With the next athletic season on the immediate horizon, relive some of the best accolades from last year as UNCPBraves.com takes you on a tour of some of the best accolades from the 2014-15 campaign.

2014-15 UNC PEMBROKE ATHLETICS ACCOLADES (PDF)

OWNBEY BRINGS HOME SECOND-STRAIGHT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Top-ranked Daniel Ownbey tacked up five takedowns in a dominant showing in the title match en route to becoming the UNC Pembroke wrestling program's first two-time national champion in March. The Braves have now logged individual national titles in three of the last four seasons. Fellow four-time all-American Mike Williams began the run with the 174-pound national championship in 2011-12, while Ownbey brought home the hardware in both 2013-14 and 2014-15. Williams and Ownbey are two of just three four-time all-Americans in program history.

O.T. JOHNSON STORY PUBLISHED IN SPRING EDITION OF UNCP TODAY
Although a bevy of success has come to Pembroke since Othello "O.T." Johnson stepped on board to the wrestling coaching staff, his life began with a struggle to escape from civil war-torn Liberia in the early 90s. The rest of that story, as well as what led up to his success stories at UNCP, including three national championships in the last four years, is told in a feature story that appeared in the spring edition of UNCP's alumni magazine, UNCP Today.

MILES, HERNANDEZ HONORED AT PBC ANNUAL MEETINGS
Senior soccer player Sam Miles became just the seventh student-athlete in athletics department history to be honored with Peach Belt Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year laurels at the Peach Belt Conference's annual meetings in May. It was the first-such honor for a UNCP student-athlete since 2011, and Miles became just the third male recipient of the award for the department. Soccer player Michelle Hernandez was called to the stage in Hilton Head as well to receive the Sun Trust Minority Postgraduate Scholarship. She became the third UNCP student-athlete in as many years to take home that honor.

TENNIS'S ESPITIA NAMED UNCP OUSTANDING SENIOR
Senior tennis player Monica Espitia was decorated with UNC Pembroke's Outstanding Senior of the Year honor in late April at the Chancellor's residence. The applications required a resume with academic and extracurricular activities, a personal statement that reflected what the applicant had learned/experienced as a UNCP student and why the applicant felt he or she deserves the award. The process also required a letter of support from a UNCP faculty or staff person, and finally a biography that described the applicant and the applicant's accomplishments at UNCP. Espitia was joined in the list of five finalists for the award by fellow student-athletes Michelle Hernandez (soccer) and Brea Hartley (softball).

RECORD NUMBER NAMED TO PBC PRESIDENTIAL HONOR ROLL
A total of 179 UNCP student-athletes were decorated with Presidential Honor Roll recognition from the Peach Belt Conference for the 2014-15 academic year. That number tops the previous school record by 20 (159 in 2012-13) and marks the sixth-straight year that the Braves have sent 113 or more student-athletes to the laurel. To be eligible for the PBC Presidential Honor Roll, a student-athlete must achieve at least a 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for the academic year. The honor roll has four categories: Gold Scholar (3.75 or better GPA), Silver Scholar (3.5-3.74), Bronze Scholar (3.25-3.49) and Presidential Scholar (3.0 -3.24).

UNCP WELL-REPRESENTED ON NATIONAL ACADEMIC STAGE
A plethora of student-athletes earned academic prowess from the D2 Athletic Directors Association yet again. A total of 32 student-athletes across 15 different sports earned the association's Academic Achievement Award. The announcement marked the third time in the last four years that the Braves have been represented on the list and the fourth time that the department has had 30 or more student-athletes honored. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale, must have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work and must have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year.

SIX STUDENT-ATHLETES?NAMED ALL-AMERICANS
Six student-athletes earned all-America recognition for the Braves during the 2014-15 athletic season, including two each from the sports of baseball and wrestling. Two-time national champion Daniel Ownbey and teammate Chris Giddens both earned the accolade after strong finishes at the 2015 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships, while seniors Collins Cuthrell and Zade Denton were both honored with the distinction after leading the UNC Pembroke baseball team to 38 wins. Quamain Rose became just the 12th player in men's basketball history to attain all-America status, while football's L.J. Stroman raked in the honor after leading the nation in kickoff return average.

