2022-23 UNC Pembroke Athletics Annual Report

Braves Capture Joby Hawn All-Sports Trophy, Men's/Women's Cups
A record-breaking season for UNCP Athletics was accentuated in May when the Braves were announced as winners of the Conference Carolinas Joby Hawn Cup for the first time since the 1991-92 season, while also being lauded with both the men's and women's sports Joby Hawn trophies as well. The Black & Gold collected 93.3 percent of its maximum points during the 2022-23 athletic season to edge second-place Mount Olive by more than 15 percent. The Braves raked in the Hawn Cup trophy for men's sports for the second-straight season by collecting 100 percent of its possible points, and edged out Mount Olive by 4.8 percent to collect the women’s sports hardware as well.

UNCP Stakes Claim To Seven League Titles, Five By Women's Teams
UNCP continued a growing tradition for itself in 2022-23 with the addition of seven more conference championships to its stable. Four women’s teams – basketball, golf, soccer and volleyball – all staked claim to Conference Carolinas tournament championships, while the volleyball squad also picked up the league’s east division crown as well. Four runners finished inside the top 15 to help the men’s cross country team capture the league title, while the men’s basketball team used an 18-game win streak to grab its second-straight conference regular season championship. It was the first conference title for the women’s basketball team, while the volleyball team won its first league championship since 1993.

Four Teams Claim Runner-Up Finishes In Chase For Conference Crown
The men’s indoor and outdoor track & field squads, as well as the swimming and wrestling teams, all finished in the runner-up position in their race for conference championships in 2022-23. The nationally-ranked wrestling team fell to eventual national runner-up Lander in a battle of unbeatens in their regular season finale on the way to a second-place finish in the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas standings. The swimming team logged eight event championships, including two relay crowns, but fell to nationally-ranked Emmanuel by less than 100 points at their conference championships. The indoor track & field championships came down to the meet’s final event, while the outdoor title was decided by just 6-1/2 points.

Record 10 Teams Make NCAA Postseason Appearances
Four of UNC Pembroke’s varsity athletic teams were represented by individual competitors in the NCAA postseason, while the baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, golf, soccer and volleyball teams notched team appearances on NCAA Division II’s biggest stage thanks to prolific campaigns in 2022-23. The cross country squads both sent individual competitors to the NCAA Championships in Seattle, Wash., while the swimming team logged a lone NCAA qualifier for the second time in three seasons. The wrestling squad continued a time-honored tradition for itself by qualifying three student-athletes for the NCAA Championships – the 22nd-straight season that the Braves have attained at least one qualifier for that event.

Four Student-Athletes Rake In Academic All-America Honors; 29 Named Academic All-District
Golf’s Amanda Hamrin and Georgia Page, soccer’s Anna Grossheim and baseball’s Christian Jayne all added their names to a list of just 19 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America recipients in the history of the athletics department, while the Braves also donned a record 29 CSC Academic All-District awards during the 2022-23 season as well. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his or her current institution. Nominated student-athletes must also have participated in at least 50 percent of their respective team’s competitions. Established in 1952 and selected by College Sports Communicators, the Academic All-America award is the longest-running and premier honor for athletic and academic success.

Adams, Hamrin Tally Elite-23 Awards, Four Others Named Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Basketball’s Kelci Adams and golf’s Amanda Hamrin emerged as their respective sport’s Conference Carolinas Elite 23 award winners which honors student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point average at their respective championship site. In recognition of their outstanding academic and athletic achievements, cross country’s Joshua Chepkesir, soccer’s Anna Grossheim, swimming’s Mariel Mencia Martinez and golf’s Georgia Page were announced as their respective sport’s Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The award, which is voted on by the league’s student-athlete affairs committee, is awarded to one junior or senior student-athlete in each sport who has maintained a 3.25 cumulative grade point average or better, while also being named to an all-conference squad.

Braves Combine For Nearly 375 Conference Academic Honor Roll Laurels 
Celebrated annually as a point of pride for the department, UNCP’s student-athletes amassed more than 350 Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll laurels during the 2022-23 academic year, sending 173 to the league’s distinguished listing in the fall, and then placing 175 on the spring honor roll. The bi-annual award recognizes student-athletes who have earned a 3.20 grade-point average on a 4.00 scale following each semester. UNCP has now sent 100 or more student-athletes to a conference academic honor roll for 14-straight years. The 2022-23 academic year marked the 10th time in the last 11 years that 150 or more student-athletes have graced a conference academic honor roll. A total of 26 football players were named to the Mountain East Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll in the fall as well.

