2017-18 WVU Track & Field Guide

DANIQUE

MADELIN

BRYAN

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AMY

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MAGGIE

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Contents

TABLE OF

The 2017-18 West Virginia University Track and Field Guide has been published by the WVU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Managing Editor: Joe Swan Editor/Writer: Joe Mitchin Page Layout/Design: Bob Slater Provations Group, Kristin Coldsnow Contributors: Lisa Ammons, John Antonik, Ashley Bailey, Kristen Coldsnow, Grant Dovey, Michael Fragale, Charlie Healy, Shannon McNamara, Maggie Matella, Bryan Messerly, Joe Mitchin, Mike Montoro, Chris Pharis, Amy Prunty, Amy Salvatore, Joe Swan, Cheryl Wire Photography: Lori A. Allen, All-Pro Photography by Dale Sparks, Jason Colquhoun, M.G. Ellis, Dan Friend, Erin Irwin, Kirby Lee, Tyson Murray, Brian Persinger, Niesha Shafer, Cheryl Treworgy, USA Shooting, Morgan Wallizer, Norman Wills, West Virginia Collection, WVU Athletic Archives, WVU Photographic Services © 2018 West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Institution. The indicia depicted are registered trademarks of West Virginia University.

Spotlight ����������������������������������������������������������������� 2

2016-17 Review

A Winning Tradition ������������������������������������������������� 3

A Look Back at 2016-17 ��������������������������������������� 52

In the Community ��������������������������������������������������� 4

2016-17 Track Schedule ������������������������������������ 54

Strength and Conditioning ��������������������������������������� 6

Record Book

Athletic Training ����������������������������������������������������� 7 Facilities ����������������������������������������������������������������� 8 Big 12 Conference ������������������������������������������������� 9 Student- Athlete Development ����������������������������� 10 Campus Life ��������������������������������������������������������� 12 Mountaineer Excellence ��������������������������������������� 13

All-Time Records ������������������������������������������������ 56 Top Five Performers �������������������������������������������� 58 Campus Records ������������������������������������������������ 62 Conference Champions �������������������������������������� 63 NCAA Champions ������������������������������������������������ 66 WVU All-Americans �������������������������������������������� 67

Coaching Staff

All-Time Coaches and Captains �������������������������� 72

Sean Cleary �������������������������������������������������������� 16

West Virginia University

Shelly-Ann Gallimore ������������������������������������������ 21 Erin O’Reilly �������������������������������������������������������� 23 San Hensh ���������������������������������������������������������� 24 Support Staff ������������������������������������������������������ 24

President E. Gordon Gee ������������������������������������ 74 Director of Athletics Shane Lyons ������������������������ 75 Intercollegiate Athletics Staff ������������������������������ 76 Head Coaches ���������������������������������������������������� 76

Mountaineer Profiles

WVU Intercollegiate Athletics 2016-17 ���������������� 77

2017-18 Roster ��������������������������������������������������� 26

Athletic Facilities ������������������������������������������������ 78

Profiles ����������������������������������������������������������������� 27

WVU Athletic Communications ���������������������������� 79

2017-18 Preview

Media Information ��������������������������������������������� 80

2017-18 Season Preview ������������������������������������� 45 Quick Facts/2017-18 Track Schedule ������������������� 50

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Spotlight

IN THE

Choosing to become a Mountaineer student-athlete is special.

Without a professional sports team in the state, folks across West Virginia and throughout the region love WVU athletics.

Mountaineers have the unique opportunity to represent themselves, their teammates and their university to news media, alumni, friends, family and the general public.

Your interaction with these groups is also part of your educational process.

If you take advantage of these opportunities, it can have a positive effect, not only on your career as a studentathlete at West Virginia, but also on your life after you have donned the Old Gold and Blue.

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Tradition

A WINNING

Few programs across the country can equate the level of success the Mountaineers have enjoyed in recent years.

Widely regarded as one of the most respected programs in the nation, the notoriety does not come without merit.

Since taking over in 2007, coach Sean Cleary has led a proud program to numerous honors, ranging from conference and regional awards to All-American status.

Under Cleary, 20 student-athletes have garnered All-America honors, while 39 athletes overall have achieved the honors in the history of WVU track and field.

The number of national honors in recent years are a reflection of the talent level of the program, which achieved a top-20 finish in both indoor and outdoor track and field from 2008-15.

Over the past seven seasons, WVU student-athletes have achieved 28 individual conference titles, and 20 have qualified to participate at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, including a school-best seven in 2011.

Off the track, the Mountaineers excel academically, as 16 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, including two from the 2016-17 campaign, have been claimed since 2007.

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Community

IN THE

Winning and working hard are important to the West Virginia University track and field team, but becoming successful and positive role models in the community is just as significant.

Each year, the Mountaineers work to give back to Morgantown and surrounding communities.

Members of the WVU track and field team are frequent visitors to the WVU Children’s Hospital and help several different local community service projects throughout the year.

The team also regularly donates its time and knowledge by hosting and teaching local youth track clubs the fundamentals of the sport. Along with strengthening the youngsters’ skills, they also teach the participants the importance of good sportsmanship, courage, determination and hard work.

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Coach Cleary’s student-athletes can also be found reading to children at local elementary schools in the “Read Aloud” program. During their visits, the student-athletes read to students in several classrooms and encourage them to apply themselves to their studies.

Mountaineer coaches and players take part in Relay for Life of Monongalia County, the American Cancer Society’s signature event, which offers everyone in the community an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer.

The WVU track and field teams’ commitment in the community makes being a Mountaineer even more special.

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Conditioning

STRENGTH AND

West Virginia’s strength and conditioning staff ensures all student-athletes are on year-long programs designed to continue improving the fitness capabilities needed in their sports.

To keep athletes in peak physical condition, WVU offers a variety of training areas and an array of strength programs designed to increase performance. All student-athletes also will have their own program individually-calculated and updated throughout the year.

Equipped with excellent amenities and staffed by some of the finest strength coaches in the nation, athletes who come to West Virginia know they are in good hands when it comes to their athletic capacity.

For track and field runners, the entire year is carefully planned and tailored to the track and field season to prepare for optimal performance during the campaign and peaking at championship meets.

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Training

ATHLETIC

The West Virginia University athletic training program looks to get its student-athletes back on the field in a timely manner, while providing quality health care for participants and coaches.

The scope of the athletic training services encompass various domains, including injury recognition, treatment, rehabilitation, prevention, education and counseling, that will enable the athlete to maintain an optimal quality of life beyond the span of athletic competition.

Multiple athletic training rooms are available for student-athletes furnished with the latest in technology and equipment.

The athletic training staff works in conjunction with team physicians and athletic administration to assure student-athletes receive quality care throughout their careers at WVU.

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Facilities

In the fall of 2015, nine public entities, including West Virginia University, committed to collaborate in building a state-of-the-art aquatic and track complex at Mylan Park.

Recognizing the need for larger-level track and field amenities, the community and WVU are working together to make this possible. The $25-30 million facility, will be a community facility for all ages. It also will serve as the home to WVU’s swimming and diving, cross country and track and field teams.

The 4,000-meter track complex will include nine lanes with seating for 1,000 fans and spectators. In addition, there will be a jogging loop and sand volleyball courts, as well as a walking trail.

Plans for an opening in 2018, officials hope to host to host future NCAA and Big 12 Championships at the new complex.

Over the years the Mountaineers have competed indoors at the WVU Shell Building, beside the Coliseum, which features a track as well as adequate room for field events. Just outside the doors of the WVU Shell Building is the outdoor track facility.

Athletic training and strength and conditioning facilities are also located in the Shell Building, giving the Mountaineers the perfect place for training and competition purposes.

Each season the Mountaineers hold events such as the Marty Pushkin Track Classic and the WVU Invitational, all featuring teams from across the state and the east coast.

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Conference

BIG 12

The Big 12 Conference is comprised of 10 institutions, and many of them share traditional rivalries throughout their rich histories.

Member universities include – Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia.

The Big 12 is a strong conference that, like WVU, values quality academic and athletic programs, and has a great tradition of success.

Routinely regarded as one of the top track and field conferences in the country, the Big 12 has been home to 11 total national outdoor team champions.

The conference office is headquartered in Irving, Texas.

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Development

STUDENT-ATHLETE

West Virginia University offers a variety of services and programs to help student-athletes maximize their academic potential. Department staff members work with coaches, on-campus student service providers and faculty to help student-athletes meet the unique demands of the classroom, the supporting arena and the personal-social challenges they face as developing adults.

While many of the headlines center around the Mountaineers’ accomplishments on the playing field, WVU athletes also have made some noteworthy strides in the classroom. Some of those strides include of 12 consecutive years where the department has had at least one first team Academic All-American.

To help its student-athletes achieve academic success, one of the nation’s finest facilities resides in the WVU Coliseum – The Athletic Academic Performance Center.

