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WEST LIBERTY -- NCAA records, All-America honors, conference championships, professional careers and decades of service to education and athletics highlight the accomplishments of the eight newest members of the West Liberty University Athletic Hall of Fame.
The Class of 2026 will be formally inducted on Saturday, Sept. 19, with the new Hall of Famers also recognized during halftime of West Liberty’s football game against Frostburg State at West Family Stadium.
The newest members of the West Liberty Athletic Hall of Fame are Seger Bonifant (Men’s Basketball), Liz Flowers Price (Women’s Basketball), Kailee Howe (Women’s Basketball), Janice Johnson (Women’s Soccer), Rob Lucas (Baseball), Joe Maskivish (Baseball), Alexis Montes Pierro (Women’s Track & Field) and Kierra “Kiki” Simpson (Women’s Basketball).
Together, the eight inductees represent a remarkable cross-section of Hilltopper athletic history, spanning championship teams from the 1980s through the 2010s and including NCAA Division II and NAIA standouts, professional and international competition, and a trailblazer in West Liberty women’s track and field.
Seger Bonifant, Men's Basketball
The all-time leading scorer in Hilltopper men’s basketball history, Bonifant established himself as one of the premier players in NCAA Division II during a record-setting four-year career on the Hilltop from 2012-16. Bonifant added another prestigious honor to his remarkable résumé in 2025 when he was selected for induction into the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of its Class of 2025.
A 6-foot-7 sharpshooter known for his precision, Bonifant was a two-time Basketball Times Division II National Player of the Year and two-time NABC First Team All-American. He remains the NCAA Division II career leader in three-point field goal percentage, connecting on 374-of-712 attempts for 52.5 percent. He led the nation in scoring as a senior in 2016 with 893 points and a 25.5 points-per-game average after leading the country in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage as a junior.
Bonifant finished his West Liberty career with 2,289 points, 806 field goals, 374 three-pointers and 272 assists while shooting 57.4 percent from the field and 85.4 percent from the free-throw line. He scored 44 points in his final collegiate game.
Bonifant helped lead West Liberty to a remarkable 124-14 record during his four seasons, including four consecutive Mountain East Conference championships. The Hilltoppers advanced to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals in 2013 and 2016, played for the national championship in 2014 and captured the regional championship in 2015.
Following his West Liberty career, Bonifant played four seasons of professional basketball in Europe, competing in Spain, Germany and the Netherlands. He then returned to his hometown and served five years as athletic director at Hiland High School in Berlin, Ohio, where he had graduated. Bonifant recently began a new career with the Mt. Hope Auction, where he runs the Mt. Hope Event Center, while continuing to give back to the game as an assistant coach with the Hiland girls basketball program.
Liz Flowers Price, Women's Basketball
A prolific scorer and versatile guard, Flowers Price ranks among the most accomplished players in West Liberty women's basketball history. The Williamstown, W.Va., native was a three-time First Team All-Mountain East Conference selection and a two-time NCAA Division II All-Region honoree during a standout career from 2013-16.
Flowers Price saved some of her best basketball for her final two seasons, leading the MEC in scoring and three-pointers both years. As a junior, she ranked second nationally with 102 made three-pointers while averaging 18.7 points per game, earning First Team All-MEC and Second Team All-Atlantic Region honors. She followed that performance with another First Team All-MEC season as a senior, helping lead the Hilltoppers to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16. She finished her career with 2,135 points, ranking third all-time at West Liberty, while also placing sixth in career three-pointers (284), seventh in assists (493) and ninth in rebounds (725).
Flowers Price was a key member of the 2015-16 Hilltopper team that enjoyed one of the most successful seasons in program history under Hall of Fame coach Lynn Ullom. The Hilltoppers defeated Shaw and California (Pa.) to advance to the Atlantic Region Championship before falling to host Virginia Union in the NCAA Sweet 16.