Student-Athletes Make Waves In Classroom, 10 Teams Finish With Milestone GPA 
UNC Pembroke’s more-than 400 student-athletes exhibited their academic prowess again in 2022-23 after combining to register a 2.896 grade point average – the fourth-highest mark in department history. Nine of UNCP’s 16 varsity athletic teams posted a 3.0 cumulative GPA or better during the Fall 2022 or Spring 2023 semester, while a record 10 teams combined to tally a 3.0 across both semesters. A total of 201 student-athletes earned at least a 3.0 GPA during the fall semester, while 194 individuals accomplished that feat during the Spring 2023 term. Student-athletes combined to notch 174 honors list and 108 chancellor’s list laurels in 2022-23, and four of those honorees posted a perfect 4.0 GPA across both semesters.

UNCP Athletes Combine To Capture 44 Conference Weekly Awards 
Weekly honors from both Conference Carolinas and the Mountain East Conference proved to be plentiful for UNC Pembroke’s student-athletes again in 2022-23. UNCP’s 16 varsity athletic teams combined to rake in 49 conference weekly honors, including multiple honors by 13 squads. The soccer program finished the campaign with a league-best seven weekly accolades from Conference Carolinas, while the football team was decorated with weekly laurels from MEC headquarters on five occasions. A total of 37 different student-athletes picked up at least one conference weekly honor, including nine that were honored multiple times. Mercy Bell (soccer), Mariel Mencia Martinez (swimming), Jackline Kosgei (cross country/track & field), Georgia Page (golf) and Logan Seliga (wrestling) all picked up three conference weekly awards.

Two Soccer, Baseball Student-Athletes Pick Up National Weekly Honors 
The recognition of athletic performances by UNC Pembroke’s student-athletes were not just confined to the conference level in 2022-23. Soccer’s Mercy Bell and Anna Grossheim both picked up United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week accolades following prolific performances on the pitch in the fall, while baseball’s Christian Jayne and Branden Kunz were lauded as National Hitter and National Pitcher of the Week, respectively, by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) with standout series in February. Jayne and Kunz both predicated their national honors with region player of the week accolades from the NCBWA as well.

Quartet Named League Coach Of The Year, Richards Tallies District Honors 
Four head coaches – golf’s Hannah Luckett, men’s cross country’s Peter Ormsby, swimming’s Oscar Roverato and volleyball’s Carly Wehling – were all crowned Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year following outstanding seasons in the competitive arena, while men’s basketball head coach Drew Richards became just the second UNC Pembroke skipper in the 84-year history of the program to rake in District Coach of the Year laurels from National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). It was the sixth career league coach of the year honor for Ormsby, while Luckett and Roverato earned conference coach of the year for the second time in Pembroke. Wehling was lauded as conference coach of the year for the first time in her career.

Nearly 70 Student-Athletes Earn Degrees At Winter, Spring Commencements 
A total of 67 current and former student-athletes earned their bachelor's or graduate degrees during the 2022-23 academic year, including 51 that earned their degrees at the conclusion of the spring semester. The athletics department presented the graduation candidates with stoles to commemorate their time as a student-athlete for the Black & Gold. The department’s bi-annual student-athlete graduation breakfast was suspended in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but is expected to make its return during the 2023-24 academic year. Graduating student-athletes have been recognized on stage during each of the department’s last three annual Golden Braves programs.

Braves Combine To Bring Home 116 All-Conference Honors 
UNC Pembroke’s student-athletes combined to rake in an impressive 116 all-conference laurels in 2022-23, as well as four athlete/player of the year crowns and one freshman of the year honor. The Black & Gold had multiple All-Conference Carolinas honorees in 15 sports, including seven awards in soccer, while football had seven student-athletes decorated with All-Mountain East Conference recognition. The track & field program combined to post 24 All-Conference Carolinas awards during the indoor season, and then added 24 all-league honors during the outdoor season. The men’s cross country (5), women’s cross country (4), golf (4), baseball (3), men’s basketball (3), volleyball (3), wrestling (3) and women’s basketball (2) squads also boasted multiple all-conference honors as well.

