An Update From AD Jon Gilbert

Pirate Nation:

The Pirates will be represented on the national stage over the next week as several of our outstanding student-athletes and teams continue to achieve at the highest level.

Sophomore sprinter Kelly Ufodiama will compete at NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday and Saturday in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

In less than two years on campus, Kelly has rewritten the record books and thrust herself into the national spotlight. Earlier this month, she won American Conference Most Valuable Performer honors for the second consecutive indoor season, becoming the first female athlete to repeat as MVP. She defended her conference titles in both the 60m (7.30) and 200m (23.14).

During her time as a Pirate, Kelly has won six conference titles, tying the women's program record. As a freshman, she earned American Conference Most Valuable Performer, Freshman of the Year and Most Outstanding Performance honors and competed in the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Senior Faith Spencer also delivered a standout performance at the American Conference Indoor Championships, capturing the women's triple jump title with a leap of 12.85m (42-2). It was another tremendous accomplishment for our track and field program.

You can see Faith, Kelly and the rest of our men's and women's track athletes in action at the Bate Foundation Track & Field Facility on Friday, March 27 for the annual Bill Carson Invitational.

Pirates Ready for Postseason Play
Head coach Kim McNeill and the women's basketball program will begin postseason play on Friday in the American Conference Tournament in Birmingham, Alabama at 9 p.m. The Pirates received a double bye after tying a program-record with 22 regular season wins, earning the No. 2 seed.

Postseason honors have rolled in for the Pirates as well. Senior guard Kennedy Fauntleroy was named the American Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, while earning First-Team All-Conference accolades. Senior forward Keanna Rembert earned Third Team All-Conference recognition as well.

Coach McNeill and the Pirates set a school record with 14 conference wins and are winners of six of the last eight games.

Frida Zuniga Qualifies for NCAA Diving Championship
Senior Frida Zuniga has qualified for the NCAA Diving Championships, which will be held March 18-21 in Atlanta. Zuniga will compete in the 1-meter, 3-meter and platform dive, the first Pirate to qualify for all three NCAA diving events.

Zuniga was named the 2026 American Conference's Most Outstanding Diver after becoming the first diver to win all three individual events at the conference championships, including a championship-record 319.75 points in the platform finals. Pirates diving coach Ryan McIntire was also recognized as the American Conference Diving Coach of the Year.

Home Football Game Designations
Earlier this week, we released the designations for our 2026 home football games. Kickoff times will be announced once television schedules are finalized.

Sept. 12 - Appalachian State (Pirate Club Weekend, Paint It Purple)
Sept. 26 – N.C. Central (Family Weekend)
Oct. 10 - Rice (Homecoming, Letterwinners Weekend)
Oct. 31 - Temple (Fan Appreciation)
Nov. 6- South Florida (Military Appreciation Day, Night of the Boneyard)
Nov. 27/28 – Florida Atlantic (Senior Day)

We look forward to an exciting 2026 season at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Jordan Riley Finishes 2nd in Nation for Points Per Game
We appreciate Jordan Riley and all his contributions to our men's basketball program the last two seasons, both on and off the court.

Jordan was a first-team American Conference selection after finishing the regular season ranked second in the nation with 23.6 points per game. He also set a conference record by scoring 30 or more points in seven games this season.

In May, Jordan will receive his bachelor's degree in communication, and we wish him continued success in the future.

Softball Hits Road After Winning First Conference Series
The Pirates softball team is off to a 17-9 start after winning two of three games against Wichita State last weekend.

Freshman pitcher Sydney Rainford was named American Conference Pitcher of the Week after throwing two complete game shut outs against Wichita State in the opening weekend of conference play.

The Pirates are back in action this weekend in Boca Raton, Florida, where they will face Florida Atlantic in a conference series.

Check Out Men's Golf Team at Brook Valley
Pirate fans will have the opportunity to watch the men's golf team next week as they host the ECU Intercollegiate on Monday and Tuesday at Brook Valley Country Club.

Admission is free for the 15-team event, with 36 holes played on Monday and 18 holes on Tuesday. Senior Philip Linberg Bondestad leads the Pirates with five Top 15 finishes and seven Top 25 finishes this season.

Condolences to Families of Pirate Club Members
We lost two beloved Pirate Club members last week in Dick Bennett and Jane Steele.

Dick and his wife, Sarah, have been Pirate Club members for more than 40 years and have been tremendous supporters of ECU Athletics. The new baseball building will bear the Bennett's name. Just a few weeks ago, Dick and Sarah toured the construction site and saw the progress being made. We look forward to honoring Dick when the building opens later this year.

Jane Steele was a constant at all Pirate sporting events and was deeply involved in the local community. She loved being a grandmother to her three grandchildren. Jane and her husband Greg were married for nearly 40 years and raised three children together. Their son Drew is the assistant director of operations in our department.

Our thoughts and prayers remain with both families during this difficult time.

Have a great weekend!

Go Pirates!

Jon

Players Mentioned

Philip Linberg Bondestad

Kennedy Fauntleroy

Keanna Rembert

Kelly Ufodiama

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