GIRLS’ BASKETBALL 1994-1995 / CENTURY LEAGUE : Kuhlmann Prefers Breaking All Presses : Basketball: Her debut at Canyon caused commotion, but thanks to point guard’s all-league performance, Comanches are favorites.

Canyon senior Robynn Kuhlmann isn’t fond of interviews. And it’s no wonder.

In Kuhlmann’s first few weeks at Canyon High, after transferring from Fountain Valley, she was interviewed by a local newspaper.

“They misquoted me and the way they wrote the article made me sound conceited,” Kuhlmann said. “They made it sound like I thought I was great and was going to come in and break all these records, and that wasn’t what I said at all.”

The article made adjusting to a new school more difficult than normal.

Around school, teammates who didn’t know her shunned her, and upset parents called first-year girls’ basketball Coach Nelson Herrera to complain.

“We had a lot of dissension on the team because of it,” Herrera said. “I had a lot of problems with parents who wanted to know how I could let her say those things.”

Kuhlmann was upset.

“I didn’t even want to go to school after it came out. I was hoping nobody read it, but of course, everybody did,” Kuhlmann said. “It’s like walking on ice when you are a new student anyway; that just made it worse. I was really upset. Teammates who didn’t know me that well were really mad. It was really hard to deal with.”

Well, now it’s a new season. Kuhlmann has endeared herself to the team and she tries to stay away from reporters. But if she has another season like her last, and if the Comanches win the Century League title like many expect, it will be hard for her to remain out of the spotlight.

Kuhlmann, who is 5 feet 10, was a first-team all-league point guard last season when she averaged a team-high 13 points and five assists.

Kuhlmann began competing early in her life. A self-proclaimed tomboy, she grew up in a neighborhood of mostly boys. Basketball, football, street hockey, you name it, she played it.

“She was the runt of the block, about one to two years younger than all the boys,” her father, Willis Kuhlmann, said. “But she was always out there.”

Kuhlmann can’t handle boredom. If she gets restless, she will go out and run five miles.

Her father says when there is nothing else to do, she will get on her bike and ride to the beach, and from Weir Canyon that’s about 60 miles round trip. She also surfs and likes to play the guitar and hang out at coffee houses with her friends.

She also works out with weights five times a week.

“I played one-on-one with her and she pushed me around,” Herrera said. “She is very aggressive and very strong. She is the hardest-working kid I’ve ever seen. She always has a basketball in her hand. I expect great things from her this year.”

Kuhlmann is going to have to meet those high expectations in a new role. Herrera plans to rotate her at the shooting guard and small forward positions, where she can better utilize her size and strength.

Kuhlmann came to Herrera on his first day on the job last season and asked him if she could play guard.

“I didn’t want to play the post, because I can’t play that in college,” Kuhlmann said. “At the point I can free-lance, I feel more free to do things. The point is the position that gets things flowing.”

Even though she enjoys running the point, Kuhlmann doesn’t mind changing positions as long as it will benefit the team. And as far as worrying about the college scouts, she will now have a chance to show off different skills.

Kuhlmann has already received letters from more than 40 colleges.

“I’m really excited about college,” Kuhlmann said. “I’d like to possibly go back East, where I can see different cultures and meet new people.”