THREE?STUDENT-ATHLETES?NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
Three student-athletes representing three different sports were honored with Capital One Academic All-America honors - widely considered to be the most prestigious academic honor that can be bestowed upon a collegiate student-athlete. Soccer's Sam Miles earned the accolade for the second-straight year after leading the Braves on the field, while also maintaining a 3.859 cumulative grade point average as a business administration major. Basketball's Ben Jacobs, who maintained a 3.98 GPA as an exercise & sports science major, became just the second men's basketball player in Peach Belt Conference history to earn the honor. Baseball's Zade Denton graduated with a 3.65 GPA in exercise & sports science as well and became the first player in UNCP baseball history to rake in both all-America and academic all-America laurels in the same season.

MEN'S BASKETBALL EARNS SHARE OF PBC EAST DIVISION TITLE
The men's basketball team put together one of its finest seasons in program history by compiling a 26-6 overall record en route to its third NCAA postseason berth in the last five years. Along the way, the Braves turned in a road exhibition victory over NCAA Division I foe UAB, while also grabbing a share of the PBC's East Division title. The team, which was led by a trio of 1,000 career point scorers, turned in school records for PBC victories (15) and home victories (15), and won 16 of its first 17 games of the campaign. The 26 wins was the most for a UNCP men's basketball team since the 1990-91 squad completed its season with a 27-5 clip.

MEN'S BASKETBALL LEADS LEAGUE IN HOME ATTENDANCE…AGAIN!
For the second time in the last three years, the men's basketball team led the 14 Peach Belt Conference institutions in home attendance after welcoming more than 1,270 fans to each of its 17 home games during the 2014-15 campaign. The Braves played in front of 1,800 or more fans five times during the season, including a season-best crowd of 2,015 that watched the Black & Gold defeat Fayetteville State in late November.

TWO?ATHLETES, BASEBALL TEAM LEAD NATION IN STAT CATEGORIES
The baseball team finished the season as the nation's top-scoring team (10.2 runs/game), while also ranking among the nation's top three teams in runs scored (1st), batting average (3rd) and on-base percentage (3rd). Senior defensive back L.J. Stroman also put the football team into the national spotlight by out-pacing the rest of NCAA Division II in kickoff return average (35.0 yards/return). Stroman also set a school record early in the 2014 campaign with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in UNCP's season opener at Winston-Salem State. Junior Quamain Rose posted a NCAA Division II-leading two triple-doubles to pace NCAA Division II as well. Rose posted 13 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a home win over Armstrong State, and then registered 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists 11 days later against Francis Marion.

FOOTBALL SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
The football team agreed to a scheduling agreement with the South Atlantic Conference in early January. The agreement, which is for four years and will begin with the 2017 season, gives the Braves an opportunity to play a complete schedule against NCAA Division II opponents. As part of the agreement, UNCP will play all eight SAC football-playing institutions, including four home games during each year of the agreement.

OWNBEY, METZINGER HIGHLIGHT SECOND ANNUAL GOLDEN BRAVES AWARDS
Wrestling national champion Daniel Ownbey was decorated with Male Athlete of the Year honors, while two-time Peach Belt Conference track & field champion Hana Metzinger was named Female Athlete of the Year at the second annual Golden Braves Awards in late April. Wrestling head coach Othello "O.T." Johnson was presented with his second-straight Dan Kenney Coach of the Year honor after leading the Braves to a 13-4 dual meet record and a tie for 11th at the NCAA Division II National Championships.

TWO COACHES EARN CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR DISTINCTION
First-year head coach Peter Ormsby was one of two UNC Pembroke coaches to be voted as their respective sport's Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year during the 2014-15 athletic season. Ormsby guided the Braves to third-place finishes at both the UNC Wilmington Seahawk Invitational and the 2015 PBC Championships during his first year at the helm. Tennis head coach Robin Langley was also voted as PBC Coach of the Year by her peers.

