Sarah Doyle All-Decade

UC All-Decade Team: Women's Bowling

By Sports Information

Williamsburg, KY – The UC Athletic Department has built a strong reputation as a premier school in the NAIA and over the past decade, the Patriots welcomed seven new programs, which has expanded its total number of sports offered to 30.    The second and third additions were the men’s and women’s bowling programs, which began competition during the 2013-14 season and just completed its seventh year as a program. The women’s bowling program has posted five tournament victories, five NAIA appearances, an MSC tournament championship, an NAIA All-American, seven MSC All-Conference selections, and two MSC Freshman of the Year. The Patriots' success has come in part of having a plethora of talented bowlers that have achieved success at the conference and national levels.  With all of these accomplishments, the one bowler that represents the women’s bowling team on UC’S All-Decade Team is Sarah Doyle.

Doyle is one of the most decorated bowlers in program history as she is the Patriots lone NAIA All-American as she received Second Team All-American honors in 2019 and is the only UC bowler to earn MSC First Team All-Conference accolades twice.  In addition to those honors, Doyle and Jillian Bunnell won the MSC Doubles Championship in 2017, while Doyle and Mickayla Shannon finished runner-up in 2019. Throughout her career, Doyle notched nine top-five finishes, which is the most in program history.

“It is an honor to be named to the All-Decade team for Women’s Bowling. It is very humbling to be able to represent the women’s program. Looking back at all the athletes who have been through the program, or are currently competing, there is a great deal of talent. The program continues to grow and get better each year.”
- Sarah Doyle

Doyle made an impact for Cumberlands from the second she stepped on the lanes in 2016.  During her freshman campaign, Doyle averaged 183.135 pins over 37 games, with a pair of top-five finishes.  In her first competition in the red and navy, UC won the Railsplitter Baker Kickoff and she followed that up by knocking down 932 pins over five games, averaging 186.4 pins, to post a top-five finish at the Green River Classic. Doyle has knocked down over 1,000 pins in two tournaments, including a season-high 1,620 pins, at the Bulldogs Classic. At the MSC Championships Doyle and Bunnell combined to hit 1,812 pins to become UC first MSC Doubles Champion. The Patriots advanced to the NAIA National Championships, where they placed 16th.

In his sophomore season, Doyle averaged 180.9 pins with one top-five finish. Cumberlands posted a pair of team titles, including winning the Ball State Cardinal Classic and the MSC Tournament. Doyle finished third on the team in average and posted a season-high 1,689 pins at the Cincinnati Classic. Entering the MSC Tournament as the fourth-seed the Patriots defeated Lindsey Wilson, Life, and Campbellsville to advance to the championship match.  In the championships, the Patriots defeated top-seed Pikeville 4-3 en route to capturing their first MSC Tournament title. 

“My favorite memory was winning the conference championship my sophomore year with the team. Of course, it’s every team's goal to win, but being able to do it was an experience of a lifetime. What it made it even more bittersweet was facing Pikeville in the championship because at the time my sister bowled for them.”
- Sarah Doyle

Doyle’s breakout season came during the 2018-2019 season, where she led Cumberlands in average (194.27 per game) and top-five finishes (6).  Doyle notched her first top-five finish of the season at the Louisville classic, where she averaged 212.4 pins over five games.  She added top-five finishes at the  Brandon Burns Memorial Tournament and the Green River Classic. Doyle placed fourth and third respectfully, at the Norse Collegiate Classic and the Eagle Classic and helped the Patriots post consecutive team wins for the first time in program history. For her efforts on the season, Doyle was an MSC First Team All-Conference selection and became the first NAIA All-American in program history as she recorded second-team honors. 

“Sarah accomplished so much during her time here. She was our first female All-American both in the NAIA and in the USBC. She was on our first team to win a regular-season tournament. She was a first-team All-Conference bowler and was a member of our Conference Championship team. She was an incredible student and I know we are going to miss her and that she is going to accomplish amazing things in life.”
- Head Coach Kevin Reigle

Doyle continued to lead the Patriots in her season year as she posted a team-best average of 191.46 pins per game.  The Georgetown, KY native hit a career-high 1,865 pins, averaging 207.22, at the Cincinnati Classic.  The senior also averaged over 200 pins per game at the Indianapolis Classic, which marked the third time that season that Doyle hit over 1,000 pins at a tournament. Doyle capped off her Patriot career by becoming the first bowler in program history to earn MSC First Team All-Conference honors twice. 

“Playing and going to UC has made an everlasting impact on me. It was my home away from home. The experiences I got there were much more than just being a “student” or an “athlete”. I have learned life lessons, got a quality education, and made everlasting friendships. To me, it meant being a family. It meant wearing the UC Patriot jersey with pride and representing something more than just myself. It meant being a part of “#onebigteam” and sharing in the success of others. I will forever cherish all that UC gave me in my short time there. Once a PAT, always a PAT.”
- Sarah Doyle, on what UC has meant.

Doyle graduated from Cumberlands in May 2020 with a degree in Biology. She is looking into furthering her education while working in-home health care.

The UC All-Decade Team was determined based on stats, awards & honors received, and significance to the program in addition to input for members of the UC Athletic Department. It will include one representative from every sport and be comprised of 29 student-athletes. The all-decade team looked at everything from the 2010-2011 season through the 2019-2020 season.