O'Neil Notches 800th Career-Win, Richards Logs Win No. 50 In Pembroke 
Baseball skipper Paul O’Neil notched his 800th career victory with a 7-4 win home win over Francis Marion on March 11, while also recording his 700th win as head coach of the Black & Gold against Saint Anselm in early February. Men’s basketball head coach Drew Richards logged his 50th coaching win as the leader of the Black & Gold via a 14-point road win over Converse on February 4. O’Neil has compiled an 821-514-1 clip in 27 seasons at the helm of the UNCP baseball program after previously logging 84 victories at Shenandoah. Richards boasts a 79-19 career record, including leading the Lander Bearcats to a 23-8 mark and an NCAA Tournament berth as a first-year head coach in Greenwood, S.C., during the 2019-20 campaign.

Soccer Claims Second-Straight League Crown, Earns Sixth NCAA Tournament Berth
An unbeaten home record, nine victories away from Pembroke and an unblemished run through the Conference Carolinas Tournament resulted in the UNCP soccer team earning the program’s sixth NCAA Tournament berth. Boasting one of NCAA Division II’s most lethal offenses, the Braves logged better than 2.7 goals per match across 21 outings, and surrendered just 13 goals on the season while registering a 0.61 goals against average. The successful campaign was further highlighted by a league-best seven all-conference selections, a trio of all-region picks and one all-America award. The Black & Gold finished with a 16-3-2 mark – the second-best record (winning percentage) in the 22-year history of the club.

Grossheim Named All-American, Conference Player Of The Year
An all-America campaign as a sophomore in 2021 set the bar high for Garner product Anna Grossheim, but she proved again that she never backs down from a challenge. Grossheim logged 14 goals (5 game-winners) and added 11 assists to on the way to raking in a slew of postseason awards. After raking in Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Year laurels, she would earn all-America accolades again, but this time from two different organizations, including a first-team nod from the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA). Her near-perfect performance in the classroom paid dividends as well as she picked up both first team Academic All-America and United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America honors.

Men’s Cross Country Uses Dominant Performance To Win Conference Title
Senior Joshua Chepkesir out-paced the rest of the field by more than 20 seconds to cruise to his fifth individual conference title, but the UNC Pembroke men’s cross country team placed three other runners inside the top-15 on the way to a dominating win at the 2022 Conference Carolinas Championships in early November. It was the third conference title in the last eight seasons for the Braves who sent five runners to all-conference laurels, while Dr. Peter Ormsby was named the league’s coach of the year for the second time in the last five campaigns. UNCP placed among the top-5 teams in four events in 2022, including a runner-up showing at the Akiah McMillian Invite.

Chepkesir, Kosgei Earn Trip To NCAA Championships In Seattle 
Senior Joshua Chepkesir and sophomore Jackline Kosgei left little to chance in 2022 as both Kenya products dominated the competition on the way to securing spots in the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in Seattle. The honors marked the first time in a decade that the program has sent both male and female representatives to the national stage. Both runners captured individual medalist honors at the Conference Carolinas Championships, including  47-second win by Kosgei, and both inevitably claimed all-region accolades as well. Chepkesir secured his spot in the NCAA Championships with another impressive victory at the NCAA Southeast Regional, while Kosgei crossed in fifth place at that meet to earn her spot.

Volleyball Turns In Historic Season, Claims East Division Title
A flurry of a finish that saw it capture 18 of its last 23 matchups of the season, including a pair of wins in the Conference Carolinas Championships, pushed the UNCP volleyball squad to a 21-win campaign that was accompanied by a Conference Carolinas East Division crown as well. The Braves collected just three wins through their first 12 outings of the campaign, but a 5-set win at Francis Marion in mid-September sparked the club on a magical regular season-ending run in which it registered 16 wins across a span of 31 days, included in which was an 11-match win streak. The Black & Gold led the 13-team league in three offensive statistical categories, including an impressive 1,553 kills.

Volleyball Claims Tournament Title, Earns Program's First NCAA Postseason Berth 
Home cooking was on the docket for the volleyball team in mid-November as the Braves registered an unblemished run through the UNCP-hosted Conference Carolinas Championships on the way to capturing its first conference crown of any type in nearly two decades. The tournament crown was also accompanied by the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament – the first NCAA appearance for the Braves in the 49-year history of the program. The club accentuated their first conference tournament title in 32 years with an impressive 4-set win over league nemesis Emmanuel in the championship match that sent the nearly 500 fans in attendance into a frenzy.