UNCP POSTS NOTABLE FINISHES IN RACE FOR PBC ANNUAL AWARDS
Fueled by outstanding regular season runs by the women's soccer, men's basketball and baseball teams, UNC Pembroke finished seventh in the final Peach Belt Conference Commissioner's Cup Standings which were released in late May. The finish matched the third-highest finish for the department which finished fifth following the 2010-11 and sixth at the conclusion of the 2011-12 athletic season. The department would also go on to finish second in the voting for the annual PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award which is given to the institution displaying the best overall sportsmanship for the athletic season and culminates the PBC's season-long sportsmanship recognition program.

SEVEN TEAMS FINISH WITH REGION RANK, FOUR WITH NATIONAL RANK
Seven of UNCP's athletic teams finished ranked among the southeast region's top eight teams during the 2014-15 athletic season, while four were listed in the final national ranking for their respective sport. Men's basketball and women's track & field both finished second in their final region polls, while the baseball and wrestling teams were ranked fourth in their final region listings. Baseball (11th, NCBWA) finished as the department's highest nationally-ranked team, while wrestling was 14th in the final coaches poll. Men's basketball checked into the No. 16 spot in the final D2SIDA poll, while women's golf was listed 29th in the final edition of the GolfStat.com Head-To-Head Ranking.

UNCP CLAIMS LION'S SHARE OF ALL-PEACH BELT CONFERENCE NODS
UNC Pembroke combined to rake in more than 30 all-conference accolades in 2014-15, including 16 by the men's and women's track & field teams alone. The men's and women's track & field teams each took home eight all-conference nods, while the baseball team had a record seven student-athletes named to the all-conference squad. Four other teams (men's basketball, men's cross country, men's soccer, softball) sent multiple representatives to their respective all-conference squad. UNCP and Armstrong State both registered 33 all-conference awards to lead the league.

PBC WEEKLY HONORS CAME IN ABUNDANCE FOR THE BRAVES
UNC Pembroke's student-athletes raked in 28 Peach Belt Conference weekly awards during the 2014-15 athletic season and ranked second among the 14 league institutions with that total (Armstrong State, 32). The Braves collected at least one weekly award in nine different sports, with seven of those sports earning two or more weekly awards. The men's track & field team was honored with league weekly awards five times.

FREDERICK SELECTED AS PBC NOMINEE FOR NCAA AWARD
UNC Pembroke's faculty athletics representative Dr. Jeff Frederick, who also serves as a professor in the history department, was selected as the Peach Belt Conference's nominee for the NCAA's Dr. Dave Pariser Faculty Mentor Award in late September. The criteria for the award states that the 1) delegate represents the NCAA Division II core values of learning, passion, service, resourcefulness, sportsmanship and balance, 2) delegate exhibits "mentorship" for student-athletes and their institution and 3) delegate displays a strong commitment to prepare student-athletes to excel in their endeavors after their athletics careers have ended.

JONES?CENTER?PLAYS?HOST TO?TWO?POSTSEASON?TOURNAMENTS
The English E. Jones Center was one of the busiest athletic venues in the southeast in late February and early March as the facility played host to two premier postseason events. The UNCP wrestling team welcomed 13 other NCAA Division II squads to Pembroke from February 26 to February 28 for the NCAA Super Region 2 Wrestling Tournament, while the men's basketball team put itself into a position to host the 2015 Peach Belt Conference Men's & Women's Basketball Championships a week later (March 7-8). It was the fourth time since 2004 that the wrestling team had hosted the NCAA Super Region II Tournament, but it was the first time that the basketball team had hosted a postseason event of any kind during the NCAA Division II era (1992-present).

