USF’s ScallyWenches will lose their senior captain and coach before the next fall season, but their legacy will thrive with the team that remains.
USF Women’s Ultimate Frisbee captain, Brooke Abney, and coach, Danielle Rentz, will take different paths away from USF at the end of the spring semester. Abney, 22, will be graduating with a B.A. from the College of Business and first-year graduate student Rentz, 23, will be entering the Peace Corp for a year.
“They are going to be missed incredibly,” said sophomore ScallyWench Danielle Davis. “We can only hope that someone can step up and provide the same leadership and skill that they’ve shown. They’re the best.”
Rentz began ultimate frisbee in high school in her hometown, Philadelphia. From there, she attended Bucknell University and became captain of their Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team. She entered USF’s graduate program studying mechanical engineering. She will finish the spring semeseter and complete her degree as a member of the Peace Corp.
“I’m incredibly excited to go, but at the same time I’m super nervous,” said Rentz. “I hate to leave my girls, too.
She continued to her ultimate frisbee experience by becoming co-captain of the USF women’s team last fall. Unfortunately in December, Rentz encountered an unwanted injury when she tore her ACL while blocking an opposing team’s throw.
“It set me back in my Ultimate career but I found a way to still contribute,” said Rentz. “I couldn’t help my team out on the field so I ended up turning into a coach.”
Rentz immediately became a stand-in coach for the ScallyWenches. She organizes practice and provides constructive insight regarding plays.
“They’ve really been supportive of my coaching and helped me through my injury,” said Rentz. “I know that they’ll continue to [support me] when I leave.”
Abney has a much different story than Rentz. She began to play ultimate frisbee two years ago with USF, a year after the team’s first year of operation. Then, Abney was definitely short of a skilled player.
“I was awful, to say the least,” said Abney. “I could barely throw a good distance. I was a lot better at the defense than the offense. You didn’t want me guarding you–I was scary.”
After playing with a Tampa-based club team Sol (spanish for “sun”) last summer, Abney transformed into a throwing, blocking and guarding machine.
“It was one of the main reasons why she became captain,” said Davis. “Last season, she was pretty average. This year, she blew us all away!”
Abney is on the path to graduate this spring with a Bachelor’s degree in general business. After graduation, she is unsure where her path lies.
“I really hope I get a job right out of school,” said Abney. “I won’t lie, I’m terrified. But I’m sure I’ll stay on the field to keep my head straight when I’m stressed from job-hunting.”
Abney plans on sticking with Sol and hopes that when her fellow ScallyWenches graduate, they will join her.
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