The flight from Sydney, Australia to Washington, D.C. covers 9,758 miles, a trip lasting upwards of 20 hours.
That’s a long time to sit and wonder if leaving home was the right thing to do. For Flint Hill senior guard Rhianna Faithfull, the plan had always been to go to the United States for college. But high school?
“It was the most nerve-wracking choice I’ve ever had to make,” said Faithfull, a Sydney native who arrived at Flint Hill for her junior year to further her blossoming basketball career. “There were a lot of sacrifices — leaving the friends I grew up with, leaving my family. I really was worried how it would all end up.”
Those early doubts are long gone now. Faithfull has spent two productive years at Flint Hill while living with a paternal aunt and uncle in Fairfax County. The exposure to better competition and the summer AAU circuit helped develop her game. A little persistence, too, helped Faithfull land a scholarship to Santa Clara after a DVDhighlight tape piqued the interest of Broncos coach Michelle Bento-Jackson.
“Rhianna came here with the goal of playing at the college level,” said Flint Hill coach Jody Patrick. “But it was about the cultural and educational opportunities she could get living here, too. Her family did things the right way.”
Faithfull, a 5-foot-4 point guard, has faced several on-court issues this season. A nagging inflammation in her right knee kept her out of practice in November and hampered her well into January. Just as Faithfull (11 points per game, team-high 5.5 assists per game) was hitting her stride she suffered a severe ankle sprain on Jan. 16 against Holy Child. And while she is back now, Patrick has limited Faithfull’s minutes, hoping she’ll be full strength for the Independent Schools League tournament on Feb. 22.
Flint Hill (7-13, 3-7) isn’t a team many ISL coaches want to see in the postseason. With just one senior and one junior on the roster, the young Huskies have lost eight games by eight points or less.
“I really didn’t want to end my senior year just watching,” said Faithfull, who helped Flint Hill to a Virginia Independent School state runner-up finish last year. “So it feels good to be back out there. And with the way we’re playing you have the feeling we can beat anyone in our league.”
Wonder down under
» Faithfull comes from a family of college athletes. Her American father, Marc Caleb, was a swimmer at UCLA. Her Australian mother, Janeen Faithfull, ran track at Arizona State before transferring to UCLA.
» Sydney is known for its world-class beaches and California-like weather. Washington, D.C.? Not so much. “I really hate the cold,” Faithfull said. “Since I’ve been here I’ve probably missed living near the beach more than anything.”
» Junior guard Michelle Ketcham is the leading scorer for the Huskies at 13.5 points per game and is the school’s career leader in 3-pointers made.
