ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Nishibun's Unconventional Journey to Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania is the location of high hopes for little league baseball players every August. Teams from across the globe battle it out for the ultimate prize of Little League Baseball World Series champion, with the whole world watching on television.
But Williamsport, Pennsylvania, a town of 29,304 people, also has college athletics. Lycoming College, founded in 1812, is home to about 1,400 undergraduate students. The NCAA Division III school has 17 sports between men's and women's teams.
Bree Nishibun's unconventional journey to Lycoming began in the fall of 2011. The Fremd High School grad enrolled at Harper College and started her collegiate soccer career with the Hawks. Her two years with the Hawks were two of the best for a women's soccer player in school history. As a freshman, she was a First Team All-Conference and All-Region player for a Harper team that advanced to the Region IV Championship.
Her sophomore campaign was even more impressive, as she was named a NJCAA First Team All-American in addition to being named First Team All-Region and All-Conference. The Hawks posted a 4-11 record in the regular season, but they weren't finished. They knocked off Joliet Junior College in the Region IV Semifinals and then won the Region IV Championship, 2-1, over College of DuPage, to advance to nationals. Harper placed sixth at the national tournament
Nishibun describes the experience at nationals as "icing on the cake" while cherishing the family aspect of the team.
"It was really nice to have a close-knit family. The second year, we didn't have a very full roster, playing down the majority of the season or (with) no subs," she said. "I really hold onto that because it taught me perseverance."
Nishibun's most prestigious award came in May of 2013, as she was named the 2012-13 Harper Female Athlete of the Year. Nishibun even tried softball in the spring of 2013.
"She had an amazing work ethic and a great competitive fire," said head women's soccer coach Dwayne Cruz. "She was a great leader, and I would always know that no matter what, Bree came to play her best."
While her two years of athletic accomplishments at Harper were impressive, Nishibun took care of business most importantly in the classroom. She earned a NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete Award for Exemplary Academic Achievement and left Harper with a 3.85 GPA and planned to study physical therapy.
It appeared that Nishibun would continue her collegiate soccer career at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC after she verbally committed to the school in December of 2012. Guilford coach Eric Lewis saw Nishibun play at the 2012 NJCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship.
But after Lewis left Guilford College and was in search of another position, the future seemed uncertain for Nishibun.
"I really liked him as a coach and wanted to play for him," she said.
Lewis landed the head women's soccer coach position at Lycoming College in June of 2013 and wasted no time contacting Nishibun. However, Nishibun decided to take the fall 2013 semester off, moved to California, trained for soccer, and worked. In February 2014, she visited Lycoming and knew she still wanted to play for coach Lewis. That spring and summer, Nishibun finished her Associate degree at Harper College and prepared for her first year at Lycoming.
With no family or friends anywhere near Pennsylvania, the transition could have been a difficult one. But coach Lewis appointed Nishibun as a captain, and it turned out to be a perfect fit.
On the field, the Lycoming Warriors women's soccer program only won one game in Lewis' first year (2013). But Nishibun knew she had two years to help build the program. The team made major strides in the fall of 2014, winning four games, including a 2-0 victory over Widener University to close out the season. That season, she played in 16 games and started 15 as the team's central back.
This past fall, the Warriors posted a 9-9 record in Nishibun's senior season. The team scored 41 goals during the season, which was tied for the third-most in program history. With Nishibun as the anchor of the defense, the team posted four shutouts and allowed just one goal on six occasions. Finally, she was named honorable mention all-conference for the MAC Commonwealth.
"It is a little bittersweet. I wish I had longer. The overall dynamic (of the team/program) has changed," she said.
Nishibun also enjoys the town of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, especially the restaurants in the small downtown area. She also is captivated by the scenery of central Pennsylvania and has gone on many hikes, often inspired by tips from locals.
Nishibun will also have a unique opportunity in just over two weeks. Former NFL standout and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward is coming to speak at Lycoming College on Thursday, Feb. 25, and she will have the opportunity, along with one other Warriors athlete, to meet Ward at a private dinner prior to the event. The event is put on by the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania.
"Bree is someone that we immediately thought of when we were asked for athletes to represent Lycoming at the First Community Foundation event," Lycoming assistant director of athletics and head women's soccer coach Eric Lewis said. "She is an exceptionally bright student who also happened to be an incredibly talented athlete. She is a true leader, which made her a very strong captain both of her years in the women's soccer program."
Nishibun will finish her undergraduate studies in May, graduate with a degree in biology with a focus in anatomy and physiology, and begin applying to grad schools in the summer. She plans to study physical therapy and will be working in the field this summer in DuPage County.