Ohlone basketball player Marasigan Shines As Student-Athlete

Ohlone College sophomore forward Felipe Marasigan sure is maximizing his community college experience.

Renegades basketball coach Steve Kline can’t say enough good things about him.

“Felipe is a great young man,” Kline says of the slim Washington High graduate. “If a school was looking to find an athlete that would define the term ‘student-athlete,’ Felipe would be the guy. It has been a privilege working with him for the past three years.”

Marasigan, who is averaging 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds a game, was raised by his mom Mari Escudero. She instilled in him success traits that the Renegades can see today.

“My mom, being a single mother, she really made it a point to work hard in the classroom and outside of the classroom,” Marasigan says. “Just the little things really go a long way.”

During a challenging season, Marasigan and his young teammates have maintained a positive attitude and a hearty approach while dealing with injuries and strong competition in the Coast Conference-North Division.

“We’ve had a tough season, but we’re always looking forward to the next game, trying to get a win for Ohlone,” Marasigan says.

Working toward degrees in kinesiology and athletic training, Marasigan hopes to become a physical trainer. He tries to set a high standard for his teammates.

“I definitely do,” he says. “We have a young team and we also have a lot of players that come from different countries and we have players from out of the area, and I think it’s important to lead by example. That way they have something to look forward to in our program, to continue on in basketball.”

Marasigan also played football and baseball growing up but settled in on basketball around the eighth grade. He admittedly has trouble gaining weight with such a lanky frame at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds. Three years ago, he entered the Ohlone program weighing only 170 pounds.

Kline, a former Ohlone assistant in his first year as Renegades head coach, has had a big influence on Marasigan. Kline emphasizes more than wins and losses in his program.

“He’s been a real good coach for me,” Marasigan says of Kline, a former coach at American High-Fremont. “Even when I was struggling in both my redshirt and freshman seasons, he was always in my corner rooting for me, and it led me to be a better player. It helped me become a leader towards this year and be more confident in basketball.”

Now the stage is set for Marasigan to move up again. He’s on the right path.