This time next year, Righetti senior Molly Schlemer will be playing basketball for the Cal Poly Mustangs.

On Tuesday, the 6’5” center signed a letter of intent to attend the San Luis Obispo university and will join former Warrior standout Kristina Santiago on the Mustangs squad.

“Molly is definitely a Division I type of player,” former Warriors coach Jeff Tuckness said. “We’re really excited that she gets to play for (Cal Poly head coach Faith) Mimnaugh, she’s a proven coach who really focuses on strength and conditioning.”

On last year’s 14-12 Warrior’s girls’ basketball team, Schlemer started at center and led the team with 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks a game. Her 11.7 points per game was second on the team.

Currently, the Cal Poly women’s basketball team does not have a player above 6’3” on its roster, making the addition of Schlemer an obvious one.

According to Schlemer, the Mustang coaching staff spotted her during club games over the summer.

“The recruiting process has been interesting,” Schlemer said. “I played club with the Santa Barbara Blazers a couple years ago and with the California Storm this summer. They have what are called viewing tournaments where coaches and scouts come to recruit and Cal Poly was at almost all of them and watching me play.”

The center was also recruited by UC Irvine, the University of San Francisco, and other schools within the Big West Conference.

“I really wanted to go to Cal Poly because of the players and coaching staff, plus both of my parents went there and my mom’s a teacher there,” said Schlemer.

She added that the location played a big part in her decision.

“It will be fun because I can come home and it’s not too close but not too far.”

In his first year at Righetti, girls basketball head coach Chad Dias has been impressed with Schlemer’s work ethic.

“She’s a hard worker and she really has an affinity to play basketball and she wanted to go to a D-1 school, so it will be a good experience for her,” Dias said.

How Schlemer will fit into the Mustangs game plan as a freshman is unclear at this point, but her height and knowledge of the game will give her a head start.

“She has a great basketball IQ and great understanding of the game,” Tuckness said. “She’s the perfect scholar athlete — an outstanding athlete and person and I really enjoyed coaching her.”