The 8,000-square foot facility provides individual and group study areas, a plethora of computer stations and the latest in fingerprint technology used when signing in.

A total of 510 student-athletes were represented in 2016-17 on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (fall and spring), of which 108 of them registered a 4.0 GPA. Additionally, six student-athletes were named recipients of the fifth annual Dr. Gerald Large Academic Achievement Award, the Big 12 Conference’s highest academic honor.

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Over 500 student-athletes were honored on WVU’s Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll. Implemented in 1989, the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll was created to recognize students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.0 or better.

Since the program began in 1989, nearly 4,000 student-athletes have earned a place on the honor roll. Ford retired in 2011 after 44 years of service with the WVU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.

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CAMPUS LOCATIONS West Virginia University is a family of distinctive campuses united by a single mission. From the groundbreaking research of our flagship in Morgantown (ranked R1, the highest research category institution) to student-centered focus of WVU-Keyser to the technology-intensive programs at WVU-Beckley — we are leveraging our talents and resources to create a better future for West Virginia and the world.

The WVU-Beckley campus offers 40+ majors, including one of the top 100 undergraduate engineering programs in the country, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

WVU-Keyser has one of the lowest tuition rates of all of the nation’s four-year institutions. Offering more than 50 majors, this campus combines the personal attention of a small college with the benefits of a major university.

The WVU System also includes divisions of the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center in Charleston and Martinsburg, as well as 10 experimental farms and four forests throughout the state and WVU Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Camp.

The WVU Morgantown campus is located in a town named “No. 1 Small City in America” by BizJournals.com for its exceptional quality of life. Morgantown, population 31,073, was also rated the ninth best college town in America by Business Insider and is within easy traveling distance of Washington, D.C., to the east, Pittsburgh, Pa., to the north, and Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, to the northwest. Other recent rankings: Kiplinger.com included Morgantown in their 10 great places to live list; one of “Best Sports Cities” by Sporting News; 5th “Best Small Metro” by Forbes; 12th overall “Hottest Small City” by Inc.; one of “50 Smartest Places to Live” by Kiplinger’s; and the second-ranking “Best College Town for Jobs” by Forbes.

STUDENT PROFILE Fall 2016 enrollment, on WVU campuses statewide, was 31,287, including 28,488 in Morgantown.

WVU System enrollment included:

• 15,907 West Virginia residents and 15,380 nonresidents

• 25,149 undergraduates

• 4,510 graduate and 1,628 professional students ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE WVU ranks nationally for prestigious scholarships: 25 Rhodes Scholars, 22 Truman Scholars, 44 Goldwater Scholars, two British Marshall Scholars, five Morris K. Udall Scholars, five USA Today All-USA College Academic First Team Members (and 11 academic team honorees), 22 Boren Scholars, 37 Gilman Scholars, 49 Fulbright Scholars, three Department of Homeland Security Scholars, 28 Critical Language Scholars, one Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholar, five National Institute of Standards and Technology Fellowships and four National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships.

MAJOR ACADEMIC DIVISIONS Fourteen colleges and schools offering 341 majors in agriculture, natural resources and design; arts and sciences; business and economics; creative arts; dentistry; education and human services; engineering and mineral resources; law; media; medicine; nursing; pharmacy; physical activity and sport sciences; and public health. Hundreds of distance education and online classes are available. wvu.edu/academics STUDENT LIVING EXPERIENCE WVU students benefit from a vibrant array of student life programs, including Project 168, an undergraduate curriculum that helps students to enrich every moment on campus; Welcome Week, which launches the academic year with academic, service and recreational activities; WVUp All Night, a weekend package of safe, fun and healthy activities; the Campus Read, which involves first-year students in a common reading experience to promote dialog and critical thinking; an award-winning Student Recreation Center; and the Mountaineer Parents Club, helping families stay connected with their students’ education and life at WVU. Living and Learning Communities are student communities in certain residence halls formed around a theme or specific field of study. Students can live with others who share their academic and social interests. studentlife.wvu.edu SAFETY WVU offers 24-hour campus security protection. Students can download LiveSafe, a free app that is an on-the-go way to connect with authorities. The University also sends urgent news through WVU Alert text messages. alert.wvu.edu STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS Students can choose from more than 460 student organizations and participate in an active intramural program and many club sports. studentengagement.wvu.edu ALUMNI Chartered in 1873, the WVU Alumni Association is made up of more than 200,000 graduates worldwide in some 135 nations. alumni.wvu.edu ADMISSIONS Information is available from the Office of Admissions, PO Box 6090, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506-6090; or call 304-293-2121; email:wvuadmissions@mail.wvu.edu or on the web at admissions.wvu.edu.

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MOUNTAINEER

CoachingStaff Sean Cleary ����������������������������������������������������� 16 Shelly-Ann Gallimore �������������������������������������� 21 Erin O’Reilly ���������������������������������������������������� 23 San Hensh ������������������������������������������������������ 24 Support Staff �������������������������������������������������� 24

CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK & FIELD COACH

SEAN C leary

11th SEASON / 25th WITH PROGRAM OVERALL

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Sean Cleary, one of the sport’s most talented coaches, enters his 11th season at the helm of the West Virginia University cross country and track and field teams, and he has been associated with both programs for more than two-and-a-half decades. With his expertise in mentoring, training, conditioning and recruiting distance runners, the Georgetown, Ontario, native, has built West Virginia’s cross country and track and field programs into national powerhouses, producing multiple All-America honors and numerous all-conference runners.

The 2016-17 campaign saw a pair of student-athletes reach the NCAA Outdoor Championships, as Amy Cashin and Shamoya McNeil represented the Mountaineers in Eugene, Oregon. Both earned All-America Third Team honors for their performances. Cashin placed 19th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, while McNeil took 22nd in the triple jump.

WVU broke three school records and placed six in the 2017 NCAA East Preliminary Regionals. Madelin Gardner set the alltime Mountaineer outdoor best in the pole vault, while Danique Bryan took over the No. 1 mark in the triple jump. Cashin broke the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA East Prelims en route to punching her ticket to her first career NCAA Championships.

Academically, the squad was again stellar. Cashin and Jillian Forsey were CoSIDA Academic All-American Second Team honorees, while the two were joined by Maggie Drazba as USTFCCCA All-Academic selections. The Mountaineers placed 11 on the Academic All-Big 12 team and saw Cashin win the Big 12 Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Award and WVU Order of Augusta Award, and Drazba earn the WVU Most Outstanding Senior honor.

The 2015-16 season saw many accomplishments academically and athletically. In cross country, Cleary led the Mountaineers to a third-place finish at the Big 12 Championship, attained two All-Mid-Atlantic Region honorees, coached an individual qualifier to the NCAA Cross Country Championships, had one Academic All-American First team runner, two Academic All-District Team honorees, 12 who earned United States Track and Field and Cross County Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic and 12 who were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Cross Country First Team.

During the track and field season, eight Mountaineers qualified for the NCAA East Region Preliminary Rounds, eight earned All-Big 12 honors at the outdoor championship and seven indoor honorees and 11 earned Academic All-Big 12 Track and Field honors.

At the 2015 Big 12 Cross Country Championship, three sophomores posted top-22 finishes on the 6k course in Stillwater, Oklahoma - sophomores Maggie Drazba in 19th, Millie Paladino in 21st and Brynn Harshbarger in 22nd. West Virginia placed fifth at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals, highlighted by two all-region honors from Millie Paladino and Savana Plombon. Paladino was the lone Mountaineer to qualify for the 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championships, the second straight championships for Paladino.

On the academic side, senior Kelly Williams was named to the 2016 Track and Field/Cross Country Academic All-America First Team selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), for the second consecutive year while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Williams also was named the 2016 Big 12 Women’s Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Additionally, junior Amy Cashin and Williams were named to Academic All-District First Team.

With the guidance of Cleary, the 2014-15 season demonstrated true athleticism and dedication from young athletes.

Seven Mountaineers qualified for the 2015 NCAA East Region Preliminary Championships. After racing in the preliminary championships, Kaitlyn Gillespie advanced to the NCAA National Track and Field Championships after placing fifth in the 10,000-meter run. To cap her collegiate career Cleary guided her to a ninth-place finish with a personal best and the second-fastest time in program history of 33:44.08 to receive All-America status.

At the 2015 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship, Gillespie became the Big 12 champion in the 10,000 meters and ran a career best of 34:10.60, the second fastest in program history. Cleary led four Mountaineer freshmen to top-five finishes as they earned spots on the podium.

In the fall, he led the Mountaineer cross country team to a second-place finish at the 2014 Big 12 Championship for the second straight year. Jillian Forsey finished 12th, earning Big 12 All-Conference honors, along with Kaitlyn Gillespie and Maggie Drazba. The Mountaineers appeared in their ninth NCAA Cross Country Championship, sixth under Cleary.

