Bucknell University Athletics
From a Small-Town, to an Important Basketball Role
3/1/2006 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 1, 2006
By Julie Moses, Bucknell Athletic Communications
For an athlete, transferring from one school to the next can seem overwhelming, exciting and most of all, intimidating. For Jacquie Seawright, the transition from South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, to Bucknell wasn't any different; nevertheless, the 5 foot, 11 inch forward was welcomed onto the Bucknell women's basketball team with open arms.
"It was really great of my teammates to accept me the way they did, coming in new as a junior," remembers Seawright. "A lot of times, people become jealous or don't want to let you fit in, but I really didn't have to experience any of that."
As part of a very young team with only two juniors, five sophomores and four freshmen, Seawright was chosen to be a team co-captain, along with fellow classmate Lindsey Hollobaugh, in the early stages of her career with the Bison.
"I was very humbled to be picked to help lead the team," says the junior. "I really want to do my best for them and work my hardest everyday to lead by example."
When Seawright was recruited to play for the Bison, the coaching staff knew she would bring maturity, experience and leadership to a very young squad.
"I played in many basketball games and I know what it takes to get things done the right way, which was a big reason why coach [Kathy Fedorjaka] brought me here," remarks Seawright. "I need to be on top of things and make sure I am going as hard as possible and executing the way the coaches want me to, that way, the team has someone to look up to."
Coming all the way from Texas, the Olton native didn't hear of Bucknell until assistant coach Dan Burt contacted her during her sophomore year in junior college.
"Towards the end of November, Coach Burt had heard of me during the Western Junior College Athletic Conference tournament when I was playing at South Plains and sent me a letter of interest," remembers Seawright. "I sent in film and they never really saw me play live, they recruited me just from what I sent in."
With the Bison basketball program competing at the NCAA Division-I level, the forward became extremely interested in the school.
"Coming out of high school, I really didn't have the offers I wanted, so I decided to attend junior college," remarks Seawright. "But, since junior high, it had always been my dream to play Division-I basketball and have a shot at the NCAA tournament."
Not knowing what to expect during her first visit to the Bucknell campus, Seawright arrived with an open mind.
"When I came up [to Lewisburg] to visit the campus in April 2005, I said to myself, `I'm not gonna commit right while I'm here, I am going to wait,'" remembers Seawright. "But after I arrived here, met everyone and toured the school, I knew this was the right place for me. Although Bucknell is very far from home, I prayed about coming here a lot and really felt like this was where the Lord wanted me to be."
Coming into the Bison women's program, Seawright didn't pay attention to last season's 10-18 finish, but only expected great things out of her teammates for the 2005-06 year.
"It's funny, I didn't even realize what last year's record was when I came here," says Seawright. "I knew we would have a chance to do really well and everyone has put in hard work and stayed together as a team and has been unselfish in finding different options when we need them. My experience here has definitely met my expectations and has been a lot of fun."
Currently, as a member of the Orange and Blue squad that was originally predicted to finish fourth in the Patriot League but now sits in a position to challenge for the Patriot League title, Seawright embraces her role as a captain and as a major contributor off the bench.
"I really like my role on the team," says Seawright, who ranked sixth on the squad with an average of 6.1 points per game through the season's first 24 contests. "I like being able to give the team a lift when they need one. My teammates are always able to help me get the looks that I'm capable of knocking down. They deserve a lot of credit for finding me in the right places. I want to do whatever I can, whether it's scoring, rebounding or just to hustle to help us get going in the right direction. I would like to fill a starting role, but not at the cost of the team chemisty."
Even though she knows she made the right decision in coming to Bucknell, Seawright occasionally suffers a case of homesickness.
"I talk to my family and friends on the phone quite often, and they are always there for me," says Seawright. "Those times I am down, I am never really alone because the Lord is always with me and that's how I make it through the hard days."
Everyday, Seawright is faced with challenges that come from starting out in a one-square-mile town like Olton, to attending a junior college in Levelland, to finally making her mark in Lewisburg, at a NCAA Division-I basketball program on the rise. With a little help from her family, friends, teammates and her solid faith, Seawright's transition has been nothing short of a success.