HILLARD, HARTLEY ATTEND WOMEN IN ATHLETICS SEMINAR
Senior softball players Megan Hillard and Brea Hartley were the two student-athletes from UNC Pembroke to attend the sixth annual Women in Athletics Seminarwhich was hosted by the Peach Belt Conference in January. The Braves were also represented by Senior Woman Administrator Jenna Davisson who served as a panelist at the event. The PBC seminar is the longest-running women's professional development conference event in all of NCAA Division II. Lori Ebihara, senior associate athletic director, SWA and chief of staff at the University of Maryland, gave the keynote address which followed a panel discussion featuring eight women from all levels of collegiate athletics, the NCAA and professional sports.

DEPARTMENT?ADDS RECRUITING?HUB?TO?UNCPBRAVES.COM
An one-stop recruiting hub was developed and added to the arsenal of UNCPBraves.com in mid-September. The new hub, UNCPBraves.com/HomeOfTheBrave, is a virtual step-by-step for prospective student-athletes that contains links to virtual tours of UNCP's athletic facilities, as well as links to valuable NCAA websites, including the NCAA?Eligibility Center. The one-stop shop also shows links to a video tour of UNCP's campus, as well as information on how to schedule a campus tour. Visitors to the hub can also find links to fill out prospective student-athlete questionnaires for their chosen sport.

FORMER?ALL-AMERICAN MEETS QUALIFYING?TIME?FOR RIO?OLYMPICS
Pardon Ndhlovu, a four-time all-American in cross country and track & field for the Braves from 2009-13, made his childhood dream a reality as he sprinted acrossthe finish line of the Chevron Houston Marathon in mid-January with a time of 2:16:51 to achieve an Olympic qualifying time for his native county of Zimbabwe. The time meets the "B" qualifying standard (2:18:00) for the 2016 Olympic Team Trials and all but ensures that Ndhlovu will be entered into the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro by the Olympic committee in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe entered two marathoners into the London 2012 games, including Cuthbert Nyasango who finished seventh with a time of 2:12:08.

RECORD-TYING FIVE INDUCTED INTO ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
All-Americans Whitney Beverly, Jason Morales, Danielle Richardson, Jelena Shaw and legendary men's soccer coach Mike Schaeffer were named the newest members of the UNC Pembroke Athletics Hall of Fame. The crop is the largest Hall of Fame class since the initial class in 1980 and features the first coach to be inducted since wrestling skipper Mike Olson was honored with the distinction in 2008. Beverly, Richardson and Shaw were the 11th, 12th and 13th female student-athletes to be decorated with the honor.

BRUNSON NAMED UNC PEMBROKE YOUNG ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR
The Alumni Office announced during Homecoming festivities that Derek Brunson, a three-time all-American wrestler for the Braves from 2003-07, has beenrecognized as its Young Alumnus of the Year. A 2007 graduate of UNCP with a degree in criminal justice, Brunson racked up more than 120 wins as part of the UNC Pembroke wrestling team from 2003-07. A three-time all-American and three-time region champion, he accumulated 39 wins as a freshman en route to a spot in the national semifinals. It was the first of three career appearances at the national tournament (2003, 2005, 2007). Brunson is 13-3 as a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and 4-1 as a part of the UFC circuit.

UNCP INKS APPAREL DEAL WITH ADIDAS
Department officials announced in mid-July that they have agreed to a sponsorship agreement with adidas that will outfit all 16 Braves athletic teams. The deal includes promotional merchandise for each team, incentives for postseason accolades, in-venue signage sponsorship and discounts off retail pricing. The agreement will also increase the strength of the UNCP Braves brand.

ANNUAL?CASH?BASH?GENERATES?RECORD?TOTAL?FOR?SCHOLARSHIP FUND
The UNCP athletics department's annual Cash Bash presented by Southeastern Health in April was a resounding success as the event generated more than $20,000 for student-athlete scholarships and programs, including a record $16,586 that was added to the Braves Club General Scholarship Fund. Nearly 300 guests took part in the evening which included a silent and live auction, a catered dinner and a grand prize drawing for cash prizes of $1,000, $3,000 and $5,000 dollars. The attendees had the opportunity to meet with UNCP student-athletes and coaches throughout the evening as well. Former UNCP student-athlete, Pembroke native and current University of Houston head men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson served as the keynote speaker for the event.