After graduation she pursued a career in Dental Hygiene and has worked at her current dental office in Marietta, Ohio for over 9 years. She resides in her hometown Williamstown, W.Va., with her husband, Brett and Black Lab Bruce Wayne.
Kailee Howe, Women's Basketball
A dynamic point guard and elite playmaker, Howe helped establish West Liberty women’s basketball as one of the nation’s premier programs during her three-year career on the Hilltop from 2014-16. The Zanesville, Ohio, native was a three-time First Team All-Mountain East Conference selection and two-time NCAA Division II All-Region honoree while emerging as one of the most accomplished playmakers in program history.
Howe saved her best season for last, setting an NCAA Division II single-season record with 326 assists in 2015-16. She finished that season averaging 10.2 assists per game and became the first player in program history to reach 300 assists in a season, following a 300-assist junior campaign. Howe finished her three-year career with 1,360 points and 779 assists, ranking 14th and sixth, respectively, on West Liberty’s career lists. Her 326-assist season remains the West Liberty single-season record and is recognized as an NCAA Division II record.
Howe was a key member of the 2016 Hilltopper team that enjoyed one of the most successful seasons in program history under Hall of Fame coach Lynn Ullom. Howe helped lead West Liberty past Shaw and California (Pa.) to the Atlantic Region Championship and an NCAA Division II Sweet 16 appearance.
Following graduation, Howe pursued a career in human resources and is currently the HR Coordinator with the School Employees Retirement System of Ohio (SERS). She is passionate about creating opportunities for others and helping people grow in their careers. She resides in Zanesville, with her fiancée, Given Williams, and their kids: Emma, Anmari, Oliver, and Iris Williams.
Janice Johnson, Women's Soccer
Helping build a program from the ground up is no easy task, but Janice Johnson embraced the challenge and helped lay the foundation for West Liberty women’s soccer. A three-time All-Mountain East Conference selection and team captain, Johnson was a leader on and off the field during the early years of the Hilltopper program from 2012-15.
Johnson started all 52 matches she played during her three-year career, helping establish the culture and identity of a young West Liberty program. The Greenbelt, Md., native totaled five goals, five assists and 15 points before earning All-Region honors as a senior in 2015. Her leadership and consistency helped provide a foundation for a program still in its formative years.
Johnson’s career soon extended beyond the Hilltop. Holding dual citizenship in the United States and Trinidad and Tobago, she earned her first senior international cap for Trinidad and Tobago in December 2015 against the United States at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Following her collegiate playing career, Johnson turned her passion for soccer into a career in player development. She currently serves as Girls Director of Soccer at Coppermine S.C. in Baltimore, overseeing the club’s girls pathway, while also working as an iD2 Scout with US Club Soccer and a Talent Reporter with U.S. Soccer, helping identify players with Youth National Team potential.
Rob Lucas, Baseball
A standout shortstop and three-time All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection, Rob Lucas helped establish West Liberty baseball as a championship-caliber program during his four-year career from 1987-90. The Wintersville native earned All-WVIAC honors at shortstop in 1988, 1989 and 1990 while helping lead the Hilltoppers to three conference championships.
Lucas’ career reached its pinnacle as a senior in 1990 when he served as co-captain of a historic Hilltopper squad that captured the WVIAC/NAIA District 28 championship before advancing through the NAIA Area 7 Tournament to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. West Liberty finished 33-15 that season, setting a school record for wins at the time while also putting together a school-record 15-game winning streak. Lucas was named NAIA Area 7 Tournament MVP after collecting seven hits and making several outstanding defensive plays at shortstop during the Hilltoppers’ dramatic extra-inning victory over USC-Spartanburg that secured their World Series berth.
Lucas graduated from West Liberty with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and Mathematics before beginning a career dedicated to education and athletics. He spent more than 30 years teaching and coaching at Indian Creek High School, where he coached football and basketball while becoming a respected and trusted member of the football staff for nearly three decades. Through his work in the classroom and on the sidelines, Lucas mentored generations of student-athletes and helped instill the values of teamwork, discipline, commitment and perseverance.
