Fairmont grad earns another college honor
Jessica Wolfe picked up right where she left off.
The University of Pikeville junior was recently tapped as the Mid-South Conference Women’s Bowler of the Week. It’s an honor the Fairmont High School graduate earned four times last season.
“Everybody was congratulating me and I had no idea why,” Wolfe said with a smile. “Then I checked Facebook and saw the news. It really boosts my confidence.”
Wolfe, 21, led the Bears to a first-place finish at the Brandon Burns Memorial Baker Bash just days earlier. She threw a strike in 50 percent of her frames and had a fill percentage of 88 percent in the tournament.
The Pikeville women amassed 7,452 pins through 40 Baker games, finishing 257 pins ahead of second-place Martin Methodist. The Bears improved to 28-2 in conference play and posted their first team victory of the season.
Wolfe has come into her own at Pikeville. In addition to her now five bowler-of-the-week honors, she was also recognized as both the Mid-South Conference and NAIA bowler of the year last season.
“My mental game has come a long way,” she said. “I used to get really upset when I missed a spare and I’d put a lot of pressure on myself. I’m learning to be more ‘in the moment’ and give myself a break.”
Pikeville’s winning streak continued the following week as the Bears posted their first Tier I win of the season at the Brunswick Southern Collegiate Classic in Georgia. Wolfe was just two pins shy of landing a spot on the all-tournament team.
While her recent honor was a welcome one, Wolfe has several items on her list of bowling goals for the 2018-19 season. As a team, the 2018 women’s NAIA champions have their sights set on a trip to the United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Team Championships.
Wolfe — who finished last season with a 198 average — would like to bump it up a few pins this season to 200 and make a run to repeat as conference Bowler of the Year.
“I feel like there is always something to improve on,” she said. “And Pikeville is the best choice I could have made for me and my game.”
Wolfe is back at home this weekend as the Bears compete in the Raider Classic Bowling Tournament. The Wright State bowling team is hosting the 46-team men’s event at Beaver-Vu Bowl and 32 women’s teams at Poelking Woodman Lanes. The finals open Sunday.