Cleary oversaw a top-eight finish, two All-Americans and an Elite 89 Award winner, and the team earned its fifth NCAA top-10 finish since 2007. Kaitlyn Gillespie was honored as an AllAmerican in her final race as a Mountaineer, finishing 26th, along with Jillian Forsey as she finished 14th overall. Kelly Williams earned the Elite 89 Award for having the highest cumulative grade point average out of all participants at the NCAA Championship.

In the 2013-14 track and field season, Cleary coached two All-Americans in Jordan Hamric and Kelly Williams. Williams earned her accolade during the indoor season, while Hamric did so at the Outdoor Championships. As per usual, the Mountaineers excelled in the classroom under the direction of Cleary. A total of 20 student-athletes were named to the 2013 Academic All-Big 12 Track & Field First and Second Teams and four freshmen earned Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team.

Cleary also was named the USTFCCCA President for Division I Cross Country, prior to the start of the 2013 cross country season.

Cleary guided the Mountaineers to their fifth NCAA appearance in seven seasons under his direction in 2013. West Virginia posted a second-place result at the Big 12 Cross Country Championship, while senior Sarah Martinelli went on to claim All-Big 12 and All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors.

West Virginia entered a more highly competitive conference as it competed in the Big 12 for the first time in 2012. Cleary used the season to build onto his framework of confidence and winning at a higher level. Sarah-Anne Brault returned from training for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London for her final season as a Mountaineer by running in her fourth consecutive NCAA Cross Country Championship. On the way, Brault garnered all-conference honors for the second time in her career, all-region honors for the third time and finished her career by becoming the 13th runner in program history to individually qualify for the NCAA Championship.

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The 2011-12 Mountaineer track and field squad sent Chelsea Carrier-Eades and Jessica O’Connell to the NCAA Championships where both earned All-America honors. In addition, 10 athletes qualified for the NCAA East Regional and 18 were sent to the Big East Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Maintaining a presence in the league scene, WVU placed fifth at the conference championships in which 10 athletes scored points to earn All-Big East honors. An expert spokesman of athletics and academics, Cleary has also set up a training regimen that allowed four athletes to earn Academic All-America accolades.

In cross country in 2011, the Mountaineers finished No. 8 in the country at the NCAA Cross Country Championship – their fourth top-10 national finish in five years. The team finished in fourth place at the Big East Championship and followed it with a third-place mark at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional. Cleary then led his team to its eighth-place finish at nationals where Kate Harrison and Kaitlyn Gillespie became All-Americans, with Harrison finishing in eighth place, an all-time WVU best individual finish for the event.

In 2010-11, the Mountaineers earned their fourth consecutive top-20 finish in indoor and outdoor track, a year in which 13 AllAmerican performances were turned in by eight athletes, including four from the eight-time All-American Carrier-Eades. At the conference level, eight WVU athletes were crowned Big East champions and Cleary and his staff were given the Big East Coaching Staff of the Year award. Cleary also was one of eight finalists for the USTFCCCA National Coach of the Year award.

In 2010, Cleary sent Gillespie and Brault to the NCAA Championship, where Gillespie became Cleary’s sixth AllAmerican with a 34th-place finish in 20:46 and Brault arrived in 71st place overall. During indoor track season, three athletes were named All-Americans and all seven athletes who qualified for the outdoor NCAA Championship achieved All-America status. For the achievements, Cleary was named the NCAA’s Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year for track and field.

The 2009-10 season was equally successful as the team achieved sixth place at the NCAA Cross Country Championship, its third straight top-10 finish, and Clara Grandt, Keri Bland and Marie-Louise Asselin earned All-America status.

Asselin and Bland achieved the honor for the third time in their WVU careers, while Grandt earned her first. Ranked in the top 10 all year, the team received its highest-ever ranking as a program at No. 3 midway through the season. Between indoor and outdoor track that year, 11 All-America honors were distributed, while Bland, Grandt and Asselin became the first Mountaineers to achieve the status in three sports in the same year. Overall, 17 All-American honors were given to WVU athletes between cross country, indoor and outdoor track during the year.

Carrier-Eades was also named the Mid-Atlantic Field Athlete of the Year after earning two Big East titles and breaking the school record in the pentathlon at the Sykes-Sabock Challenge on Feb. 5. Cleary helped WVU greats Marie-Louise Asselin, Keri Bland and Clara Grandt earn All-America honors in three sports in the same season (cross country, indoor track and outdoor track).

In 2010, Cleary sent Gillespie and Brault to the NCAA Championship, where Gillespie became Cleary’s sixth AllAmerican with a 34th-place finish in 20:46 and Brault arrived in 71st place overall. During indoor track season, three athletes were named All-Americans and all seven athletes who qualified for the outdoor NCAA Championship achieved All-America status. For the achievements, Cleary was named the NCAA’s Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year for track and field.

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At the completion of the 2009-10 cross country and track seasons, WVU was recognized as the fifth-best team on the Terry Crawford Program of the Year Award list announced by the USTFCCCA. The award is given annually to the most outstanding NCAA Division I women’s cross country and track and field programs and honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year based on the institution’s finish at the NCAA Division I Championship over three seasons.

The 2008-09 track and field team was a testament to his success as it finished the year with four athletes qualifying for national meets and three qualifying for the NCAA Championships. Grandt led the team as she earned her first All-America honor for finishing fourth in the 10,000-meter finals.

She was also named Mid-Atlantic Region Track Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA for her efforts throughout the season.

In Cleary’s first season as head coach, he saw Asselin and Bland claim Big East indoor titles in the 3,000-meter and 1,000-meter, respectively, while the distance medley relay (DMR) team set a Big East meet record while winning the indoor crown. The DMR went on to place fourth at nationals and Asselin placed seventh in the 3,000-meter to earn All-America honors. He also helped Grandt break a 28-year record in the 10,000-meter at the ECAC Outdoor Championships and saw Carrier-Eades win her first league title in the 100-meter hurdles during her freshman outdoor season. Bland finished the 2008 outdoor season by earning All-America honors in the 1,500-meter to become the first female in WVU history to earn All-America honors in three sports in the same year (cross country, indoor track and outdoor track).

Cleary led his 2008 nationally-ranked cross country squad to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championship, the highest finish in school history, and guided Asselin and Bland to their second consecutive All-America honors.

At the conference level, Asselin became the first individual champion in school history at the Big East Championship, where the team finished second. Asselin, Grandt and Bland were named to the All-Big East team. For his accomplishments in leading the Mountaineers, Cleary was named the 2008 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year for the third time in his career and for the second-consecutive season by the USTFCCCA. In addition to his teams’ accomplishments in 2008 and 2009, perhaps the most significant achievement was in the classroom as the cross country and track teams received recognition by the NCAA for their latest multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores. Both teams posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports.

In 2008, the team had its best-ever finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championship, arriving in fourth after being ranked No. 5 most of the year. WVU won its second NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region championship and Cleary was named Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year. Asselin became the first in school history to win an individual Big East title and the team finished in second.

Cleary’s first season in charge of cross country was a recordsetting one as well, as the Georgetown, Ontario, native guided the 2007 cross country team to its first Big East Championship in school history. Cleary had a then-school record three All-Big East performers in 2007 and brought WVU back into the top 25 of the national polls for the first time since 2004.

In Cleary’s first season as head coach in 2007, he was named Big East Coach of the Year. The team also became Big East champions for the first time in school history and a then-school record. Three runners were named All-Big East as the team entered the top 25 for the first time in three years.

For the fourth year in a row, the Mountaineers were named an All-Academic Team by the USTFCCCA. The group was ranked 17th in the nation in terms of overall grade-point average (GPA) and had the second-highest GPA in the Big East with a 3.61 average.

Before taking over as head coach, Cleary served as the distance coach in 2005 and 2006 and was a full-time assistant from 200104, serving as the primary coach and trainer for the cross country team during that span. Prior to the 2001 season, Cleary served as a graduate assistant coach for eight seasons at WVU. In 2006, Cleary brought a young team along nicely before season’s end. That squad claimed a sixth-place finish at the 2006 Big East Championship, improving from 12th the year before. Then, perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the 2006 Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship was the finish of Cleary’s group. Despite having more than 60 percent of the roster comprised of freshmen, WVU registered a fourth-place finish at regionals after spending all season ranked between 10th and 12th in the regional polls. Four of WVU’s top five finishers were freshmen.

In the 2005 outdoor track season, Cleary coached five NCAA regional qualifiers. In 2005, Jennifer Kemp won the NCAA Regional Championships in the 800-meter, while Jennifer Davis was the 3,000-meter ECAC champion. Megan Metcalfe won the national championship in the 5,000-meter, becoming the third women’s track athlete in school history to win an individual national championship.