He and his wife Janine are the proud parents of Brady, Brock and Avery Lucas.
Joe Maskivish, Baseball
A dominant pitcher who helped establish West Liberty baseball as a force in the early 1990s, Maskivish was a three-time All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection during his Hilltopper career from 1991-94. The Hampshire, Ill., native capped his career in 1994 by earning WVIAC Pitcher of the Year honors while establishing himself as one of the most accomplished pitchers in program history.
Maskivish finished his West Liberty career with a 2.87 ERA, the lowest career mark in school history, earning All-WVIAC recognition in each of his final three seasons. His combination of consistency and dominance on the mound made him one of the conference’s premier pitchers and helped solidify his place among the Hilltoppers’ all-time greats.
Following his West Liberty career, Maskivish was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1994 draft and embarked on an eight-year professional baseball career. He rose as high as Class AA and accumulated 75 career saves during his time in professional baseball. Today, Maskivish continues to share his knowledge and passion for the game as the head men’s baseball coach at Kishwaukee College while also operating Swing City Baseball, helping develop the next generation of players.
Alexis Montes Pierro, Women's Track & Field
A trailblazer for West Liberty women's track and field, Montes Pierro made program history as the first woman in school history to earn NCAA All-American honors. A standout javelin thrower from Wintersville, Ohio, Pierro established herself as one of the Hilltoppers’ premier student-athletes during her career from 2013-16.
Following her West Liberty career, Pierro continued competing at Marshall University while earning her master’s degree in Sport Administration. In 2017, she set the Marshall University school record in the javelin with a throw of 50.03 meters (164 feet, 2 inches), a record that still stands. Her performance qualified her for the first round of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where her mark ranked among the top 24 javelin throwers in the nation.
After completing her master’s degree, Pierro returned to West Liberty and began a career in athletic fundraising and alumni relations before transitioning to the College of Education and Human Performance. She currently works in teacher education, focusing on teacher certification, accreditation and clinical/residency experiences, while also teaching courses at the university. She plans to continue her education by pursuing a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) through West Liberty beginning in Summer 2027. Pierro and her husband, Anthony, a Steubenville, Ohio, native, reside in Wintersville with their daughter, Mila. From making history as a student-athlete to continuing her service to West Liberty as an educator and university professional, Pierro’s career reflects a lasting commitment to athletics, education and the Hilltopper community.
Kierra "Kiki" Simpson, Women's Basketball
A dominant frontcourt force who combined extraordinary rebounding ability with remarkable efficiency, Simpson cemented her place among the greatest players in West Liberty women's basketball history during a standout career from 2013-16. The Columbus, Ohio, native was a 2016 NCAA Division II All-American and Mountain East Conference Player of the Year, earning recognition as one of the nation’s most dominant players during her senior season.
Simpson was virtually unstoppable as a senior, leading the nation in rebounds, field goal percentage and double-doubles while helping guide the Hilltoppers to back-to-back MEC championships and the 2015 MEC Tournament title. She shattered West Liberty records for single-game rebounds (29), single-season rebounds (452) and career rebounds (1,244), while also establishing the program’s career record with 271 blocked shots. Simpson finished her career with 1,113 points, ranking 27th on the program’s all-time scoring list. Her 2015-16 Hilltoppers were among the most successful teams in program history, defeating Shaw and California (Pa.) to advance to the Atlantic Region Championship before falling to host Virginia Union in the NCAA Division II Sweet 16.
Simpson graduated from West Liberty in 2016 with a degree in Business Administration with a focus in Computer Information Systems before earning her MBA from West Liberty in 2018 with a perfect 4.0 GPA. At the time of her induction, she was working as a business operations analyst with CGI Federal in Columbus. From her dominance on the court to her accomplishments in the classroom and professional career, Simpson enters the West Liberty University Athletic Hall of Fame as one of the most complete student-athletes and accomplished players ever to wear the Black and Gold.