Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Spotlight: Sun? Swart
10/19/2016 1:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By Matt Jackson, Bucknell Athletic Communications
Home is an indefinite term for Suné Swart, a senior on the Bucknell women's basketball team. Carved out by a journey most won't experience in a lifetime let alone before their 21st birthday, Suné's interpretation of the word has transcended a physical address, a city, or even a country for that matter. It's not cliché to say, because it's only the truth, that for her home has become wherever she is surrounded by family.
For the past few years, that family has been her Bison teammates and coaching staff. Home has been the Bucknell campus, the basketball court at Sojka Pavilion, the locker room and the team bus.
It's not uncommon for college athletes to form a lasting bond with their teammates, but life-altering events have strengthened those relationships for Suné. Sadly, it was the loss of an immediate family member that had Bison players, many that have now graduated, rallying around the one player known for keeping up the spirits of those around her. In 2014, Suné's father, the man who instilled in her the character traits that have made her so popular not just on the team, but all around campus, passed away unexpectedly.
Life Before Basketball
There is a reason Suné's definition of home is different from that of others. Her life has been divided by two countries, numerous cities, multiple schools, and even now an uncertainty of what comes next. But to understand why that is, you have to go back to the beginning.
Suné was born in South Africa and lived there until sixth grade. Her father was a pastor in the country that was still trying to find its footing in a post-Apartheid climate. Segregation laws began to be repealed in 1991, but 50 years with a culture and system built around racial separation put the country's population in an emotional state that may take many more years from now to straighten out. Suné's father, Jannie, was there to do his part.
The pastor of a Dutch Reformed Church consisting of a mostly white congregation, Jannie felt a calling to not just preach about inclusion, but to put those words into action. He began diversifying the church by inviting pastors with all sorts of backgrounds to deliver sermons, many in different languages. Jannie was more than just a pastor, he was a teacher of values. His biggest influence on his two children, Suné and her younger brother Janco, was to treat all people with equal respect.
Faith and teaching went hand-in-hand for Jannie, which is what brought the Swart family to the United States. He wanted to pursue his dream job of combining the two. That journey took the family to Minnesota, where he spent four years achieving a PhD. The plan was to return to South Africa, but at the last second, Jannie was offered a position to be a pastor in a small town in northwest Pennsylvania.
Introduction to Basketball
Jannie's new job was in Oil City, Pennsylvania, and Suné's new school was Cranberry High School. She wasn't there long before her height stood out. It was actually the school principal that first suggested she join the basketball team, and the coach at the time, Chrissy Schumacher, was certainly intrigued by the idea, as well. While with the Berries, Suné earned All-KSAC and All-District 9 honors. She helped lead the team to two district titles and an appearance in the quarterfinal round of the state tournament.
Her time at Cranberry, as well as her short time playing with a local AAU team, helped her catch the eye of a few Division I coaches. She initially offered a verbal commitment to a different school, but quickly realized it wasn't for her. She made a visit to Bucknell and knew that was where she wanted to be.
Meanwhile, Jannie quickly achieved his own goal. He was offered a position at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary as the associate professor of world mission and evangelism. The hard work and risk of moving to a new country had paid off. He had landed in a spot that would allow him to continue his mission of racial healing through teaching and experiences.
Basketball Becomes More than a Sport
A 6'3” forward, Suné arrived at Bucknell still relatively new to team basketball. The Bison had an established frontcourt, so she says she took on the role as the player that would provide energy from the bench while she waited for her time to come. But then as her sophomore year approached she realized she still hadn't made the progress that she would have hoped. She will felt like she could make it happen during that season, though.
But in September of that year, the horrible news came. On the first day of the academic year at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Jannie was taking the time to get to know some of his students with a game of Frisbee on campus. He suddenly collapsed and died instantly of a heart attack at the age of 51.
“That's just the kind of guy he was,” Suné says. “He loved his students. His way of communicating with them included more than just the time in the classroom.”
Suné admits that the rest of that season was kind of a blur. She went on pretending to be the jovial and happy person that she had always been, but this time it was a façade covering the pain and possibly hints of regret that she felt inside. That's when basketball became more to her, not so much because of the game itself, but because of those around her. In addition to her mother, Mari, and her brother, she turned to her teammates in her time of need. She cites former players Micki Impellizeri and Claire Maree O'Bryan as a couple of players she really leaned on, but it was the entire squad and coaching staff that kept her afloat during the harrowing experience.