Men's Basketball Registers Record Season, Win Streaks 
Boasting NCAA Division II’s second-best rebounding margin (+10.2) and third-best perimeter defense (.293) at season’s end, the nationally-ranked men’s basketball team used a school-record 18-game win streak that spanned more than two months to tally the best record (winning percentage) in the history of the 84-year-old program. The Braves climbed as high as No. 5 in the national rankings in late January and held on to that lofty position for five-straight weeks, while also eventually stretching their regular season road win streak out to 22 games with a 71-57 win at Converse on February 4. UNCP finished among the nation’s top-25 teams in seven statistical categories, including field goal percentage defense (.401).

Braves Stake Claim To Second-Straight League Title, Nine NCAA Tournament Berth 
A run of 17-straight league victories from early December to mid-February ultimately lifted the Black & Gold to its second-straight Conference Carolinas regular season championship, while also putting the Braves in the driver’s seat on the way to securing the program’s ninth NCAA Tournament berth. UNCP outscored its 30 foes on the season by an average of 10.7 points per game, and fueled that margin by boasting the league’s best scoring defense (67.2 points/game allowed). The Braves clinched the league title outright with a 26-point home win over Chowan on February 15, and put the finishing touches on a banner regular season with a 36-point win over Belmont Abbey just a week later.

Winter Surge Pushes Women's Basketball To Historic Season
A run of success that spanned the better part of 2-1/2 months helped push the women’s basketball squad to a memorable season that, ultimately, pushed the Braves past the 20-win mark for the first time in more than three decades. UNCP rebounded from a tough loss at Conference Carolinas foe Mount Olive in late November by capturing 19 of its next 21 outings, including 17 of its 18 matchups against league foes. That run of success was fueled by 9- and 7-game win streaks as the Braves limited opponents to just 32.6 percent field goal shooting and 52.5 points per game over the stretch.

Braves Roll Through Conference Tournament, Notch First NCAA Berth 
A season-ending knee injury to all-conference guard and floor captain Courtney Smith in the regular season finale against Belmont Abbey served as a rallying cry for the women’s basketball team as the Braves posted a perfect 3-0 run through the Conference Carolinas Tournament to capture the league crown, as well as the first NCAA Tournament appearance in the 49-year history of the program. The Black & Gold cruised to a 20-point win over Mount Olive in the quarterfinals, rallied from an early 9-point deficit to top Francis Marion in overtime in the semifinal matchup, and then toppled top-seeded and 25th-ranked Belmont Abbey in the championship game. Kalaya Hall (MVP), Zaria Clark and Aniah McManus all claimed a spot on the all-tournament team.

Golf Rallies For Second-Straight League Title, NCAA Postseason Appearances 
A pair of tournament titles, including a 15-stroke victory at Cutter Creek Golf Club in Snow Hill that marked its second-straight Conference Carolinas Tournament championship, highlighted a banner 2022-23 campaign for the golf team that culminated with its second-straight trip to the NCAA postseason. Four student-athletes earned a spot on the All-Conference Carolinas squad, while Georgia Page claimed the league’s golfer of the year crown for the second-straight season and skipper Hannah Luckett was decorated with Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year honors for the second time in as many seasons. The Braves captured team medalist honors at the Barton Intercollegiate in mid-March, while also posting runner-up finishes at two other events.

Hamrin Out-Duals Page In Conference Championship Playoff
Sweden product Amanda Hamrin out-dueled fellow senior and Australia native Georgia Page on the second playoff hole to lay claim to individual medalist honors at the Conference Carolinas Championship in Snow Hill. Both Hamrin and Page finished two strokes ahead of the rest of the 45-player field through 72 holes of action, but it would take some extra play to decide the winner. It was the first tournament championship and seventh career top-10 showing for Hamrin who also finished in the runner-up position at the 2021 Peach Belt Conference Championships. It was the 11th career top-10 finish for Page.

Swimming Unbeaten At Home Again, Mencia Martinez Competes At NCAAs
The swimming team continued an impressive streak for itself in 2022-23 by claiming six victories in the UNCP Aquatics Center to run its all-time record in the facility out to an impressive 9-0 across two seasons. The successful home campaign was fueled by 34 event titles across three tri-meets, including 11 individual event titles and a pair of relay crowns in the tri-meet with Roanoke and nationally-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne. Junior Mariel Mencia Martinez accentuated a successful campaign for the Black & Gold when she competed in the 50-yard Freestyle at the NCAA Championships – the second UNCP swimmer in the last three seasons to swim on the sport’s biggest stage.

