University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame
Jennifer Niebling 1993 - Basketball
A two-time all-conference guard and the heart and soul of two of the greatest women's basketball teams in UVM history, Jen Niebling, inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003, led the Catamounts to a 57-2 record as a junior and senior. Her final two years included back-to-back unbeaten regular seasons (29-0, 28-0), America East Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 1992 and 1993.
Niebling not only excelled on the court; she was outstanding in the classroom as well. A political science major and a winner of the Wasson Athletic Prize, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and was a second-team GTE Academic All-American and a District All-American as a senior.
In addition to being a two-time America East All-Conference (then named the North Atlantic Conference) player (first team in 1993, second team in 1992) she was also named to the All-Championship Team twice and was a member of the All-Rookie team in 1990. She was also a second-team All-ECAC selection in 1993. Niebling poured in 1,435 career points and graduated second on UVM's all-time scoring list. She is also among the career leaders in steals (227), three-point field-goal percentage (.388), free throw percentage (.780), assists (390), field goals (552), scoring average (12.7) games played (113), three-pointers (97), free throws (seventh, 234), field-goal percentage ( .454) and rebounds (570).
The head coach at nearby Saint Michael's College, Niebling started her coaching career at Trinity College, where she guided the Crusaders to the 1996 National Small College Athletic Association National Championship Tournament, and a seventh-place finish in just her second season. She then returned to UVM, where she as an assistant coach for six seasons, helping guide the Catamounts to a 127-53 record, three America East championships, an NCAA tournament appearance and a successful run in the 2002 WNIT.
A native of Randolph, Vermont, Niebling was named to the Barre Times-Argus "Dream Dozen" as one of the all-time greats in Vermont's High School girls' basketball history. Sports Illustrated chose Niebling as one of the Top 50 Vermont athletes of the 20th Century. The magazine's editors composed a list of the "Top 50 Athletes" in each state in its December 27, 1999 issue to commemorate the millennium. Niebling ranked 40th among the Top 50 Vermonters.