From 1998 to 2004, WVU’s distance medley relay team qualified for nationals for seven consecutive years, the secondlongest streak in the nation, under Cleary’s watch.

Cleary has coached 17 athletes who have competed at the World Track and Field, World Cross Country, World University Games and Pan American Championship.

Cleary worked closely with former head coach Martin Pushkin in building the women’s cross country team into a national contender. Cleary was responsible for the recruitment and mentoring of NCAA mile champion Kate Vermeulen as well as All-Americans Rebecca Stallwood, Merissa Sexsmith and Megan Metcalfe.

Under his guidance, Cleary’s coaching has produced several men’s All-America runners, including four-time All-American Bob Donker, NCAA cross country All-Americans Wynston Alberts, Mike Dudley and Steve Bohan, two-time NCAA qualifiers Jeff Metcaff and Bohan, NCAA qualifier Ian Collings and 5,000-meter All-American Mark Vilardo.

Cleary, who holads a USATF Level I Certification, is the primary recruiter for the cross country squad, attracting the best in-state, out-of-state and international athletes. He also is responsible for scheduling all meets and serves as the director for home meets.

He was a member of the Mountaineer team in 1991 and 1992, helping the 1991 squad capture the Atlantic 10 cross country title and earning all-conference honors his last season.

Cleary attended Central Oregon Community College, where he helped lead the team to the National Junior College Athletic Association title. He received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from WVU in 1992. He resides in Morgantown with his wife, Heather. They have one son, Patrick Nolan Cleary, who was born on April 30, 2014.

SEAN CLEARY Coaching Experience West Virginia University, 1993-Present ■■ 11th season as Head Coach ■■ 25th season with the program ■■ Coached/mentored 27 of WVU’s 39 All-Americans ■■ Two former graduates competed at Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games (Sarah-Anne Brault (triathlon), Jessica McConnell (5,000m)) ■■ Two former graduates qualified for 2016 Olympic Trials (Clara (Grandt) Santucci, Aubrey Moskal) ■■ Two All-America Third Team selections in 2017 (Amy Cashin, Shamoya McNeil) ■■ Three USTFCCA All-Academic in 2017 (Amy Cashin, Maggie Drazba, Jillian Forsey)

2017 Big 12 Track and Field Scholar-Athlete (Amy Cashin) ■■ 2016 Big 12 Track and Field Scholar-Athlete (Kelly Williams) ■■ One All-American in 2015 (Kaitlyn Gillespie) ■■ 2015 Big 12 outdoor champion in 10,000 meters (Kaitlyn Gillespie) ■■ Three All-Americans in 2014 (Stormy Nesbit, Allison Lasnicki, Sarah Martinelli) ■■ Two All-Americans in 2013 (Jordan Hamric, Kelly Williams) ■■ Two All-Americans in 2012 (Chelsea Carrier-Eades, Jessica O’Connell) ■■ Seven ESPN The Magazine/ CoSIDA Academic All-Americans ■■ Nine Academic alldistrict honorees over the last three seasons ■■

10 regional qualifiers in 2012 Top-20 NCAA finishes in 2010, 2011 ■■ Two-time Mid-Atlantic Region Field Athlete of the Year (2010-11) – Chelsea Carrier ■■ 2008-09 Mid-Atlantic Region Track Athlete of the Year – Clara Grandt ■■ 2008-09 Big East Indoor Most Outstanding Track Performer – Keri Bland ■■ Five top-10 cross country finishes since 2007 ■■ 2007, 2008 Mid-Atlantic XC Coach of the Year ■■ 2007 Big East Coaching Staff of the Year ■■ 24 Big East champions ■■ Five ECAC champions ■■ Numerous NCAA qualifiers ■■ Former President for Division I Cross Country ■■ ■■

WVUTrackField

Holds a USATF Level I Certification Running Experience ■■ Central Oregon Community College (1989-91) ■■ helped lead the team to the National Junior College Athletic Association title ■■ West Virginia University (1991-92) ■■ helped capture the 1991 Atlantic 10 cross country title and ■■ earned all-conference honors in 1992 Education ■■ West Virginia University, 1992 ■■ Bachelor’s degree (physical education) Family ■■ Wife, Heather, and son, Patrick ■■

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MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS UNDER CLEARY TRACK AND FIELD ¢¢ Coached/mentored 27 of WVU’s 39 All-Americans

¢¢ 2016 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Jillian Forsey

¢¢ 32 total All-America honors have been earned under Cleary’s leadership

¢¢ 2016 All-Academic Team (USTFCCCA)

¢¢ Has coached six Mountaineers to multiple All-America honors

¢¢ Three 2016 All-Academic Individuals – Jillian Forsey, Maggie Drazba, Amy Cashin

¢¢ Two All-Americans in 2017 – Amy Cashin, Shamoya McNeil ¢¢ Six NCAA East Preliminary Regional qualifiers in 2016 ¢¢ Coached 2017 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Amy Cashin ¢¢ Coached 2016 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Kelly Williams ¢¢ One All-American in 2015 – Kaitlyn Gillespie

¢¢ Clara (Grandt) Santucci raced at the 2016 Olympic Trials in L.A. ¢¢ 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championship individual qualifier – Millie Paladino

¢¢ One Academic All-America First Team (CoSIDA) in 2015 – Kelly Williams

¢¢ Two all-region honors in 2015 – Millie Paladino and Savanna Plombon

¢¢ Coached Kaitlyn Gillespie to program’s first Big 12 individual championship in 2015 – 10,000-meter run

¢¢ 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championship eighth-place finish

¢¢ Three All-Americans in 2014 – Sarah Martinelli, Stormy Nesbit, Allison Lasnicki

¢¢ Coached 2014 NCAA Elite 89 Award winner Kelly Williams

¢¢ 2014 Big 12 Championship and Mid-Atlantic Regional second-place finish

¢¢ Coached former WVU runners to Olympic Trials – Clara Grandt, Aubrey Moskal

¢¢ 2014 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Kaitlyn Gillespie

¢¢ Three CoSIDA All-Americans in 2015 – Kaitlyn Gillespie, Kelly Williams, Jillian Forsey

¢¢ Jillian Forsey qualified for the World Cross Country team in 2014

¢¢ Seven CoSIDA All-Americans since 2012

¢¢ Three all-region and one all-conference runner in 2013

¢¢ Three All-America performances between Chelsea Carrier-Eades and Jessica O’Connell in 2012

¢¢ Two 2014 All-American honors – Jillian Forsey and Kaitlyn Gillespie ¢¢ 2013 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional fourth-place finish ¢¢ 2013 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Sarah Martinelli ¢¢ 2012 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region fifth-place finish

¢¢ Four CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in 2012 – Kate Harrison, Kaitlyn Gillespie, Kaylyn Christopher, Ahna Lewis

¢¢ 2011 NCAA Cross Country Championship eighth-place finish

¢¢ 13 All-American performances by eight athletes during the 2011 indoor and outdoor seasons

¢¢ Coached 2011 NCAA Elite 89 Award winner Ahna Lewis

¢¢ 2011 Two All-Americans - Kate Harrison, Kaitlyn Gillespie

¢¢ Sent a school-record NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2011

¢¢ Five all-region and three all-conference runners in 2011

¢¢ Eight Big East Championships in 2011

¢¢ 2010 All-American Kaitlyn Gillespie

¢¢ Tenth place at NCAA Indoor Championships in 2010

¢¢ NCAA Cross Country Championship sixth-place finish in 2009

¢¢ Sixteenth place at NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2010

¢¢ Highest weekly national ranking – No. 3 on Oct. 6, 2009

¢¢ 2010 Mid-Atlantic Region Field Athlete of the Year – Chelsea Carrier-Eades

¢¢ Five All-Mid-Atlantic Region runners in 2009

¢¢ Five conference champions in 2010

¢¢ Three 2009 All-Americans – Marie-Louise Asselin, Keri Bland, Clara Grandt

¢¢ Reached No. 3 during 2009-10 season, as 11 All-America total honors were distributed ¢¢ Keri Bland, Clara Grandt and Marie-Louise Asselin became first Mountaineers to achieve All-America status in three sports in same year in 2010 (cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field) ¢¢ No. 5 on the 2010 Terry Crawford Program of the Year Award list ¢¢ 2010 Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year ¢¢ Nine Big East champions in 2009 ¢¢ Four USTFCCCA All-Academic team members in 2009 ¢¢ 2008-09 Mid-Atlantic Region Athlete of the Year – Clara Grandt

¢¢ Three 2009 All-Big East runners – Marie-Louise Asselin, Keri Bland, Clara Grandt ¢¢ 2008 NCAA Cross Country Championship fourth-place finish ¢¢ Coached 2008 Big East Individual Champion Marie-Louise Asselin ¢¢ 2007 NCAA Cross Country Championship ninth-place finish ¢¢ 12 All-America selections from six individuals ¢¢ At least one All-American selection in five of the last eight seasons ¢¢ 37 NCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors from 17 runners

