STAR GETS CHANCE TO SHINE.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

Senior Chanel Roehner harbors no hard feelings for the way the Simi Valley High softball season ended, although it would be easy to feel bitter.

Last year, Roehner pitched Simi Valley to an unexpected Marmonte League title. Everything seemed to go wrong this year as Simi Valley finished 4-10 in league. The Pioneers had little run support for Roehner, who had a standout season, and 1-run losses were commonplace.

``We definitely lost some key player and had a few freshmen on the team who maybe weren't as experienced as other girls but they pulled their weight,'' Roehner said. ``We just couldn't catch a break. (The other team) would get a hit at the right time, we'd have an error and it would be the key error they'd score on.

``We rarely got killed. It was always 1-0. That was frustrating. We couldn't climb up the mountain and get to the top. We all knew we had a good season last year. We knew teams were out to beat us. We wanted to show that last year wasn't a mistake.''

It wasn't. Roehner couldn't have been more pleased that the surprise season happened before former coach Suzanne Manlet died after a battle with cancer. A couple of weeks ago, the softball team retired Manlet's No. 6 jersey in an emotional ceremony at the team's banquet.

``Somehow, we knew it would be her last season and we tried to do well,'' Roehner said. ``We won for her last season. It was ironic in a way. We were really happy about it.''

Roehner was the Marmonte League Pitcher of the Year but it was her hitting skills and ability to play the outfield that landed her a scholarship to Syracuse when she was a junior. Roehner, who will play in Monday's 18th Annual Daily News Senior All-Star Game, didn't have a chance to hit this season as she was the team's ace but she often took batting practice and got work in the outfield when she could.

She'll likely play a utility role at Syracuse and that's how she likes it. She'll travel with Anaheim's USA Athletics travel team this summer to hone her skills. She batted .313 with a .414 slugging percentage last year.

``She kept us in every game,'' Simi co-coach Denise Watkins said. ``She took everyone under her wing and showed them the way. She's very focused. She had a lot of goals she set for herself and she planned it out, took it step by step and did them.''

Now she's working on a new set of goals. She'll likely major in communications to start a broadcast career. Either that or she wants to start her own clothing line. But she'll start by trying to make a name for herself on the softball team.

``I'm hoping to set some goals for Syracuse. I want to have my name go down in the record books for something, whether it's fielding, pitching or hitting,'' she said. ``I know they're going to have more experienced pitchers and if I want to be a pitcher, I'll have to work really hard. Outfield may be a little easier but I want them to train me. I don't just want to play one position.''

Jill Painter, [phone]

jill.painter(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Simi Valley's Chanel Roehner led a lackluster team this season but the senior will play in the Daily News All-Star game.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer