Here is an article about Deven in her local newspaper, the Pottstown Mercury
Deven Owsiany can’t remember a time when sports weren’t an integral part of her life. From the time she took her first steps, she’s been playing sports of all sorts.
A three-sport standout at St. Pius X, Owsiany distinguished herself as a member of four consecutive District 1 Class AA championship basketball teams and helped the Winged Lions win back-to-back state medals (seventh and second) in the 4×800 relay.
“I’ve always been involved in sports since I could walk,” said Owsiany, a junior at Penn State. “Swimming practice, softball, dance practice. Once I started sports, I never stopped.”
As successful as she has been through the years, she finally may have found her true athletic calling in a sport unlike any she had been involved in previously.
Less than 16 months after attending her first practice, has helped Penn State capture the last two USA Rugby National College Championships.
Actually, she more than just helped. She led the way.
When they Nittany Lions won their second straight national title with a 24-7 victory over Stanford, Owsiany was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Owsiany, who played soccer as well as basketball and track at St. Pius, played on the soccer team during her freshman year at Penn State-Berks.
When she moved to the main campus in State College as a sophomore, she played on Penn State’s club soccer team.
In the spring, one of her teammates from the Penn State-Berks soccer team who played rugby, asked Owsiany to come out for Penn State’s rugby team.
However, rugby practices were held from 10 p.m. to midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Since it was her first year at the main campus, Owsiany wasn’t ready to make that commitment.
But one Sunday night, when she had nothing to do, she decided to show up at rugby practice.
“The girls were always telling me, ‘You’ll never go back to soccer,'” said Owsiany, a Health Policy and Administration major. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I loved soccer. But after that practice, I never went back.”
That first rugby practice she attended was in late January of 2009. She was quickly drawn to the sport as well as the camaraderie with the rugby players.
When she started with rugby, there were 60 women on the team. Even though she was new, everyone went out of her way to get to know her and make her feel welcome, asking where she was from and what sports she had played in high school.
“I’ve always been part of a team that’s dedicated to working hard,” said Owsiany. “As soon as I got into the program, I could tell they wanted to work hard. I wanted to be a part of it.”
Owsiany had to learn new skills as well as the rules of the sport. Having been involved in so many sports throughout her life, she picked things up in a hurry.
Her speed, strength, stamina and determination translated well to her new sport. But rugby is a lot more physical than any sport she had played before.
“A full-contact sport with no pads is about the most physical you can get,” said Owsiany. “I love the contact part of the sport. Throughout soccer and basketball, my coaches would say, “Owsh, you’re too aggressive.’ I used to go after people and throw my body. The physical aspect didn’t bother me. I love tackling, actually.”
Each spring break, Penn State’s rugby team goes somewhere in New England to play. In 2009, the team had planned a trip to Ireland, France and Spain.
Only 45 players were going. Owsiany was so new, there was no room for her. She was disappointed since it would have given her a great opportunity to learn the game quickly.
But fortune was on her side. One of her teammates got sick and couldn’t make the trip.
Two days before spring break, Owsiany was in the library studying for a test at 8 a.m. the next day when she received a phone call: Do you want to go? Yes. Do you have a passport? No.
Again, luck was with her. Another teammate had lost her passport and was driving to Philadelphia to secure a replacement. Owsiany hitched a ride to Philadelphia, got her passport and drove back to State College. The next day, she was on her way to Spain.
“Going on spring break told me a lot,” said Owsiany. “The first game I played, I was named MVP. That was so unexpected of me.”
Ever since that game, Owsiany started every game, helping the Nittany Lions win the national championship in 2009.
“When I first started, I just wanted to be part of a team that wanted to work hard,” said Owsiany. “I wanted to branch out and make new friends. I had joined a sorority, but I didn’t know if it was my thing. Those girls are so catty. The rugby team is like an athletic sorority with 50 friends on the team.”
Penn State head coach Peter Steinberg has been amazed at how quickly Owsiany has excelled in a new sport.
“Deven’s rise in rugby has been nothing short of remarkable,” said Steinberg. “Taking up the game in January of 2009, it was only a freak sickness of a player that allowed her to make the spring break trip, where she began to challenge for a starting position at wing. Remarkably, three months after she took up the game, she was starting at wing for Penn State while we won the 2009 national championship.”
Coming off a national title last spring, Owsiany wasn’t really expecting to win another championship this year. After all, the Lions had graduated six All-Americans from the 2009 squad.
“When I looked at the team, there were doubts in my mind about being able to replace all those big shoes that had left,” said Owsiany. “But as practice went on, I knew we could do it. It’s the first time we went back-to-back in Penn State history. I was fortunate to be part of it.”
Owsiany’s participation was in doubt since she had only played three games all season due to a painful sprained AC joint in her shoulder.
The coaches held her out of the early playoff games. But when the Lions reached the title game, well, nothing was going to keep Owsiany off the field.
“It was our last game,” said Owsiany. “If I hurt my shoulder, I have all summer to heal.”
She thought back on something St. Pius assistant track coach Brian Sullivan said to the four runners just prior to their second-place finish in the 4×800 relay at states.
“Coach Sul got in the huddle and said, ‘It’s no longer your legs and your lungs. It’s your head and your heart,'” said Owsiany. “That stuck with me since high school. I told it to the girls at the national championship. When it comes to a big game, it doesn’t matter what your legs and lungs do. If you want it bad enough, you’re going to get it.”
Owsiany, playing a new position this season, had a spectacular game. In addition to her usual stellar defense, she scored two of Penn State’s four tries (similar to a touchdown in football).
“Deven is a natural tackler and from the start defense was her signature,” said Steinberg. “With the loss of All-American Lauren Russo from the 2009 team, Deven seemed to be the natural replacement. Outside center is the most difficult defensive position in the backline, and it is especially true in the defense that Penn State plays. Often it is the outside center that is hitting the ball carrier and preventing the ball from moving out to the backs.”
When the Lions were lined up to receive their medals, Owsiany got a huge surprise.
“I heard my name being called,” said Owsiany. “Deven Owsiany. Oh my God, I just got named MVP of the tournament. That was so exciting.”
“This season Deven has been having more of an impact on attack, and really demonstrated her athleticism and skills in the final,” said Steinberg. “While there were many players that could have won the MVP, it was fitting that the best defender on the best defensive team, that held a high-scoring Stanford team to only one try, should be named.”
Owsiany has two more years of rugby eligibility. She’s definitely going to play next year but has not yet decided whether to come back for a fifth year of college and a fourth season of rugby.
A third straight national championship is a distinct possibility.
“We had six All-Americans on the team this year,” said Owsiany, one of those six All-Americans. “We’re only graduating one, a scrum half. We have a lot of recruits coming in, including a scrum half from Colorado who’s supposed to be awesome. I definitely think we have a chance of taking the title for the third year in a row.”