¢¢ 2009 Big East Indoor Most Outstanding Track Performer – Clara Grandt

¢¢ At least one All-Mid-Atlantic Region honor every year since taking over program in 2007

¢¢ Four NCAA qualifiers in 2008

¢¢ 13 All-Big East honors from six runners

CROSS COUNTRY ¢¢ Two All-Mid-Atlantic Region and All-Big 12 honorees in 2017 – Amy Cashin, Maggie Drazba ¢¢ Two 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championships qualifiers – Jillian Forsey and Maggie Drazba ¢¢ Three All-Mid-Atlantic Region performers in 2016 – Jillian Forsey, Maggie Drazba, Amy Cashin

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¢¢ Two Mountaineer graduates competed at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics – Sarah-Anne Brault (Triathlon), Jessica O’Connell (5,000m)

T R ACK & FIEL D

¢¢ Multiple 1,000 NCAA APR team scores ¢¢ Three Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year honors (2004, 2007, 2008) ¢¢ NCAA Mid-Atlantic team champions (2004, 2008) ¢¢ Served as USTFCCCA president for Division I Cross Country ¢¢ 2007 Big East Champions ¢¢ 2007 Big East Coaching Staff of the Year

ASSISTANT COACH

SHELLY-ANN Gallimore

10 th SEASON / 12th YEAR OVERALL

Shelly-Ann Gallimore enters her 10th season as an assistant coach with West Virginia University’s track and field coaching staff after working with the Mountaineers for two seasons as a graduate assistant.

Her duties include designing and administering training plans for the horizontal and vertical jump groups, as well as assisting with meet management for all home track meets.

Under her tutelage, she has coached a USA Juniors trial, several NCAA Regional qualifiers in the high jump and NCAA Championship qualifiers in the triple jump.

Gallimore guided one Mountaineer to the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships and two to the NCAA East Preliminary Regionals. Shamoya McNeil competed in Eugene, Oregon, against the nation’s best, finishing 22nd overall in the women’s triple jump and earning AllAmerica Third Team recognition.

McNeil was joined by Danique Bryan at regionals.

Earlier in the year, Bryan set a school record in the triple jump, earning an outdoor career-best mark of 13.68 meters. Together, Bryan and McNeil rank 1-2 on the program’s all-time triple jump list.

During the 2016 season, eight Mountaineers qualified to compete at the NCAA East Preliminary Round, two of which were Gallimore’s jumpers, McNeil and Hannah Stone. McNeil competed in the triple jump, placing 30th overall and Stone placed 27th in the high jump. That same year, McNeil set a career best and the second best mark in the triple jump in WVU indoor history at the Big 12 Indoor Championship, marking 12.82 meters and set the third best mark in outdoor history, marking 12.76 meters.

Gallimore played an integral role in assisting eight Mountaineers earn all-big 12 honors at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship and seven at the indoor championship.

In 2015, Gallimore coached Shamoya McNeil to a qualifying triple jump mark of 12.81 meters, and a season best at the NCAA Preliminary rounds. McNeil was ranked at No. 24 in the event going into the championship.

In 2014, Gallimore coached Stormy Nesbit to First Team AllAmerica status and an eighth place showing in the triple jump

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at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. She also helped Marseille McBeam and Hannah Stone to top-five finishes in the High Jump at the Big 12 Championship.

She helped Nesbit break the school record in the triple jump as she earned a 13.07-meter jump at the 2012 ECAC Championships. Three long jumpers (Chelsea Carrier-Eades, Nesbit, Meghan Mock) placed second through fourth at the Big East Outdoor Championships, and high jumper Sydney Cummings earned a career-best height of 1.77 meters at the NCAA East Regional, the fourth-best height in WVU history.

In 2011, she was instrumental in helping high jumper Katelyn Williams and long jumper Meghan Mock earn their first ever All-America honors through close supervision and strength and conditioning modifications.

In 2010, Gallimore aided multi-event student-athlete Chelsea Carrier-Eades with her jumps as she earned her firstever All-America status in the pentathlon and Mid-Atlantic Field Athlete of the Year honors during the indoor season.

During the outdoor season, Gallimore saw junior Katelyn Williams to the NCAA Outdoor Championships,

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as the first high-jumper to represent WVU at the national championships since 1990.

In 2009, she aided Williams to the 2009 Canadian Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Toronto, where she cleared 1.71-meters, while Natasha Redman jumped a personal-best 1.75-meters at the Duke/Asics Invitational to qualify for the NCAA Regionals.

Gallimore, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, was successful as a student-athlete winning a 2001 NCAA Championship in the triple jump. The All-American also was a two-time SEC champion in the triple jump for Auburn. After her 2004 graduation, Gallimore spent time as a volunteer coach at her alma mater.

Gallimore also has years of international experience under her belt. She placed seventh in the triple jump at the 2000 World Juniors as part of the Jamaican National Team.

Gallimore earned her bachelors’ degree in marketing from Auburn and her master’s degree in physical education from West Virginia in 2008.

ASSISTANT COACH

ERINO ’Reilly

FIFTH SEASON / FIFTH YEAR

Erin O’Reilly is in her fifth season as an assistant coach with West Virginia University after re-joining the staff in August 2013.

Her familiarity with WVU has been beneficial to the program along with the studentathletes as the program continues to excel. O’Reilly was a part of four individual NCAA appearances with the Mountaineers, along with the team’s eighth-place finish at the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championship. She works primarily with the long-distance sprinters and middle-distance runners for the track and field and cross country teams.

O’Reilly was a huge contributor to WVU’s success during the 2016 cross country and track and field season both athletically and academically. In cross country, West Virginia qualified two runners to compete at the NCAA Championships, earned a silver medal at the NCAA MidAtlantic Regionals, thanks to redshirt Jillian Forsey, while adding three all-region honors and placed third at the Big 12 Cross Country Championship, led by Forsey who posted a runner-up finish to earn All-Big 12 honors.

The 2016 track and field season had eight Mountaineers qualify to compete at the NCAA East Region Preliminary Rounds, eight earn All-Big 12 honors at the outdoor championship and seven indoor honorees, and 11 Mountaineers earn Academic All-Big 12 honors. Senior Kelly Williams was named to the 2016 Track and Field/Cross Country Academic All-America First Team selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), for the second consecutive year while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Additionally, junior Amy Cashin and Williams were named to Academic All-District First Team.

West Virginia, including three individual student-athletes were recognized by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for their academic success during the 2016 season. Redshirt juniors Amy Cashin, Maggie Drazba and Jillian Forsey were named to the USTFCCCA Women’s All-Academic Individuals Team. Additionally, the WVU squad was named an All-Academic Team for maintaining a cumulative 3.49 GPA. Forsey earned Big 12 Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the third award for the Mountaineer cross country team. Additionally, nine Mountaineers were named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team, while Cashin was highlighted for her 4.0 GPA. During the 2015 cross country season, O’Reilly helped the Mountaineers to a third-place finish at the Big 12 Championship, guided two to earn All-Mid-Atlantic Region

honors, assisted an individual qualifier to the NCAA Cross Country Championships, and helped two earn Academic All-District Team and twelve who were named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team.

The NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional meet was highlighted by sophomore Millie Paladino and senior Savanna Plombon’s earning All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors for posting a top-25 finish. Paladino led the Mountaineers while crossing the finish line in 11th place with a time of 21:16.20, and Plombon crossed the finish line in 23rd overall (21:25.20).

Paladino also was the lone Mountaineer who qualified to compete at the 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, the second-straight championships for Paladino. She placed 77th overall with a career-best time of 20:41.60 on the 6k course at E.P “Tom” Sawyer State Park.

In the 2014-15 track and field season, she helped guide seven Mountaineers to qualify for the NCAA East Region Preliminary Championships, as each ranked in the top 48 in their respective events.

At the 2015 Big 12 Outdoor Championship, O’Reilly helped coach four Mountaineer freshmen to top-five finishes as they earned spots on the podium. She helped guide Kaitlyn Gillespie to All-America honors after finishing ninth in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Championship.

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In 2014, she helped three Mountaineers to All-Mid-Atlantic Region distinctions, three All-Big 12 recognitions and two All-America honors in the 2014 season.

In her first season, O’Reilly oversaw three individual qualifiers to the NCAA Championships and five qualifiers to the NCAA East Regional.

O’Reilly was a member of the Mountaineer team in the early 1990s and graduated from WVU in 1993 with a degree in physical education. She was an integral part in the coaching of former Mountaineer Ailene Smith to All-America status in 200001. Smith is a two time All-American as a member of the distance medley relay team and in the 4x800 relay.

As a runner, she garnered many accolades while also serving as a team captain for cross country and track.

