2016-17 UNCP Athletics Accolades 

Braves Register Record Finish In PBC Commissioner's Cup
Spurred by league championships in both men's basketball and men's track and field, the UNC Pembroke athletics department registered a record third-place finish in the final Peach Belt Conference Commissioner's Cup standings released at the annual league meetings in Hilton Head. The finish, which was also fueled by record showings by both the women's soccer and women's track & field squads, is the highest for the Braves since they joined the PBC prior to the 1992-93 season. The Cup is presented annually to the best overall athletics department based on regular season standings and select championships.
 
Six Teams Make NCAA Postseason Appearances
Six of UNCP's 16 varsity athletic teams made appearances in the NCAA postseason this year, including the football team which registered its first 10-win season, as well as the program's first NCAA playoff victory. The men's basketball team used the momentum from capturing both the PBC regular season and tournament crowns to log its fourth NCAA appearance in the last seven seasons, while a school record win streak by the baseball team fueled its first trip to the NCAA postseason since the 2011 campaign. Three teams (golf, men's track & field, wrestling) were represented by individual qualifiers at the NCAA championships.
 
Student-Athletes Play Big Role In Hurricane Matthew Recovery
While Hurricane Matthew left unimaginable destruction in its wake in October, UNCP's more than 400 student-athletes, coaches and administrators banded together to show that UNC Pembroke and #BraveNation are symbols of Robeson County and its people. The department regularly put together voluntary clean-up efforts and relief drives that collected non-perishable food items and bottled water, as well as clothes and toiletries. Student-athletes returned to campus nearly 10 days later, but did so with vehicles, and sometimes even box trucks, filled with much-needed supplies that aided the relief effort in Robeson County.
 
Ndhlovu Tallies Impressive Finish In Marathon At Olympic Games
Former UNC Pembroke all-American Pardon Ndhlovu (2009-13) bested 114 of the world's best athletes in his Olympic debut at Rio 2016. Ndhlovu registered a time of 2:17:48 en route to a 41st place finish and his share of history in the Olympic annals. His time was tops among the three Zimbabwe entries into the event. Cuthbert Nyasango (2:18:58) and Wirimai Juwawo (DNF) both competed in the 2012 games in London as well. The Harare, Zimbabwe, native would later go on to log a 19th place showing at the Boston Marathon in mid-April, and will represent his native country at the World Championships in London in early August.
 
Men's Basketball, Men's Track & Field Capture PBC Championships
The UNC Pembroke men's basketball team closed out the regular season with seven-straight victories to clinch a share of the Peach Belt Conference regular-season title, and then strung together three more wins to lay claim to the PBC Tournament title as well. It was the first conference title for the program since capturing the 1989-90 Carolinas Conference title as a member of the NAIA. The men's track & field team used a dominant effort on the final two days of the PBC Outdoor Track & Field Championships to stake claim to its first PBC title and its first conference title in 30 years. The Braves had previously won 11-straight Carolinas Conference championships from 1977 to 1987.
 
Six Student-Athletes Earn All-America Recognition
Prolific performances by a handful of UNCP student-athletes paid dividends in the postseason as football's B.J. Bunn, Matt Davis, Jaden Funderburk and Rontonio Stanley, as well as softball's Jamie Johnson and wrestling's Blaze Shade, were all recognized as all-Americans. Shade will exit UNCP with three all-America awards after registering a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships, and Jamie Johnson became just the fourth player in the history of the softball program to grab all-America recognition. Davis was named to six all-America teams during the offseason for the football program which now boasts 15 all-Americans in its first 10 years of existence.
 
