The Mowery family legacy at Gettysburg College dates back nearly a century. A trio of sisters currently continues that tradition, each forging new and unique experiences in their own right.
 
There are quite a few long-tenured legacy stories at Gettysburg, but not many go as far back as the Mowery's or involve as many people. It all started when Harold Shearer arrived on campus in the 1920s and more than 90 years and a dozen relatives later, Gettysburg has its fourth generation of Mowerys walking its halls in sisters Ashley, Lexie '15, and Haley '18.
 
The unique bond goes beyond the family name. All three sisters are members of the Bullets field hockey program with Ashley serving as an assistant coach, Lexie as a senior co-captain, and Haley as a freshman goalkeeper.
 
"It's a really, really special experience to have both of them at a place I ultimately loved all my life," said Lexie. "To share that experience with them is really great."
 
Outside of field hockey, all three young women have very different interests and goals. Each paved different roads to get to Gettysburg and each has carried their interests down different paths while on campus.
 
The first sister to choose to wear the orange and blue was Lexie. The family tradition sunk home from a very early age for the middle sister and the breadth of possibilities available made it all the more important to attend Gettysburg.
 
"Ever since I was little, Gettysburg was the only college I ever knew," said Lexie. "My mom would sing her sorority songs to me as lullabies.
 
"As the time came closer, I realized that Gettysburg was probably the best fit. I wanted to play a sport, participate in Greek life, get a good education, and be fairly close to home because of my horses. I told my mom when I was applying that if I didn't get into Gettysburg, I'm not going anywhere else."
 Lexie achieved her dream of getting into Gettysburg and she's enjoyed every minute. She was a four-year starter on the field hockey team, twice serving as team captain and earning All-Centennial Conference accolades three times. Away from the field, she is an active member of Delta Gamma and she's well on her way to getting her degree in sociology.
 
Additionally, being close to home and flexible class schedules have enabled Lexie to pursue one of her favorite past times: riding horses. Lexie is not your average horse enthusiast and she competes in the sport of equestrian at the highest level away from the college campus. Every spring, she heads to Florida to train in the Winter Equestrian Festival with some of the top riders in the world.
 
"Gettysburg has a lot to offer if you want to take advantage of it," said Lexie. "I think I took advantage of all those things because I wanted to be in a sport and I wanted to be in a sorority. I wanted to be at Gettysburg to have those things." 
 Lexie was the first Mowery sister to commit to Gettysburg, but she wasn't alone when she arrived on campus. Older sister Ashley, a field hockey standout at nearby Messiah College, was hired as assistant field hockey and assistant softball coach and started her tenure at the same time as her sister in the fall of 2011.
 
"Lexie and I established that on the field I was coach and at home I'm sister. I wanted her to enjoy her college life experience and we decided we weren't really going to talk hockey at home."
 
Like Lexie, Ashley has made the most of her Gettysburg experience as a professional. She coaches field hockey in the fall and softball in the spring and even served as interim head coach for the latter sport in 2013. Ashley also works with the strength and conditioning program for the student-athletes.
 
This past fall, the Mowery triumvirate was completed with the arrival of Haley. Unlike Lexie, Gettysburg was not among Haley's top choices for schools early on. But over time, she saw the relationships and opportunities Lexie had at Gettysburg and decided that it was a good option. After a visit with the theatre arts department and an overnight stay, Haley was convinced Gettysburg was the place for her.
 
"I think one of the main reasons why I picked Gettysburg was because of their theater program," said Haley. "They are just so relaxed and open to you creating your own path through school."
 
Field hockey was also a deciding factor in the process and Haley quickly assumed a leading role with her sisters. Lexie coached her younger sister in how to be prepared for the on-field family relationship early on.
 
"I prepared Haley all summer and preseason so she'd understand she has to work really hard and prove herself," said Lexie. "I wanted her to understand what it's going to be like and I think that really, really helped. Haley worked as hard as she could to do her job and Ashley helped us along the way so I think it's been great."
 
"I think we do a really good job of not being a family on the field," said Haley. "Ashley is my coach. Lexie is my captain. But after a game or after practice, we go out to dinner and don't talk about hockey at all. We try to draw that line and I think that helps the relationship."
 Haley started 15 contests in her debut campaign. She posted one of her best outings late in the year, making 16 saves in a 3-2 loss to No. 5 Franklin & Marshall College.
 
"I think they have done a great job of supporting each other as team members," said head field hockey Barb Jordan. "For Haley, I think it has helped her having two sisters in leadership roles. She sees their dedication and their ability to lead by example and I think that motivates her as a player and as a sister."
 
The youngest Mowery is just starting her college career, but there's little doubt she'll be into as much as she can. Haley has been involved in theater since she was a little girl and she continues to perform and teach at Allenberry Playhouse in Boiling Spring, Pa.
 
Haley looks forward to the approaching semester and the opportunity to get more involved in the performing arts, including with Owl and Nightingale and the Student Musical Theater. Haley received a special introduction to the former organization, attending the 100th anniversary celebration with her grandmother, Phyllis Shearer Mowery '53, over Homecoming.
 
All three sisters have had or are having unique experiences at Gettysburg, but ultimately being at the same school at the same time might be the most unique opportunity of all.
 
"Who gets to say their freshman year they not only get to start," said Haley, "but they get to play with their sister who is a senior captain and play for the other sister who is a coach? It is overall an amazing experience and an awesome story I'll get to tell people."