O’Reilly finished third at the Atlantic 10 Championships as a junior and was named to the A-10 All-Conference Team. She was the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) champion and a NCAA provisional qualifier in the 1,000 meters her senior year. She held seven school records in cross country and track by the end of her career.

The Canton, Ohio, native served as a member of coach Cleary’s staff from 1994-2002. During that time, the Mountaineers registered 22 All-American honors and 13 Mid-Atlantic Region distinctions in cross country and track combined.

In 2003, O’Reilly joined the Boston College coaching staff as an assistant and held the position for 10 seasons. While on staff, she helped guide the Golden Eagles to multiple ECAC titles and numerous appearances at the NCAA Championships.

O’Reilly earned her master’s degree in athletic coaching education from WVU in 2004.

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ASSISTANT COACH

SANHensh

FIFTH SEASON / FIFTH YEAR

San Hensh enters his fifth season as a volunteer coach with the West Virginia University track and field team.

Hensh, who specializes primarily with the pole vault group at WVU, has coached four of the five Mountaineers on the team’s all-time top-five list (indoor and outdoor). In all, he has coached 10 All-Big 12 performers.

In 2017, Madelin Gardner qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Regionals, becoming the Mountaineers’ first vaulter to do so since 2013. Gardner also set the outdoor school record in the event during the 2017 campaign, earning a mark of 4.13 meters at the Virginia Challenge.

Along with his duties with WVU, Hensh also serves as coach/ director of the Mountain State Track Club, located in Morgantown. Additionally, Hensh has mentored four West Virginia state champions and one Maryland state champion during his coaching career.

Prior to his time at WVU, Hensh served as a coach at Laurel Highlands High School in western Pennsylvania.

Hensh competed at Bethany College for one season and is the current school-record holder in the pole vault. He currently resides in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

JoeMITCHIN

ConorMcNAMARA

Dr. AJMONSEAU

SandyCOLE-DEMENT

Graduate Assistant Athletic Communications

Assistant Equipment

Medical Doctor

Assistant Director, Student-Athlete Development

CindySMITH

NettieFRESHOUR

Administrative Assistant

Director of Sports Nutrition

T R ACK & FIEL D

TyBIGELOW

Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer

ClaraSANTUCCI

Graduate Assistant

BubbaSCHMIDT

Director of Equipment Operations

MOUNTAINEER

Profiles Roster �������������������������������������������������������������� 26 Profiles ������������������������������������������������������������ 27 Seniors ������������������������������������������������ 33 Juniors ������������������������������������������������ 36 Sophomores ���������������������������������������� 38 Freshmen �������������������������������������������� 40

2017-18 ROSTER NAME

HEIGHT

CLASS

HOMETOWN/LAST SCHOOL

Marianne Abdalah

Fr.

Distance

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Antigone Archer

r-Fr.

Distance

Southlake, Texas

Michaela Ashford

Fr.

Sprints/Jumps

Augusta, Ga.

Amanda Barnes

So.

Pole Vault

Beaufort, S.C.

Danique Bryan

Jr.

Jumps

Clarendon, Jamaica

Amy Cashin

r-Sr.

Distance

Werribee, Victoria, Australia

Abby Colbert

r-Fr.

Distance

Shepherdstown, W.Va.

Katherine Dowie

Fr.

Distance

Carisbrook, Victoria, Australia

Maggie Drazba

r-Sr.

Distance

St. Marys, W.Va.

Sara Finfrock

Sr.

Pole Vault

Kennett Square, Pa.

Jillian Forsey

r-Sr.

Mid-Distance

Stephenville, N.L., Canada

Ellie Gardner

Fr.

Pole Vault

Williamstown, W.Va.

Madelin Gardner

r-Jr.

Pole Vault

Williamstown, W.Va.

Olivia Hill

r-So.

Distance

Scott Depot, W.Va.

Hayley Jackson

Fr.

Distance

Lusby, Md.

Meghan Jean-Baptiste

r-Sr.

Multi-Event

Fairfax, Va.

Candace Jones

r-So.

Distance

Bristow, Va.

Rebekah LaFata

Sr.

Pole Vault

Morgantown, W.Va.

Shamoya McNeil

Sr.

Jumps

Portland, Jamaica

Faith Penny

Jr.

High Jump

East Islip, N.Y.

Andrea Pettit

r-So.

Distance

Morgantown, W.Va.

McKenna Smith

Fr.

Sprints

Bridgeport, W.Va.

Mikayla Shute

Fr.

Pole Vault

East Amherst, N.Y.

Krista-Gay Taylor

r-So.

High Jump

St. Andrew, Jamaica

Bria Welker

r-Sr.

Hurdles/Sprints

Ridgeley, W.Va.

Bree Warren

Fr.

Distance

Belgrave, Victoria, Australia

Rebecca Wendt

r-Sr.

Distance

Whitby, Ontario, Canada

Kyrielle Williams

r-Fr.

Jumps

North Royalton, Ohio

Sarah Wills

r-Fr.

Distance

Morgantown, W.Va.

COACHES Head Coach: Sean Cleary Assistant Coaches: Erin O’Reilly, Shelly-Ann Gallimore, San Hensh Graduate Assistant: Clara Santucci

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Seniors

■■ Finished 34th overall with a time of 4:26.02

in the 1,500 meters at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Indoor Season (So.) ■■ Placed third in 800 meters with a time of

2:12.72 and fifth in 1,000 meters (2:47.49) at the SPIRE Invite

Indoor Season (So.)

■■ Placed third in 800 meters with a time of

2:12.72 and fifth in 1,000 meters (2:47.49) at the SPIRE Invite

2014 (Fr.)

Outdoor Season ■■ Redshirted

Indoor Season

■■ Crossed the line in 10th overall (2:54.80)

AMY CASHIN

R-SR. | 5-5

DISTANCE WERRIBEE, AUSTRALIA 2017

2016

■■ Earned the 2017 Order of Augusta Award,

■■ CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team ■■ Academic All-Big 12 First Team while

Outdoor Season (r-Jr.)

WVU’s most prestigious student honor ■■ Academic All-Big 12 First Team, while maintaining a 4.0 GPA ■■ Placed 19th in 3,000-meter steeplechase semifinals at NCAA Championships, recording a time of 10:11.86 ■■ Set WVU record in 3,000-meter steeplechase at NCAA East Prelims, recording a time of 10:01.19 in a sixth-place finish ■■ Earned All-Big 12 honors after secondplace finish in 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:18.08) at Big 12 Championship ■■ Collected wins in back-to-back meets, winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:27.09) at the Tennessee Challenge and the 1,500 meters (4:21.18) at the Virginia Grand Prix ■■ Member of WVU’s third-place 4x1500meter relay team, finishing in 10:05.69 at the Raleigh Relays ■■ Finished 11th in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:26.74 at the Bison Classic ■■ Took 18th in the 800 meters with a time of 2:14.45 at the Mason Spring Invitational ■■ Placed 17th in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:25.09 and finished 20th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:42.22 at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Big 12 Track and Field Women’s ScholarAthlete of the Year ■■ CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team

Indoor Season (Sr.)

Outdoor Season (r-So.)

maintaining a 4.0 GPA ■■ Qualified for the NCAA East Prelims where she recorded a personal-best time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase of 10:11.08, the fourth best in WVU history ■■ Earned All-Big 12 honors for winning the silver medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:23.68) at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Won the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:21.36 at the Billy Hayes Invite ■■ Member of the third-place distance medley relay team (11:50.96) at the Penn Relays

Indoor Season (Jr.)

■■ Placed second in the mile with a time of

4:48.21 to earn All-Big 12 honors at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Second-place finish in the mile with a season-best time of 4:39.85 at the Penn State Tune Up ■■ Finished in second place in the mile with a time of 4:47.67 at the High Point Team Challenge ■■ Took third in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:12.28 at the Nittany Lion Challenge

2015

Outdoor Season (r-Fr.)

