"That townie basketball player," plays in Tanner Autencio's head like a broken record. When people describe the McMinnville-born junior, that phrase is often the first thing that comes out of their mouths.
 
On Linfield's campus, students use the word "townie" to label McMinnville natives. The term is sometimes asserted with a sort of negative connotation, as if townies are of a different species. Autencio, however, doesn't mind being labeled as such. If being a townie means receiving all-league honors in three sports at McMinnville High School (basketball, golf and soccer), and getting to play college basketball in front of his home crowd, then sign him up.
 
"I feel the love when I see my family, and other people who used to watch McMinnville High School basketball while I was there, come to my games," Autencio says.
 
To be so near to his support system is a golden opportunity for Autencio. Even his teammates appreciate the benefits of having a hometown favorite on their team. Fans tend to gravitate to Linfield games more when McMinnville natives are competing. And when more fans attend basketball games, the team feeds off of the contagious energy in the gym.
 
"It's great to have a guy from Mac on the team," senior Liam O'Reilly says. "My favorite aspect of his game is the energy and tenacity. I'm sure having his family and friends close by adds a bit of extra motivation."
 
A second-generation Wildcat, Linfield holds a special place in Autencio's heart. His parents, Jeff and Wendy, met at Linfield during their college days. Since he was born and raised in McMinnville, Autencio has easily built relationships with Linfield faculty, coaches and alumni as a result of his name alone.
 
Autencio's father, Jeff, played for the men's basketball program from 1975 to 1979. During his career, the team won three straight conference titles. Jeff also coached alongside former men's basketball head coach, Larry Doty. Although Autencio is following in his father's footsteps, he says he never feels as though he's being compared to the legacy that his father had left for him. Both equally take pride in the purple and cardinal. If anything, there's only one ghost Autencio is chasing in his last two seasons as a Wildcat.
 
"We've experienced similar team success in our careers other than conference championships," he says. "I want one really badly, and hope I can help my team hang up a couple more banners in Ted Wilson Gymnasium."
 
Autencio's parents have constantly reminded him how important it is for him to receive a college education. The life of a student-athlete at Linfield requires sacrifice. That may mean giving up a weekend or two to complete a homework assignment or study for an upcoming exam. Today, Autencio embraces those words of advice and is applying them to his daily repertoire. But as a freshman, he didn't always do so.
 
In just his first semester at Linfield, Autencio failed to keep his grades up to par, costing him a year of basketball eligibility. Unprepared for the student aspect of "student-athlete," he reached a breaking point. Eventually, he parted ways with Linfield. He didn't want to go to school anymore. Even worse, he thought his basketball career was over as a result of it. Then Linn-Benton Community College entered the picture.
 
"Linn-Benton was a life-changing decision," he says. "When I left Linfield, I left to go find myself."
 
Transferring to LBCC was the first time Autencio had stepped out of his comfort zone and moved away from home. He was forced to branch out and make new friends. It was something he wasn't used to, as he had spent his entire life with childhood friends in McMinnville.
 
As a sophomore, Autencio joined the LBCC basketball team. In 2017, he received all-league honors and led the conference in steals per game. He later attended LBCC again the following fall, but did not return to the basketball team in order to focus on school. Either way, while at LBCC, he rediscovered the buried motivation and spark he needed to mature as a student, as an athlete and a man.
 
"After taking a year off from basketball, I realized how much I missed competing. I knew I still had a lot left in the tank," he says. "I didn't want to regret not finishing college basketball when I get older."
 
Autencio's heart was still on the court. If there were any possibility of rejoining his teammates at Linfield again, he would pounce on it in a heartbeat. He tried to keep in touch with some of his Linfield friends and teammates during his time at LBCC, but distance made the task difficult.
 
Senior Riley Bruil says Autencio was instantly one of his best friends when they arrived at Linfield as freshmen in 2015. So Autencio's departure from Linfield was difficult for him to accept. The two had almost lost contact with each other, but one day in the spring of 2018, they crossed paths at the Columbia Sportswear employee store in Beaverton, Oregon. It was the first time they had talked to each other in a while.
 
"He had a huge smile on his face," Bruil recalls. "Then he said 'Guess what? I'm coming back to Linfield to hoop next year!'"
 
"Knowing how much Tanner impacts the game on the court, I was so excited for him to come back," Bruil says. "He's such an awesome teammate, player and friend. I'm glad he worked so hard in school and on the court at Linn-Benton."
 
Settling back into life at Linfield, Autencio has a new perspective on things. He will always play his heart out on the court and do anything to help the team win. And now he owns a deeper appreciation of what it means to be a student as well. Suddenly, his parents' advice began to ring true.
 
"It means a lot to be a Division III athlete, but all levels of collegiate athletes know how important it is to also get an education," he says. "This is the school I get to represent every night that I get to play, and I am honored to have Linfield written across my chest."
 
Some say the best gift in life is a second chance. For Autencio, that saying hits home both literally and figuratively. There are no do-overs, but there are always new opportunities he will be ready for this time around.