UNCP, Braves Buddies Win PBC's Connecting Communities Award
UNC Pembroke was named the winner of the 2017 SunTrust Foundation Connecting Communities Award at the Peach Belt Conference's annual awards dinner in Hilton Head in late May. UNCP received the honor for "Braves Buddies: Day of Recognition" which invited more than 100 elementary school children to campus. All of the first-graders that attended the event received a personalized bookmark as well as a certificate of participation in the Braves Buddies program. Student-athletes worked with Pembroke Elementary students in small groups, team reading and in one-on-one situations. During the 2016-17 year, UNCP student-athletes dedicated nearly 2,000 hours to volunteering their time. More than 450 student-athletes have participated since the program began in 2015.
 
Wrestling's Mikey Thomas Honored With PBC-Sun Trust Minority Post-Graduate Scholarship
UNC Pembroke wrestler Mikey Thomas was named the 2017 recipient of the Peach Belt Conference-SunTrust Foundation Minority Graduate Scholarship at the league's annual meetings in May. The announcement marked the fourth-straight year that a UNCP student-athlete has been presented with the scholarship. Volleyball's Marissa Baker and Danielle Brown were presented with the scholarship following the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years, respectively, while track & field's Jani Perez earned the honor last year. This is the fourth year that the PBC and Sun Trust have partnered to award the scholarship. Thomas graduated in May with a bachelor's of science degree in biology with a minor in business administration. He begins graduate work this fall at East Carolina University in the dental medicine program.
 
ACC Legends Highlight Record Night At Fourth Annual Braves Club Cash Bash
Former Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) legends Bobby Cremins, Les Robinson and Eric Montross headlined a record-breaking night for the Fourth Annual Cash Bash presented by Southeastern Health that raised more than $97,000 toward the Braves Club general scholarship fund. The event welcomed a record 415 attendees as the former UNC Chapel Hill basketball standout, as well as the former Georgia Tech and NC State basketball coaches, shared stories about their illustrious careers both on and off the court. The event spearheaded another record year of fundraising for the Braves Club, as more than $156,000 was contributed to the general scholarship fund.
 
UNCP Dedicates Lumbee River EMC Soccer Stadium
The varsity soccer complex at UNC Pembroke was dedicated to Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation in late September. The right to name the stadium was the result of a $500,000 gift from LREMC. The 15-year partnership includes upgrades to the stadium's signage, fencing and team bench area. Headquartered in Red Springs, Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation is a member-owned electric cooperative with 50,000 members in parts of Hoke, Scotland, Cumberland, and Robeson counties. The cooperative was first organized in 1940. The gift represented the corporation's largest outside investment, according to LREMC vice chairman Wyatt Upchurch.
 
All-Conference Awards Were Bountiful For Braves In 2016-17
UNC Pembroke student-athletes combined to rake in 57 all-conference honors during the 2016-17 athletic season, and led all 14 Peach Belt Conference member institutions with 43 all-PBC honors. The track & field squad led the way again with 26 all-conference awards, while the baseball team had six student-athletes named to the all-conference team. The wrestling team led the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) with five all-league selections, while the football team had six players decorated with ECAC All-Star recognition. UNCP's student-athletes also combined to secure 20 nods to their respective sport's PBC All-Academic Team.
 
Debo Earns Academic All-America Recognition, Joins Locklear On Elite 15 List
Senior outfielder Nick Debo added a notable entry to his collegiate resume in June when the Durham native was decorated with Capital One Academic All-America recognition which is widely considered to be the most prestigious academic honor that can be bestowed upon a collegiate student-athlete. Debo and women's basketball player Avery Locklear both also picked up Elite 15 Award recognition from the Peach Belt Conference. The award is presented in each of the league's 15 championship sports to the student-athlete participating in the championships with the highest cumulative GPA. UNCP was one of just three league schools to have multiple student-athletes lauded with Elite 15 recognition.
 
UNCP Sends 154 To PBC Presidential Honor Roll Recognition
The work in the classroom by UNC Pembroke's student-athletes paid dividends in late June when 154 Braves were named to the Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll. It is the eighth-straight year that UNCP has sent 100 or more student-athletes to the distinguished listing – the longest stretch of any of the league's 14 member institutions. The Black & Gold has raked in a league-best 1,136 PBC Presidential Honor Roll laurels over that span as well. In addition, 39 student-athletes were lauded with the 2017 D2 Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award which recognizes individuals with a 3.5 GPA or better.
 