Wrestling Comes Up Just Short In League Race, Sends Three To Nationals
A long-standing tradition continued for the nationally-ranked wrestling program as the Braves sent a trio of competitors to the NCAA Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in early March, marking the seventh-straight season that the program has been represented by multiple competitors at nationals. That accomplishment sugar coated a near-miss finish by the Black & Gold in the race for the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas crown. UNCP captured each of its first nine league outings of the season, but dropped a tough road decision to then-No. 2 and eventual national runner-up Lander in the regular season finale for both sides in early February.

Baseball Earns Third-Straight NCAA Berth, Fifth In Last Six Full Seasons
An impressive first half of the season that watched the club post 23 wins in its first 28 outings of the campaign carried the baseball team to a 39-win season that culminated with its third-straight NCAA postseason berth, as well as its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six full seasons. The Black & Gold posted wins in each of its first nine games of the season, including an impressive home league series sweep of then-No. 14 Belmont Abbey, and closed out the regular season with a home league series win over then-No. 7 Mount Olive. All told, the campaign included seven triumphs over nationally-ranked opponents, as well as an impressive 24 wins at home.

Inaugural Back The Braves Campaign Posts Impressive Results
An April initiative that called on families, fans and alumni who “Back The Braves” to throw their financial support behind their favorite teams and student-athletes resulted in 961 donors and raised nearly $43,000 for the department’s more-than 400 student-athletes. Nearly 450 donors pledged $16,770 in support of the wrestling team, while the campaign produced 267 donors and nearly $11,000 for the softball program. Ten programs saw an influx of more than $1,200 into their fund-raising accounts, and the initiative also showed a 222 percent overshot of its pre-campaign goal of 431 donors. The department will launch its second annual Back The Braves campaign in the fall.

Three Football Players Make NFL, CFL Debuts
Debuts on the professional stage seemed commonplace for the UNC Pembroke football program across the 2022-23 athletic season as three former student-athletes – Domenique Davis, Devin Jones and Josh Jones – all advanced to the rosters of pro football squads. Davis, who originally signed a free agent contract with the New York Jets in 2020 and played one season (2022) with the United States Football League’s (USFL) Houston Gamblers, made his NFL debut with the Cincinnati Bengals as part of a Monday Night Football matchup with the Cleveland Browns in October. Devin Jones, who earned an invite to Carolina Panthers mini camp in May 2022, and Josh Jones both inked pro contracts with the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers in June.

River Ryan Promoted To AA Tulsa Drillers, Darren Bowen Makes Minor League Debut 
A pair of former UNC Pembroke baseball standouts are continuing to make waves in the Major League Baseball (MLB) farm system. River Ryan, an 11th-round pick by the San Diego Padres in the 2021 MLB Amateur First-Year Player Draft who was later traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, was promoted for the third time when he made his Double-A debut with the Tulsa (Okla.) Drillers in a start from the mound against the San Antonio Missions in early April. Darren Bowen, a 13th-round selection by the Seattle Mariners in the 2022 MLB Draft, made his professional debut on June 1 when he pitched an inning of relief for the Modesto Nuts (Single-A) in their 10-3 road win over the Stockton Ports.

UNCP Captures NACMA Marketing Team Of The Year Laurels
A year-long marketing effort full of variety and impeccable results paid dividends for UNC Pembroke's athletics external operations team in mid-June when the Braves were crowned as the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) Group 3 Marketing Team of the Year, presented by PrestoSports, while also hauling in 11 "Best Of" honors from the organization. The external operations team also picked up 11 more of the organization's "Best Of" Awards for its marketing and promotion efforts during the 2022-23 athletic season, including five gold medals, and has now claimed 36 NACMA "Best Of" Awards over the last six athletic seasons.

Department Extends Partnerships, Posts Record Sponsorship Growth
Athletics department officials announced the expansion of its partnership with Wing Co. of Pembroke, while also inking new partnerships with Minuteman Food Mart and the Lumberton Visitors Bureau. Currently boasting 28 active partnerships with area businesses and corporations, the department showed a more-than-30 percent increase from pre-pandemic sponsorship numbers last season, while its net annual cash value from sponsorship agreements reached an unprecedented amount of nearly $385,000. The athletics department is currently in negotiation to add eight additional sponsors in time for the 2023-24 athletic season.

