Pikeville, Ky. – Bears bowling begins a new chapter Saturday afternoon with several familiar faces, key newcomers, and a united leadership front. The historic men's and women's bowling programs launch the 2022-23 campaign in Richmond, Ky., at the MSC Baker Bash.
Seasoned head coach Bobby Brown will lead both programs for the first time as the Director of Bowling, handling the administrative and strategic leadership for the teams. 19-year veteran Kyle Wilson will continue to lead the men's program while Andrew Dekowski enters his first season as an assistant coach. Former national champion women's bowler Breanna Clemmer joins the program as a graduate assistant.
"This program means so much to all of us," said Coach Brown, "we're excited to dive into the 2022-23 season with a strong leadership unit and continue the legacy of championship-caliber bowling at the University of Pikeville. Our training facility, the SportsPlex, has given us a headquarters and an excellent facility to grow and be together as a program."
The women's program is coming off a 2021-22 campaign that featured five team wins, two coming at USBC Tier 1 events. In addition, Brown's unit secured Mid-South Conference Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year, and seven all-conference selections. The season ended with an impressive showing at the USBC ITC National Championships, where the Bears finished third in the nation.
Men's bowling racked up six podium finishes as a team, highlighted by a second-place qualifying finish at the USBC Tier 1 Glenn Carlson Invitational, which they would go on to win in post-tournament play. The Bears later nabbed runner-up at the MSC Championships, garnering four All-MSC selections. Postseason standout Bryce Oliver capped his sophomore year with a storied USBC ISC Sectionals performance where he bowled a perfect 300 and punched his ticket to ISC Nationals.
The two teams play in 14 of the same events throughout the season, including high-profile events such as the Bowlero Southern Collegiate Classic and the Hoosier Classic in Indianapolis. The Mid-South Conference series includes four regular season events, including this weekend's Baker Bash, while both teams have an all-NAIA event slated in November. Both teams will compete in the LeHigh Valley Classic in December for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
Following the regular season, both squads will look to continue their streak of qualifying for the NAIA National Championships.
