teammate’s selflessness.
“She’s sacrificed a lot,” Fenimore said. “She knows that she’s the tallest and she knows that that’s where we need her.”
For Rohrbach, it’s just nice to feel needed again.
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