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SMYRNA, Tenn. – The men’s and women’s bowling teams each placed second in the inaugural Mid-South Conference bowling championships at Smyrna Bowling Center on Saturday.

The night before, Pikeville had both the men’s and women’s bowlers of the year, the men’s and women’s freshmen of the year and a total of seven first-team all-conference bowlers.

Also, Ron Damron was named the women’s coach of the year and a total of 16 Bears earned academic all-conference honors.

Host Cumberland University needed the if-necessary match to beat top-seeded Pikeville 215-183, 256-179, 235-181 in the double elimination tournament championship match to claim the title.

After defeating No. 7-seed Lindsey Wilson in the opening round, Cumberland defeated third-seeded Bethel in three games and Pikeville in four to earn a berth in the championship.

Pikeville emerged from the consolation bracket and swept the Bulldogs 184-179, 165-148, 245-188 to force the final match where Cumberland prevailed.

Third-seeded St. Catharine surprised Pikeville to capture the 2013 Mid-South Conference Women’s Bowling Championship. The Patriots defeated top-seeded Pikeville twice during the double elimination tournament, including a 178-170, 158-177, 165-148, 131-199, 192-185 win the title match.

St. Catharine cruised in its opening match with a 146-140, 202-157, 156-133 win over sixth-seeded Cumberland. The Patriots needed four games to beat second-seeded Bethel to advance into the winner’s bracket finals.

St. Catharine defeated Pikeville for the first time today 180-184, 186-176, 198-169, 163-148 to secure its place in the championship match.

Pikeville’s Katelyn Simpson and Lucas Hohnstein took home the night’s top honors as they were named the MSC Bowlers of the Year. The pair finished the season with the highest average during the conference’s three regular season events; bowlers had to bowl a minimum of 10 games to be considered for the bowler of the year and all-conference honors.

Pikeville’s Ron Damron was selected by his peers as the MSC Women’s Bowling Coach of the Year after leading the Bears to a perfect 18-0 record and the conference regular season championship. Campbellsville’s John Raush was selected as the MSC Men’s Bowling Coach of the Year. He led the Tigers to an 8-10 record and a fourth place finish in the league standings.

In addition to bowler of the year, Simpson picked up the top women’s freshman of the year award after finishing with the top average of all freshmen. Pikeville’s Zach Fylling earned the MSC Men’s Bowler Freshman of the Year honor for his top freshman average on the men’s side.

Campbellsville’s Brandee Lasitter and Lindsey Wilson’s Jason Knight were selected as the Mid-South Conference Women’s and Men’s Champions of Character recipients. The pair earned the award based on their academic and athletic achievement, campus and community leadership, future ambition and demonstration of five core character values of the NAIA.

The top five averages - with a minimum of 10 games bowled - during the regular season earned first team all-conference honors while the next five averages were named second team all-conference.

Hohnstein and Fylling were both named to the first-team list, along with teammate Anthony Scerati. Jesse Brooks and Brian Wicker were second-team selections.

On the women’s side, Simpson was one of four first-team picks. She was joined by Erica Anderson, Brandy Hensley and Brianna Larson. Second-team members were Ashley Copley, Tricia Kent, Kaylee Magazine and Astrid Valiente.

With 11 women and five men making the academic all-conference squad, each team had the most of any squad in the league. Those qualifying from the men’s team were Jeremy Bandy, a redshirt freshman majoring in chemistry; Jesse Brooks, freshman majoring in business administration emphasizing management; Samuel Brown, a freshman majoring in business administration with an emphasis in accounting; Fidel Marchena, a spring graduate in business administration emphasizing accounting; and Derek Perkins, a sophomore majoring in biology.

On the women’s team, the academic all-conference picks were Erica Anderson, a senior majoring in business administration/accounting; Rebecca Chase, a junior who majors in criminal justice and sociology seeking a minor in computer science; Ashley Copley, a junior seeking majors in communication and Spanish and minors in music and business administration; Kara Crowe, a sophomore majoring in business administration with an emphasis in sports administration; Jenna Grandy, a sophomore majoring in business administration emphasizing accounting; Andrea Guzman, a sophomore majoring in business administration/accounting; Brandy Hensley, a senior majoring in criminal justice and a minor in sociology; Brianna Larson, a sophomore majoring in pre-elementary education; Felecia Proctor, a sophomore communication major; Astrid Valiente, a sophomore majoring in communication; and Rebekah Wilhelm, a junior majoring in pre-elementary education.