58 Student-Athletes Earn Degrees At Winter, Spring Commencements
A total of 58 student-athletes earned their bachelor's or graduate degrees during the 2016-17 academic year, including 40 that took part in UNCP's spring commencement ceremony. More than 35 of those student-athletes were on hand to participate in the athletics department's bi-annual Student-Athlete Graduation Breakfast in May where a commemorative stoll is presented to each graduate. Four teams – golf (3.744), women's soccer (3.507), women's cross country (3.362) and softball (3.240) – registered grade point averages of 3.0 or better during the 2016-17 athletic season, while all 16 of UNCP's athletic teams combined to post a 2.779 GPA and bettered the general student body (2.664) by 0.115.
 
Men's Basketball Caps Off Historic Season With NCAA Tournament Appearance
The men's basketball team continued to assert its position on the regional and national stages with its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last seven seasons. The Black & Gold won seven-straight games to close out the regular season and clinch a share of its first Peach Belt Conference regular season title, and then closed out a perfect run through the PBC Tournament with an 89-77 victory over Columbus State in the championship game. It was the third time in the last five seasons that the program has reached the 20-win plateau – a feat accomplished just once in the 27 years prior to that span.
 
UNCP Among NCAA Division II's Elite In NCAA Postseason Appearances
The Braves were one of just seven NCAA Division II schools to send both their football and men's basketball team to the NCAA postseason, but were one of just two schools (Valdosta State) to send their baseball team to the postseason as well. Those three teams combined to amass 75 victories (75-27) for the Black & Gold, as well as an impressive .735 winning percentage, including a victory over Valdosta State in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs. Valdosta State combined to post a 67-31 (.683) clip in football, men's basketball and baseball.
 
Football Registers School Record 10 Victories, Third Playoff Appearance
It was a banner season on the gridiron for the football team which became just the second team in NCAA Division II to make three playoff appearances (2009, 2013, 2016) in their first 10 years of existence. On the way to turning in its finest season in school history, the Braves established a new standard for single-season victories (10), while also picking up its first NCAA Division II playoff victory as well with a 24-21 triumph at then-No. 19 Valdosta State in the opening round. The Black & Gold also registered a perfect mark (5-0) at home for the fourth time in program lore, and will tote a 10-game home win streak into the 2017 season.
 
Davis Lauded With National Award, NFL Tryouts After Record Senior Campaign
Redshirt senior placekicker Matt Davis put an emphatic cap on his final season in Pembroke when he was named the recipient of the 2016 Fred Mitchell Award which is presented annually to the nation's top placekicker in FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA and NJCAA for excellence on the football field and in the community. The Richlands native also earned all-America honors from six organizations in the offseason, including a coveted spot on the Associated Press squad, and was taken through private on-campus tryouts by representatives from the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers.
 
Flax, Golf Dominate Field In Capturing Sunoco Campbell Oil Classic
Freshman Katy Flax matched a school record with a 68 in the opening round, and the UNCP golf team registered a trio of sub-305 rounds on the way to capturing the inaugural Sunoco Campbell Oil Classic women's golf tournament in late March. Flax sat atop the individual leaderboard after all three rounds, but registered five birdies in the first round to equal the 3-year-old school record. The Braves tallied the 11th-best round in school history with a 301 on the final day of the event. It was the 22nd team tournament title for the Black & Gold since the end of the 2010-11 campaign.
 
UNCP Teams Among Nation's Leaders In Home Attendance Average
Four teams finished their seasons ranked among the nation's home attendance leaders. The baseball team ranked 15th among NCAA Division II schools in home attendance average, while also ranking 10th in total home attendance. The softball team boasted the nation's 23rd-best home attendance average, while the men's basketball team was 38th-best among their Division II peers after welcoming an average of 1,161 fans to its 15 games at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court. The football team ranked 33rd in home attendance average (5,233), but was listed second in capacity home attendance at 145 percent.
 
