Emily Stenzel, Athletic Director for Santa Paula High School and Kolbeck's basketball coach at SPHS, has nothing but praise for her former player. "She was definitely the hardest working athlete I have ever coached," said Stenzel. "I was so thrilled she decided to go to Ventura College to play. I knew she could go all the way, and they could win. She's been a real inspiration to the girls that are still here."How did she find community college basketball as compared to her high school years? “At first it was really different, she said. “We hadn’t had four years to form a tight bond. But three months into it we started clicking. It’s almost like high school, but a faster game.”As for the State Finals, Kolbeck says she didn’t get nervous the first two games, but for the last contest she was so nervous she was almost sick. Of course, it helped that most of her family and several former Cardinal teammates were in the stands.Kolbeck wasn’t surprised that the V.C. women were able to pull off the final win at Stockton. “We had more heart than they did. Instead of giving up we pulled together.”
Sarah Kolbeck: One of Santa Paula’s best athletes
March 23, 2001
Part of State Championship TEam
Ventura County
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Anyone who has followed Santa Paula High School sports, knows the name Sarah Kolbeck.
Kolbeck, who participated in most of the women’s sports offered at the high school, has now made her mark at the Community College level. In her freshman year, she was a big part of the Ventura College Women’s Basketball team taking the State Championship this month. In the final, and deciding game against Contra Costa College, Kolbeck scored a team-high 20 points, helping the Lady Pirates to their 70-66 victory. The winning game was played in Stockton at the University of the Pacific.
For those who think sports is the main thing for Kolbeck, you might be surprised to learn that her leanings are more towards academics, even though she has performed very well on the basketball court, the track and the softball field. She had originally planned to attend Thomas Aquinas College, near Santa Paula. “But, I decided to play one year at Ventura College,” she told the Santa Paula Times. She’s still undecided about playing again next year at V.C.
Kolbeck started playing basketball with the Santa Paula Recreation Department in the third grade. She played softball through the eighth grade, and basketball, track and volleyball all through high school. Kolbeck also tried cross country in her senior year at Santa Paula High School.
In her final year as a Cardinal last year, Kolbeck was named to the All County First Team, Most Valuable Player for the Frontier League and Ventura County Athlete of the Year.
Emily Stenzel, Athletic Director for Santa Paula High School and Kolbeck's basketball coach at SPHS, has nothing but praise for her former player. "She was definitely the hardest working athlete I have ever coached," said Stenzel. "I was so thrilled she decided to go to Ventura College to play. I knew she could go all the way, and they could win. She's been a real inspiration to the girls that are still here."
Anyone who has followed Santa Paula High School sports, knows the name Sarah Kolbeck.Kolbeck, who participated in most of the women’s sports offered at the high school, has now made her mark at the Community College level. In her freshman year, she was a big part of the Ventura College Women’s Basketball team taking the State Championship this month. In the final, and deciding game against Contra Costa College, Kolbeck scored a team-high 20 points, helping the Lady Pirates to their 70-66 victory. The winning game was played in Stockton at the University of the Pacific.For those who think sports is the main thing for Kolbeck, you might be surprised to learn that her leanings are more towards academics, even though she has performed very well on the basketball court, the track and the softball field. She had originally planned to attend Thomas Aquinas College, near Santa Paula. “But, I decided to play one year at Ventura College,” she told the Santa Paula Times. She’s still undecided about playing again next year at V.C.Kolbeck started playing basketball with the Santa Paula Recreation Department in the third grade. She played softball through the eighth grade, and basketball, track and volleyball all through high school. Kolbeck also tried cross country in her senior year at Santa Paula High School.In her final year as a Cardinal last year, Kolbeck was named to the All County First Team, Most Valuable Player for the Frontier League and Ventura County Athlete of the Year.
