Malone University Athletics

Nikki (Parson) Thompson, a 2007 Malone graduate (Early Childhood Education, Intervention Specialist), was a four-year starter on the Pioneer women's basketball team.  A 2003 graduate of Garaway High School, Thompson received a Reading Endorsement from Malone following graduation and then went on to earn a Master's degree in School Counseling from the University of the Southwest in 2015.

The only two-time NAIA All-American in Malone women's basketball history, Thompson currently ranks third on the Pioneers' all-time scoring list with 1,965 career points.  She is also third all-time at Malone in rebounds with 988 career boards. 

Thompson entered the starting line-up as a true freshman in 2003-04 and was a model of consistency, never missing a game for the Pioneers over the next four years.  The 6'0" post player averaged an impressive 16.7 points and 8.4 rebounds over the span of 118 career games and led Malone to American Mideast Conference postseason appearances following both her sophomore and junior seasons.

Thompson became just the third Pioneer women's basketball player to receive All-America recognition as a junior in 2005-06, collecting Third Team honors after averaging 16.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest. 

Then as a senior in 2006-07, she was voted to the NAIA All-America Second Team and was selected as the National Christian College Athletic Association East Region Player of the Year after netting 17.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per outing while leading the Pioneers to an 18-12 overall record.

An excellent free-throw shooter, Thompson holds Malone's records for most foul shots made in a game (15) and a season (176).  She also set the Pioneer single-season record for free-throw accuracy at 88.3%, making 121 of 137 attempts at the charity stripe during the 2005-06 campaign.

Thompson's lengthy list of career accolades also includes being a three-time NCCAA All-American and a four-time All-AMC and NCCAA All-East Region honoree.

Thompson currently serves as a seventh grade intervention specialist at Licking Valley Middle School.  She is married to Alton Thompson, a former Pioneer baseball player and 2006 Malone graduate.  The couple resides in Newark, Ohio with their twin six-year-old daughters, Mya and Maci.