On Wednesday, May 31, 2023, Quakertown senior Mya Hibsman was recognized for committing to continue her lacrosse career at Seton Hill University. (Photos provided courtesy of Jennifer Banas/Quakertown HS)
Mya Hibsman – Seton Hill University (Lacrosse)
Major: Criminal Justice
Reasons for choosing Seton Hill: “I connected with the team and liked the coach and the school. It’s a Division 2 opportunity and I also liked their academic programs.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in lacrosse at the collegiate level? “I started thinking about playing in college when I was in middle school. My recruiting process started with my travel program in my sophomore year.”
Comments by coach Tracy Hibsman read by her husband and assistant coach Andy Hibsman at Mya’s signing:
“It was a privilege to coach Mya the last 10 years. I never imagined when I coached her second grade team that I would be here today as her high school coach, recognizing her commitment to play at the college level. Mya played lacrosse from second grade through sixth grade for the Quakertown youth program as a Quakertown Crusher. Then, in seventh and eighth grade, she made history by starting the Strayer Middle School lacrosse program. In 2017, sitting in an auditorium with seventh graders, she was asked, ‘How will you make your mark at Strayer?” She decided that she was going to make her mark by starting the first middle school lacrosse program, and with the help of her favorite teacher, Mr. Russell, she made her goal a reality. She recruited her Quakertown Crusher teammates and a few other players. She organized and ran fundraisers, and she started a student activities fund to support the new program. For all her efforts, a new award – ‘Making Strayer Stronger’ – was created in her honor, and it continues to be given to students who make their mark at Strayer today. I’m happy to report that the girls’ lacrosse program at Strayer is still going strong.
“As Mya’s passion for the sport continued to grow, she began playing for different travel teams, finishing her last few years playing for the PA True Lacrosse girls’ team in the Lehigh Valley. Mya plays the midfield position which requires a lot of running in addition to strong offensive and defensive abilities which she possesses. She has great stick skills and can use her left hand as well as her right, and her speed helps her outrun her opponents. Her high lax IQ contributes to her making good decisions under pressure. This year, Mya was our starting center mid and was required to take the draw. She was able to control the draw in many games and gave us scoring advantages against our opponents. Mya has a good shot placement, which led to 15 goals on the season. She’s a reliable and consistent player, and when she gets the ball, there’s a sense of relief on the sidelines because you know she’s going to be smart with the ball and make good decisions that give us scoring opportunities.
“Mya did face some challenges during her high school career with not just one but two ACL injuries that required three surgeries to repair. However, these injuries didn’t deter her. She planned to play at the college level, and she showed her commitment to her goal by showing up every practice and every game in her leg brace and unable to play all during that pivotal junior year. Instead of finding every excuse to not attend those practices and games, she found every reason to be there for her sport, for her coaches, for herself and for her teammates, and I believe this, in part, is why her teammates voted her co-captain of the team this year. It takes a huge amount of commitment, time and energy to be recruited, so it was quite rewarding when Mya was recruited one month after returning from her most recent ACL injury. I am so grateful to have been able to coach Mya all these years, and I look forward to watching her play at Seton Hill in the coming years.”
About Mya:
Favorite food: “Mac ‘n cheese, chicken nuggets and chocolate milk all day every day!”
Favorite movies: Either Up or the Marvel movie series
Favorite music: Country
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