Fairmont grad piles up honors at small college
When Jessica Wolfe describes the University of Pikeville as her home away from home, she means it.
“I love it here,” the sophomore said. “I’m far from home, but I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be.”
A smaller campus and smaller classes have made a big difference. The Kettering native transferred to the Kentucky school after two years at Wright State. Pikeville, which has fewer students on campus than her alma mater Fairmont High School, is a perfect fit academically and athletically for the 20-year-old bowler.
After struggling to maintain eligibility at Wright State, the communications major now has a 4.0 grade-point average. She is also a star on the lanes: For the third consecutive seven-day span, Wolfe was named the Mid-South Conference women’s bowler of the week.
“It’s kind of crazy,” Wolfe said. “I’m just here to do my part to get this team to nationals. For this to happen three weeks in a row is kind of surreal.” Wolfe helped the Bears secure a second-place finish at the Brunswick Collegiate Southern tournament a week ago. She qualified to the all-tournament team for a second time this season with a third-place finish and a 201.2 six-game average. Wolfe finished 36 pins out of first place and posted a 235 high game.
Pikeville won the Martin Methodist Baker Classic a week earlier, edging second-place Campbellsville by more than 500 pins. Wolfe was over 90 percent on fill balls and 22 for 22 in single-pin pickups in the tournament.
While Wolfe is honored by the accolades and thrilled by her team’s success, neither is the reason she loves being a Pikeville Bear.
“When I came here for a visit, one of the first things Bobby said was welcome to the family,” Wolfe said of Pikeville coach Bobby Brown. “It was hard for me to move away from home, but we really are a family here. They make me feel like this is my second home.”
Even as a newcomer, Wolfe found a few familiar faces on and off the lanes. Pikeville junior Angel West is a Wayne graduate and senior Jenna Coldiron is from Cincinnati. And her proud mom and dad haven’t missed a tournament yet.