Homecoming 2021

2014-15 WOMEN’S BOWLING - As one of the best in UPIKE history, the 2014-15 women’s bowling team was both the Mid-South Conference (MSC) regular season and tournament champions before winning the NAIA Invitational National Championship, outlasting 19 other teams. The Bears nearly swept through the MSC Honors, filling nine of the 10 slots on the first and second teams. With 25 top-five individual finishes in tournaments throughout the season and five wins, the team also won 13 tournaments throughout the season.

BASKETBALL KJ Manigault ’18 - Transferring into UPIKE, Manigault was a member of the 2013-14 Bears who won the MSC tournament title and regular season MSC championship. The senior averaged 19.4 points and 7.3 rebounds a game for the Bears that season and scored 883 points in his two years at UPIKE. After the season, he was named First-Team All- Conference, MSC Player of the Year, NAIA National Player of the Year, and was on the NAIA All-Tournament Team. Manigault is the only UPIKE men’s basketball player to ever be named the NAIA National Player of the Year. The 2014-15 Bears were MSC regular season champs and made it to the quarterfinals of the NAIA Tournament. Manigault is currently signed with the Helsinki Seagulls of the Korisliiga. He has also played in Australia, Canada, China, Israel and Poland.

BOWLING Brianna Larson ’16 - Larson was a member of two NAIA National Championship Teams in 2011-12 and 2014-15. She was also a member of a pair of runner-up teams in the USBC in 2012-13 and 2013-14. As a player, she was named First-Team All-MSC in 2012-13, Second-Team All-MSC in 2013-14 and first team in 2014-15. Larson also was named an NAIA All-American and a USBC All-American in 2014-15. She made great strides as a player during her time at UPIKE, going from a 186.595 game average in 2011-12 to a 200.421 game average during her senior season in 2014-15. Larson also bowled her way to 10 top-five tournament finishes.

BOWLING KT Simpson ’16, MBA ’18 - During her freshman season in 2012- 13, Simpson was named an NAIA All- American, the MSC Bowler of the Year and MSC Freshman of the Year, and the team was the USBC National Runner-Up. In her second year, she was named an NAIA All-American and a USBC All-American. She was once again named the MSC Bowler of the Year while UPIKE was the USBC National Runner-Up for the second consecutive year. In 2014-15, Simpson was named a USBC All-American, NAIA All-American and MSC Bowler of the Year, and the Bears won the NAIA Invitational National Championship, giving them their first such title since the 2011-12 season. Simpson was named the NAIA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and was named to the All-Tournament Team. Her final season in Pikeville brought her fourth straight NAIA All-American honor, fourth straight MSC Bowler of the Year and third straight USBC All-American honor. During all four years, Simpson was also named First-Team All-MSC. During the 2015-16 season, UPIKE was the NAIA Invitational National Runners-Up. In 2014- 15, Simpson recorded the second-best all-time game average of 204.705 and the third-best all-time average differential of 34.485 in program history. She won 10 tournaments during her career.

FOOTBALL - Antwan Marsh Marsh was named First-Team All-MSC all three years he played for the Bears. In both 2004 and 2005, while also being named an NAIA First-Team All-American as a defensive back, he was named MSC Defensive Player of the Year. He helped UPIKE to a record of 19-12 while also being a part of the only team to ever make it to the NAIA Football Championship Series in 2005. Marsh’s football career did not end after that, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 before spending four years in the Arena Football League from 2010-13 with the Spokane Shock and Utah Blaze. During those four seasons, Marsh racked up 124 solo tackles, 15 pass break-ups, seven fumble recoveries, eight interceptions and one defensive touchdown. As a kick returner, he also had two touchdowns.