■■ Placed third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase

at the Big 12 Indoor Championship in the 1,000 meters ■■ Recorded a personal-best time of 2:13.35 in the 800 meters at the Akron Invite, finishing fifth overall ■■ Placed second in the 800 meters (2:15.49) at the YSU Invite ■■ Member of 4x800 meter relay team that took first place in 9:10.68 at the PSU National ■■ Member of the distance medley relay team that finished second in 11:45.00 at the PSU National ■■ Claimed first in the 1,000 meters at the WVU Invite with a time of 2:56.15

High School

■■ Captain at Werribee Secondary College for

coach Peter Burke ■■ Member of Team Australia for the World

Junior Cross Country Championships, where she placed 50th with a 6k time of 20:48 ■■ 2013 Victoria State U-20 champion in the 1,500 meter run ■■ Silver medalist at the 6k U-20 Australia Cross Country Championships ■■ Part of Team Victoria for cross country and track & field from 2007-13 ■■ 2012 U-20 Cross Country Champion in Victoria ■■ Bronze Medalist at the 2010 4k U-18 Australia Cross Country Championships ■■ Silver medalist at the 2009 4k U-16 Australia Cross Country Championships ■■ Champion in the U-16 3,000-meter run at the 2009 Australia Track and Field Championships

Personal ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Daughter of Peter and Brenda Cashin Has one brother and one sister Birthday is July 28 Majoring in sports psychology Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Award Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll President’s List and Dean’s List

and was the first freshman finisher to cross the finish line in 10:44.30 at the Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championship

■■ Did not compete

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2014 (Fr.) ■■

Did not compete

High School

Four-year letterwinner at St. Marys High 2011 and 2012 Gatorade West Virginia Girls Cross Country Athlete of the Year ■■ 2013 Gatorade West Virginia Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year ■■ 2009, 2011 and 2012 West Virginia AA-A State Cross Country Champion ■■ Placed third at the Footlocker Southwest Regional with a time of 17:10 to qualify for the 2012 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, where she placed 22nd overall ■■ Second place at the 2012 USATF Cross Country Junior Championships ■■ Led Team USA to the championship at the 2012 NACAC, where she placed fourth individually ■■ Holds the West Virginia State Meet record for cross country with a time of 17:17 ■■ Took top honors at the 2012 Great American Cross Country Festival ■■ Part of the St. Marys squad that won the 2009 AA-A West Virginia Cross Country Championship ■■ Undefeated in Little Kanawha Cross Country Conference Championship competition all four years ■■ West Virginia outdoor track and field record holder in the mile (4:53), 1,600-meter run (4:51), 3,000-meter run (9:37), 3,200-meter run (10:27) and two mile run (10:37) ■■ West Virginia indoor track and field record holder in the 3,200 (10:41), two-mile run (10:29) and the 5,000-meter run (17:40) ■■ Finished second at the 2013 Penn Relays in the 3,000-meter run ■■ Four-time West Virginia track and field state champion in class A in the 800-meter run (2010-13) and the 1,600-meter run (2010-13) ■■ Three-time West Virginia track and field state champion in class A in the 3,200-meter run (2011-13) ■■ Part of the 4x800-meter relay team that captured the 2010 state title ■■ Holds the West Virginia Class A state meet record in the 800-meter run (2:18), 3,200-meter run (10:31) and the 4x800meter relay (9:48) ■■ ■■

R-SR. | 5-1 DISTANCE ST. MARYS, W.VA.

2017 (r-Jr.)

Outdoor Season

Named WVU Most Outstanding Senior Took 22nd in 10,000-meter run at NCAA East Prelims, reaching the finish line in 34:50.78 ■■ Finished fourth in 10,000-meter run at Big 12 Championship in a time of 34:09.30 ■■ Placed 10th in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 34:04.26 at the Stanford Invite ■■ ■■

Indoor Season

Earned All-Big 12 honors as a member of the distance medley relay team that placed fifth with a time of 11:38.39 at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Placed 16th in the 3,000 meters with a time of 9:43.13 at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Finished third in the mile with a time of 4:56.10 at the Penn State Tune-Up ■■ Took seventh in the 3,000-meter run invite with a time of 9:41.19 at the PSU National Open ■■ Placed 39th in the 5,000 meters with a time of 16:53.89 at the Husky Classic ■■

2016 (r-So.)

Outdoor Season ■■

28

Did not compete

T R ACK & FIEL D

MAGGIE DRAZBA Indoor Season

Placed 10th in the 3,000-meter run with a career-best time of 9:36.30 at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Won the 3,000 meters (9:38.41) at the Penn State Tune Up ■■ Member of the winning distance medley relay team (11:59.02) at the Akron Invitational ■■

2015 (r-Fr.)

Outdoor Season

Placed 24th in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 17:51.45 and placed 10th (35:50.40) in 1,000 meters at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship ■■ Finished 30th in the 1,500-meter run in a career-best time of 4:38.51 at the Jesse Owens Classic ■■

Indoor Season

Placed 12th in 3,000 meters in 9:38.59 at the SPIRE Invitational ■■ Finished ninth with a time of 16:28.99 in 5,000 meters at the Big 12 Indoor Championship ■■ Crossed the line in third place in 4:55.69 in the mile at the Akron invite ■■ Was a member of the 4x800 meter relay team, placing first (9:29.29) at the WVU Invite ■■

Personal ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Daughter of Charles and Kathleen Drazba Has two brothers Birthday is May 18 Majoring in human nutrition and foods Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll President’s List Dean’s List

SARA FINFROCK SR. | 5-4

POLE VAULT KENNETT SQUARE, PA.

2017 (Jr.)

■■

Outdoor Season ■■

Placed 12th in the pole vault with a clearance of 3.35 meters at the 49er Classic

Indoor Season

Won the pole vault at the Marshall Invitational, posting a then indoor careerbest mark of 3.80 meters ■■ Placed third in the pole vault with an indoor-career best mark of 3.81 meters at the Penn State Tune-Up ■■ Finished 12th in the pole vault at the Big 12 Championships with a mark of 3.78 meters ■■ Tied for fifth in the pole vault earning a season-best mark of 3.68 meters at the Akron Invitational ■■

2016 (So.)

Outdoor Season

Academic All-Big 12 Second Team Placed eighth in the pole vault to earn AllBig 12 honors, marking a career best and sharing the third best-mark in WVU history at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Tied for fourth place in the pole vault, vaulting 3.75 meters at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Tied for third in the pole vault at 3.60 meters at the Bison Outdoor Classic ■■ Took fifth in the pole vault with a mark of 3.68 meters at the Jim Thorpe Invite ■■ ■■

Placed fifth in the pole vault, marking 3.55 meters, at the Mason Spring Invite Finished in seventh place in the pole vault with a mark of 3.47 meters at the Wake Forest Open

Indoor Season

Placed fourth in the pole vault, marking a season best of 3.60 meters at the Penn State Tune Up ■■ Tied for sixth place, pole vaulting a mark of 3.36 meters at the Akron Invite ■■ Placed seventh in the pole vault with a mark of 3.54 meters at the Nittany Lion Challenge ■■ Tied for ninth in the pole vault (3.55 meters) at the PSU National Invitational ■■

2015 (Fr.)

Outdoor Season

Placed 26th in the pole vault with a 3.35-meter mark at the Jesse Owens Classic ■■ Finished fifth in the pole vault, marking 3.35 meters at the Mason Spring Invite ■■ Tied for second in the pole vault, marking 3.35 meters at the Ohio Cherry Blossom Invitational ■■ Finished fifth in the pole vault, marking 3.50 meters at the UNF Spring Break Invitational ■■ Tied for 14th overall in the pole vault with a marking of 3.37 meters at the Virginia Challenge ■■

Indoor Season ■■

Pole vaulted to a 10th-place finish (3.30 meters) at the Thundering Herd Invite

WVUTrackField

Took a 15th-place finish in the pole vault, marking 3.07 meters at the Akron Invite ■■ Finished 24th in the pole vault with a mark of 3.20 meters at the YSU College Invite ■■ Placed 11th, vaulting 3.37 meters at the PSU Relays ■■ Took eighth place in the pole vault with a mark of 3.35 meters at the WVU Invite ■■

High School

Pole vaulted at Kennett High under coaches John Ramagano and Carl Lowe ■■ Member of Deasil Pole Vault Club ■■ Career-best vault of 3.35 meters at the 2014 PIAA District 1 AAA Outdoor Championship, placing fifth overall ■■ Finished sixth at the 2013 PIAA District 1 AAA Outdoor Championship ■■ Recorded a fourth-place finish as a sophomore at the 2012 PIAA District 1 AAA Outdoor Championship with a mark of 10-6 ■■ Placed first at the Downingtown West Spring Invitational, vaulting a mark of 10’ ■■

Personal ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Daughter of Mark and Claire Finfrock Has two brothers and two sisters Birthday is December 7 Majoring in business Big 12 Commissioners Honor Roll Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

@WVUTrackField

WVUTrackField

29

JILLIAN FORSEY R-SR. | 5-4

DISTANCE STEPHENVILLE, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR 2017 (r-Jr.)

Outdoor Season ■■

Did not compete

Indoor Season

Earned All-Big 12 honors for finishing fourth in the 5,000 meters in 16:17.93 at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Posted a top-four finish in the 3,000-meter run invite with a time of 9:26.52 at the PSU National Open ■■ Placed 15th in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:14.76 at the Husky Classic ■■

2016 (r-So.)