Record Win Streak Pushes Baseball Over 40 Wins And Into NCAA Postseason
A school record 14-game win streak that encompassed much of the month of April fueled the UNC Pembroke baseball team to a 41-17 record and its second trip to the NCAA postseason. The performance marked just the second time in school history that the baseball team logged 40 or more victories. UNCP, which made its second appearance in the PBC Tournament championship game as well, had six players register all-conference recognition. The club also picked up 24 victories at Sammy Cox Field, including a series win over then-No. 1 and eventual PBC regular season champion and NCAA World Series participant North Georgia in late March.
 
Five Coaches Earn Milestone Victories During 2016-17 Seasons
A convincing 24-point victory over Lander in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament semifinals handed head coach Ben Miller his 150th career victory (all at UNCP), but he was not the only UNCP skipper to grab milestone wins in 2016-17. Baseball's Paul O'Neil logged career victory No. 600 with a 15-4 home win over Concord in February, while softball skipper Brittany Bennett earned her 100th career victory (all at UNCP) in the front half of a twinbill sweep of Columbus State in April. Lars Andersson picked up career win No. 250 with a 1-0 blanking at Lees-McRae in September. The swimming & diving team gave head coach Rhonda Blank her first collegiate coaching victory with a win over Greensboro in January. 
 
Track & Field Teams Post Record Finishes At 2017 PBC Championships
The 2017 Peach Belt Conference Track & Field Championships turned out to be a banner weekend for both UNCP track & field squads. The men's team grabbed a PBC title for the first time in school history, while the women registered a runner-up finish – their best showing at the event in program history. The Black & Gold combined to win individual conference titles in eight events, while also logging 23 all-conference awards. Newcomer Silus Kipkoech grabbed both PBC Track Athlete and PBC Track Freshman of the Year recognition on the men's side, while Jeanna Cube (PBC Field Athlete of the Year) and Kelsi Sheldon (PBC Freshman Field Athlete of the Year) grabbed similar honors on the women's side.
 
Shade Returns To National Championship Match, Wrestling Finishes In Top 25
All-American Blaze Shade closed out his impressive collegiate wrestling career by posting a 3-1 record at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Birmingham, Ala., including a tough loss in the national championship bout. His performance, however, was enough to propel the Braves to a No. 25 finish in the final team standings. It marked the eighth-straight year that the program has posted a top-25 finish, and the fifth time in the last seven seasons that a UNCP wrestler has competed in a national championship match. Shade, a four-time NCAA qualifier, wrapped up his time in Pembroke with a 124-29 (.810) career record.
 
Women's Soccer, Basketball Conclude Campaigns With Record Finishes
The women's soccer and women's basketball teams both recorded historic performances as well in 2016-17. The women's soccer team matched the 2008 squad for the best Peach Belt Conference finish in program history after settling into second in the league's final standings. The run included a 12-game unbeaten streak, including a 1-0 shutout of then-No. 9 Columbus State at home, as well as 3-3 draw with then-No. 12 North Georgia. The women's basketball team racked up a school record 11 home victories, as well as 11 wins against PBC foes. Its run also included an impressive 76-61 home win over then-No. 15 Clayton State in December and a school record 11-game home win streak. 
 
Swimming & Diving Tallies First Two Wins In Program History
The swimming & diving team established its foundation of success with several milestones as well. The Braves registered the program's first victory with a 78-63 win over Greensboro in mid-January, and then tacked up win No. 2 with a convincing 88-47 triumph over Warren Wilson in the season finale. The program's first individual event title belonged to junior Gina Zhang who won the 500-yard freestyle, the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke at the Barton Tri-Meet in October. Zhang finished the campaign with five event titles, and seven runner-up finishes.
 