BRAVES MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA STRIDES AMONG NCAA DIVISION II
As a testament to the growing interest of UNC Pembroke athletics on the national stage, the department ranks among the nation's best when it comes to social media. UNCP currently ranks 17th among the 314 NCAA Division II athletic departments as it relates to Facebook likes (5,553), and is listed 56th in Instagram follows (795). The department's Twitter followers (3,238), which has grown by nearly 600 percent since Fall 2012, is ranked 52nd. The Braves currently occupy the No. 87 position in the Social Media Index which takes an institution's undergraduate enrollment into consideration as well.

HALL OF FAME, RETIRED JERSEY CHANGES ADOPTED
The department announced changes to its policies for hall of fame selection and the retirement of jerseys in early April. Beginning with the 2016-17 Hall of Fame selection process, the initial waiting period for eligibility has changed. Student-athletes, coaches and administrators will not be eligible for selection until 10 years after their final season of collegiate competition or coaching/administrative duties. A list of procedures governing the retirement of jerseys and other athletic items was published to UNCPBraves.com as well.

SAAC COLLECTS RECORD NUMBER OF FOOD ITEMS FOR CAMPUS PANTRY
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) collected a record number of non-perishable food items for the campus food pantry in November. With the help from the attendees at a pair of basketball games in November, along with various athletic teams on campus, more than 700 items were donated in the second year of the program. More than 550 non-perishable food items were collected as part of the inaugural effort in 2013-14.

DEPARTMENT ADDS NEW FACES
The athletics department boasted a host of new faces as 14 individuals joined the UNCP family during the 2014-15 athletic season, including two head coaches. Peter Ormsby joined the department in July as the head coach for both the cross country and track & field programs, while Ellen McGill was hired on in December as head coach of the volleyball program. Assistant coach Jeff Jefferson joined the baseball staff in late July, while the football team added three assistant coaches in January (Joe Ford, Cody Kennedy, LeDell Love). Eight graduate assistants, interns or temporary contract employees joined the athletics family in key positions over the course of the 2014-15 season as well.

THIRTY STUDENT-ATHLETES EARN ALL-REGION RECOGNITION
Thirty student-athletes across eight different teams earned all-region status for performances during their respective athletic seasons, including multiple honorees on five teams. Men's track & field led the way with seven all-region performers, while baseball, women's track & field and wrestling all sent six student-athletes to all-region recognition. Two-time national champion Daniel Ownbey was at the forefront of the all-region recognition as the senior was decorated with Super Region 2 Wrestler of the Year distinction.

TRACK & FIELD BOASTS FIVE PEACH BELT CONFERENCE TITLES
While both track & field teams finished first among the traditional Peach Belt Conference schools at the third annual PBC Track & Field Championships, three individuals combined to register five league championships. Senior Hana Metzinger won event titles in both the discus and javelin throws, while freshman Jeanna Cube took home league titles in both the long jump and the grueling heptathlon. Senior Shaquille Ray won gold in the prestigious 100-meter dash on the men's side as well.

SIX TEAMS FINISH ATHLETIC YEAR WITH NOTABLE GPAs
Six athletic teams combined to post a 3.0 cumulative grade point average or better during the 2014-15 athletic season, including a department-best 3.354 GPA by the women's golf team. For the year, UNCP's student-athletes combined to post 19 semesters with a perfect 4.0 GPA and nearly one-third of our student-athletes were named to an honors list over the course of the academic year.

NINE STUDENT-ATHLETES SELECTED AS ARTHUR ASHE JR. SPORTS SCHOLARS
Nine UNC Pembroke student-athletes were named to Diverse: Issues In Higher Education's Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars listing in late April. To be included, students have to compete in an intercollegiate sport, maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 and be active on their campuses or in their communities. The student-athlete must be of color, must have completed a full academic year at the nominating institution and must have been enrolled for the fall term of the academic year being nominated.

2014-15 UNC PEMBROKE ATHLETICS ACCOLADES (PDF)