“I couldn't have asked for better people around me during that time,” Suné said. “My coaches, my teammates, everyone. This team is my family. I can't imagine any place I would rather be. I've gone through some of the hardest times of my life with this group of people.”
But the pain eventually began to lessen, and at the same time, Suné's mindset toward basketball began to change. She no longer wanted to be just the high-energy player that cheered from the bench. She wanted to make an impact on the court. With two forwards graduating, including a First Team All-Patriot League player in Audrey Dotson, it was now or never.
Prior to the summer before her junior year, Suné set out on a dual-purpose search around campus, trying to find any department that would let her spend the summer in Lewisburg in a research role. It would allow her to further her studies in computer science, while also having access to the gym and tutelage of assistant coach Mike Lane. She was successful in her search, and those that came back to campus in the fall may have been surprised to see the progress she made. Not only did she dramatically increase her basketball skills, but she completely transformed her body. Suddenly, she was one of the most athletic players on the team.
“We had more of a long-term plan for Suné from the beginning,” said Bucknell head coach Aaron Roussell. “We were hoping that she could progress and really turn into a force by her junior year. She was already going down that path, and then she made a huge jump with her training during the summer before her junior year. Looking back at the player she was four years ago and the transformation to what she has become today, I don't know that I've ever seen anything like it at this level.”
There was no question that the offseason work paid off. Suné was still looked to for her energy, but now it was as the first forward off the bench. She was often just the spark the team needed, doing the dirty work inside fighting for rebounds and providing a matchup nightmare for most of the league's defenders. That was never more evident than in Bucknell's 17-point, fourth-quarter comeback in an overtime win over Lehigh, part of an 8-0 start to league play.
Suné finished with 10 points and nine rebounds in the win over the Mountain Hawks. She had eight points on 4-of-5 shooting and eight rebounds in 11 minutes of playing time in the second half, seemingly coming up with a bucket or board every time the team needed it most. The game was played in front of the biggest home crowd of the season, a crowd that included her mom and brother. It was also the last time the two would see her play in person that season.
The Swarts were in the country on a work visa that was contingent on Jannie's employment. Already a junior at Bucknell, Suné was able to remain in the United States, but it was determined that her mom and brother, who was in his first semester at Slippery Rock, would have to return to South Africa. It was another setback for the family, and again Suné felt fortunate to have her basketball family for support.
Mari and Janco continued to follow the team through the online broadcast of games, watching as Suné helped the Bison capture a share of the regular season title with a 17-1 league record. They went on to beat Akron in the first round of the WNIT, the program's first ever win in a national postseason tournament, and set a program record for wins in a season with a record of 25-8. Suné played in all 33 games, finished sixth in the Patriot League with 34 blocks, and averaged 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds. She came up big again in the win over Akron, recording a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in just 15 minutes on the court.
What's Next… Maybe More Basketball
Of course, in the immediate future basketball is what's next for Suné. She has high hopes for her senior season after a breakout junior year. She again stayed on campus in a research role and again put in the extra work to improve as a player. With her continued improvement, as well as the return of senior Claire DeBoer, a First Team All-Patriot League selection, and sophomore Kaitlyn Slagus, the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year, the Bison hope to have both the best and deepest frontcourt in the league.
And on a positive note, Janco is back to being just across the state instead of across the ocean. He was able to return to Slippery Rock, and Suné expects he will be at numerous games this season.
She is unsure of what will follow after graduation. She may pursue basketball at the professional level, including the possibility of playing with O'Bryan in a league in Australia. She also sees the sport as a vehicle to get somewhere where she can make a difference off the court.
While her faith has always been a part of her life, it has become more important to her over the past couple of years. Along those lines, Suné is considering continuing her father's legacy of mission work.
“I need to take some time to figure out exactly what my father was doing and what his ultimate plan was, because I think it kind of came to a halt,” Suné says. “I would like to revive his plan in some way. We can all be missionaries in some way. It doesn't have to be anything extreme, but we can do our part to make the world a better place.”
Note: This Story Appeared in a Recent Bucknell Football Gameday Program