Ormsby Named PBC Coach of the Year, Two Named PBC Athlete Of The Year
On the heels of the men's track & field team's first Peach Belt Conference championship, head coach Peter Ormsby collected the league's men's coach of the year honors as well – the second time in three years that he has raked in that particular award. The cup runneth over for the Braves at the championships, however, as Silus Kipkoech picked up PBC Men's Track Athlete of the Year honors, and Jeanna Cube was decorated with PBC Women's Field Athlete of the Year laurels. Kipkoech also picked up Men's Freshman Track Athlete of the Year honors, while Kelsi Sheldon was named the Women's Freshman Field Athlete of the Year recipient.
 
B.J. Bunn Showcased On ESPN SportsCenter Top 10
A phenomenal one-handed catch in the third quarter of the football team's mid-September victory at Shaw landed B.J. Bunn among ESPN Sports Center's Top 10 plays. The catch, an 8-yard grab that set the Braves up at the 1-yard line, went viral immediately, landing on the social media pages of several nationally-prominent organizations including CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, SB Nation and ESPN. To date, the clip has been viewed more than 106,000 times on Twitter, while the video has been viewed an additional 7,000 times on UNCP Athletics' YouTube account. The play checked in at No. 9 on the top 10 list.
 
Davis, Senecal Guzman Highlight Night At Fourth Annual Golden Braves
Football's Matt Davis grabbed male student-athlete of the year honors, soccer's Jasmine Senécal-Guzman was named the female student-athlete of the year and football head coach Shane Richardson was decorated with Dan Kenney Coach of the Year accolades to highlight the 4th Annual Golden Braves Awards in April. Faculty Athletics Representative Dr. W. Stewart Thomas was honored with the Changing Lives Through Education award, while Dr. Robin and Rebecca Cummings were the recipients of the Braves Club Members of the Year honor. The event was attended by UNCP's coaches, staff and more than 400 student-athletes.
 
Five Inductees Welcomed To Athletics Hall Of Fame
Wrestlers Derek Brunson and Chuck Jones joined baseball's Kevin Dietrich, track & field's Tony Reid and men's basketball's Frank Winfree in comprising UNCP's 38th Hall of Fame induction class. All five were inducted into the distinguished listing of former student-athletes, coaches and administrators at a special ceremony during Homecoming Week in October. Brunson was a three-time all-American for the Braves and racked up 121 career victories, while Dietrich played and started in 172 games and registered a .361 career batting average. Jones earned a pair of NAIA All-America nods, and Reid was a five-time all-American and is still a part of two school records. Winfree led the Braves to 19 victories during the 1958-59 and 1959-60 campaigns and averaged 22.5 points and eight rebounds per game as a senior.
 
Department Preps For Next Strategic Plan
Seeking to build on one of the most successful years in the nearly 80-year history of Braves Athletics, the department kicked off the planning phase of a five-year strategic plan in late May. The four-stage strategic planning process involved UNCP's faculty, staff and student-athletes, as well as the department's invested stakeholders and community members. The process focuses on three essential areas of the department: competitive excellence/recruiting, student-athlete success/academics/community outreach, and branding/revenue/marketing. The strategic plan is expected to be unveiled to the public in August.
 
Braves Continue Strong Multimedia Presence, Launch New Online Store
The UNCP athletics department partnered with Advanced Online in December to launch the official UNCP Braves Athletics online store at The UNCP athletics department partnered with Advanced Online in December to launch the official UNCP Braves Athletics online store at ShopUNCPBraves.com. The online store features more than 1,100 products. Braves fans, alumni and parents will now be able to purchase everything from t-shirts to pet supplies and everything in between. The site also has jewelry, golf gear, drinkware and apparel from different brands, including Adidas – the official apparel provider for UNCP Athletics. A portion of the proceeds from sales will benefit the athletics department and its more than 400 student-athletes.