Levi, Page Named Athletes Of The Year To Highlight Welcome Back Event 
Conference Carolinas Men’s Basketball Player and Defensive Player of the Year Spencer Levi was decorated with Male Student-Athlete of the Year accolades, while Conference Carolinas Women’s Golf Player of the Year Georgia Page raked in Female Student-Athlete of the Year laurels, as the UNC Pembroke athletics department welcomed back its nearly 400 student-athletes in August as part of an event inside the Givens Performing Arts Center (GPAC). Baseball’s Ethan Ott and women’s basketball’s Zaria Clark took home Male and Female Newcomer of the Year recognition, while men’s basketball skipper Drew Richards picked up the Dan Kenney Coach of the Year crown. The awards put a wrap on the 2021-22 Golden Braves program which was held in April 2022.

UNCP Hosts 10th Annual Golden Braves Awards 
Ten teams were celebrated for making NCAA postseason appearances, including six that brought home conference championships, as the UNC Pembroke athletics department lauded its student-athletes at the 10th annual Golden Braves awards show in late April. Swimming’s Nathalia Silva was decorated with Most Well-Rounded Female Student-Athlete, while cross country/track & field’s Gabe Blackwelder took home the award on the men's side. LaTrell Jewsome (football) and swimming’s Ketlyn Rodriguez Matos were named the Athletic Performance Student-Athletes of the Year for their work in the weightroom. Lenore Taylor picked up Braves Club Member of the Year honors, while the Kinesiology Department chair, Dr. Mike Kozub, was presented with the Changing Lives Through Education Award.

Mark Hall Takes Over As Football Program's Third Head Coach 
Athletics department officials announced in mid-December that Mark Hall, an 18-year collegiate coaching veteran with previous stops at two other NCAA Division II institutions, has been named as the football program's third head coach. Hall ventured to Pembroke after serving the last 15 years on the coaching staff at Chowan, including the last two seasons as the head coach of the Hawks. He also has a previous stint as the offensive coordinator for Urbana from 2005-08. He compiled a 14-7 record at the helm of the program at Chowan, including a 7-4 mark in 2022 that culminated in the program's first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) North Division title, as well as an appearance in the CIAA championship game. He also engineered a 4-game turnaround for the program in his first season as head coach in 2021.

Jaleesa Harper Tabbed As 12th Head Coach Of Volleyball Program
Athletics department officials announced in late-January that assistant coach Jaleesa Harper, who has been at the forefront of a 9-match turnaround for the Braves over the last five seasons, has been named as the 12th head coach of the program. Harper joined the Black & Gold as a graduate assistant coach prior to the 2018-19 athletic season, and served as its interim assistant coach for the 2019 and 2020 campaigns. She was promoted to a full-time assistant coach role prior to the 2021 season. A 10-win club during Harper's initial season at UNCP in 2018, the Braves have tallied back-to-back 20+-win campaigns over the last two campaigns, including a 21-14 clip in 2022 that culminated in Conference Carolinas division and tournament crowns, as well as the program's first-ever berth into the NCAA postseason.

Five Former Student-Athletes, Chancellor Comprise 43rd Hall Of Fame Class 
Student-athletes representing five different sports, as well as five different decades, and a former chancellor that was a vital supporter during the department's unprecedented growth in 2006 and 2007, were officially inducted into the UNC Pembroke Athletics Hall of Fame in late October. Berniece (Brooks) Lowry, one of the pioneers of women's athletics on campus in the early 1950s, joined baseball player Greg Allen, track & field/cross country standout Rod Lattie, soccer star Jamie Clarke and football all-American Travis "T.D." Daniels in comprising UNCP's 43rd Athletics Hall of Fame class. Allen Meadors, who served as the University's chancellor for 10 years, joined the quintet as a special inductee.

A Championship Legacy: Cash Bash Brings In Record $142,000 
Athletics department officials at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke announced in mid-June that the 10th annual Cash Bash, presented by Scotland Health, fundraising event raised more than $141,000 for the department's general scholarship fund. The total of $141,745 was spearheaded by ticket sales for the event which raised nearly $56,000 alone – the highest total raised by that portion of the program in the 10-year history of the department's premier fundraising event. The Fund-A-Cause portion of the evening raked in more than $40,000 toward the total. The annual event has generated nearly $1 million for student-athlete scholarships over the last 10 years.