Outdoor Season

Named to the All-Big 12 Cross Country Team Named to the Capital One Academic All-District Team ■■ Took third overall in 5,000-meters with a time of 16:38.32 at the Big 12 Outdoor meet Indoor Season ■■ Placed seventh in the 5,000-meter run in 16:25.43 at the Big 12 Indoor Championship ■■ ■■

2014 (Fr.) ■■

Did not compete

Outdoor Season

Prep

■■

■■ ■■

Qualified for the NCAA East Prelims in the 5,000 meters and placed 17th with a time of 16:27.89 ■■ Took sixth in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:42.18 at the Big 12 Championship to earn All-Big 12 honors ■■ Recorded a career-best time of 15:05.89 to place 14th in the 5,000 meters at the Stanford Invitational

Indoor Season

■■

30

2015 (r-Fr.)

Placed seventh in the 5,000-meter run to earn All-Big 12 while crossing the finish line in 16:34.53 at the Big 12 Championship

T R ACK & FIEL D

Ran at Stephenville High for coach Ray Will Newfoundland Provincial Champion in the 800-meter run, 1,500-meter run and 3,000-meter run for six straight years ■■ Member of Team Canada for the World Junior Cross Country Championships, where she placed 49th with a 6K time 20:40 ■■ Placed eighth at the 2013 4K NACAC Cross Country Championships ■■ Finished first at the 2012 Canadian Cross Country Championships with a 5K time of 17:21 ■■ Won the Athletics Ontario Cross Country Championship with a 5K time of 17:45 ■■ Finished second at the Maine Cross Country Festival of Champions

Named Newfoundland and Labrador Female Athlete of the Year in 2012 ■■ Won the 800-meter run and 1,500-meter run at the 2012 Nike High School Grand Prix ■■ Ran for Team Canada and finished 13th at the NACAC Cross Country Championship ■■ Won the gold medal in the 3,000 meter at the 2012 Athletics Ontario Championships ■■ Finished 14th at the 2011 Canadian Cross Country Championships ■■ Placed fifth in the 3,000-meter run and seventh in the 1,500-meter run at the 2011 Canadian Youth National Championships ■■ Finished seventh in the 3,000-meter run at the 2011 Canadian Junior Championships ■■ Bronze medalist in the 1,200-meter run and fourth in the 2,000-meter run at the 2010 Canadian Youth National Championships ■■ Also a competitive cross country skier and was a member of the 2012 National Talent Squad that won a bronze medal in the 5K freestyle at the 2011 Canadian National Championships ■■

Personal ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Daughter of Bill Forsey and Rosemary Ryan Has one brother Birthday is June 9 Majoring in exercise physiology Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

MEGHAN JEAN-BAPTISTE

R-SR. | 5-4 MULTI FAIRFAX, VA.

2017 (r-Jr.)

Outdoor Season

Placed 17th in the 100-meter hurdles with a season-best time of 14.79 at the Virginia Grand Prix ■■ Took 16th in the 100-meter hurdles, crossing the finish line in 15.12 at the Bison Classic ■■ Finished 29th in the 100 hurdles with a time of 14.92 at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Placed 34th in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.35 at the Bison Classic ■■ Crossed the finish line in 17th in the 100-meter hurdles (15.37) and placed 33rd in the 200-meter dash (26.45) at the Mason Spring Invitational ■■ Placed 30th in the long jump with a mark of 5.04 meters and finished 83rd in the 200-meter dash prelims (27.26) at the 49er Classic ■■ At the Raleigh Relays, Jena-Baptiste placed 36th in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.36 and finished 39th in the long jump with a mark of 4.90 meters ■■

Indoor Season

Placed 22nd in the long jump finals with a mark of 5.14 meters at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Took 28th in the long jump, marking 4.86 meters and placed 17th in the prelims of the 60-meter hurdles (9.08) at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Finished second in the long jump at the WVU Open with a mark of 4.87 meters and placed second in the high jump (1.53 meters) at the Marshall Invitational ■■ Placed fifth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 8.26 at the Marty Pushkin Classic ■■ Took 11th in the 60-meter hurdles gold division with a time of 9.05 at the Akron Invitational ■■

■■

Finished 33rd in the prelims of the 60-meter dash in 8.30 at the Marshall Invitational

2015 (r-Fr.)

Outdoor Season

Recorded a career-best time of 14.66 in the 100-meter hurdles, placing 14th at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship ■■ Placed seventh in the 200-meter dash in 26.92 and finished fourth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.85 at the Ohio Cherry Blossom Invitational ■■ Ran a career-best time of 26.32 in the 200-meter dash, placing 46th at the UNF Spring Break Invitational ■■ Competed in the 100-meter dash, finishing with a career-best time of 12.70 at the UNF Spring Break Invitational ■■

2016 (r-So.)

Outdoor Season

Placed 15th in the long jump with a careerbest mark of 5.45 meters and placed 11th in the 800 meters (2:41.28) at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Finished fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (14.86) and placed 21st in the 200-meter dash with a career-best time of 25.02 at the Bison Outdoor Classic ■■ Placed seventh in the high jump with a mark of 1.60 meters at the Mason Spring Invite ■■ Tied for 13th in the high jump with a career-best mark of 1.60 meters at the Bison Outdoor Classic ■■ Placed 27th in the 100-meter hurdle with a career-best time of 14.61 at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Placed 44th in the long jump (4.98 meters) at the Penn Relays ■■

Indoor Season ■■

Placed 35th in the 60-meter dash with a career-best time of 8:00 at the SPIRE Indoor Invitational

2014 (Fr.) ■■

Did not compete

Indoor Season

High School

■■

■■ ■■

Placed sixth in the 60-meter hurdles with a career-best time of 8.81 to earn All-Big 12 honors at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Second place in the 60-meter hurdles, recording a time of 8.88 at the Penn State Tune Up ■■ Placed third in the long jump with a mark of 5.47 meters at the Akron Invite ■■ Placed sixth in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.91 and finished in eighth place in the 60 meters (8.88) at the Akron Invitational

WVUTrackField

Ran for Coach Alisa Byers at Oakton High Captain during her junior and senior season in indoor and outdoor track

Personal

Daughter of Phil Jean-Baptiste and Deb Hanneman ■■ Birthday is February 6 ■■ Has one sister ■■ Majoring in biology ■■

@WVUTrackField

WVUTrackField

31

REBEKAH LAFATA SR. | 5-7

POLE VAULT MORGANTOWN, W.VA.

2017 (Jr.)

2016 (So.)

■■

Academic All-Big 12 First Team Placed sixth in the pole vault with a mark of 3.50 meters at the Raleigh Relays ■■ Finished ninth in the pole vault, clearing 3.33 meters at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Tied for 10th in pole vault with a clearance of 3.40 meters at the Mason Spring Invitational ■■ Took 13th in the pole vault with a season-best mark of 3.55 meters at the Bison Classic ■■ Cleared 3.28 meters in the pole vault, finishing in 13th at the Virginia Grand Prix ■■ Placed 14th at the 49er Classic with a vault of 3.35 meters

■■

Placed third in the pole vault, soaring 3.32 meters, at the Wake Forest Open ■■ Finished in 11th in the pole vault with an outdoor career-best mark of 3.40 meters at the Mason Spring Invite

High School

Outdoor Season ■■ ■■

Indoor Season

At the Big 12 Championship, she tied for 16th in the pole vault, marking 3.48 meters ■■ Tied for fourth in the pole vault, marking of 3.50 meters at the Marshall Invitational ■■ Tied for fifth in the pole vault with a season-best mark of 1.60 meters at the Akron Invitational ■■ Placed eighth in the pole vault with a seasonbest 3.51 meters at the Penn State Tune-Up ■■

Outdoor Season

Indoor season

Took fifth in the pole vault, marking an overall career-best mark of 3.45 meters at the Penn State Tune Up ■■ Finished in 13th place, pole vaulting a mark of 3.24 meters at the Nittany Lion Challenge ■■ Placed 17th with a pole vault mark of 3.21 meters at the Akron Invitational ■■

2015 (Fr.)

Outdoor Season

Finished in 25th place with a 3.20-meter mark in the pole vault at the Mason Spring Invite ■■ Fourth place in the vault, marking 3.05 meters at the Ohio Cherry Blossom ■■ Placed 19th overall, pole vaulting 3.05 meters in the UNF Spring Break Invite

■■

Indoor Season ■■

32

T R ACK & FIEL D

Placed 10th in the pole vault, marking 3.30 meters at the Thundering Herd Invite

Vaulted 3.22 meters, placing 13th overall at the PSU Relays ■■ Ninth place in the pole vault with a mark of 3.20 meters at the Youngstown State College Invite Competed for coaches Steve Blinco and former Mountaineer pole vaulter Jeff Core at Morgantown High ■■ Placed first in the pole vault 3.23 meters at the 2014 WVSSAC AAA State Championships ■■ Finished fifth in the long jump at the 2014 WVSSAC AAA State with a leap of 16-3.50 ■■ Personal-best vault of 3.35 meters at the South Hills Classic as a junior ■■ Career-best long jump of 16-10 at the 2014 Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Championship ■■

Personal ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Daughter of Vincent and Helene Lafata Has two brothers and one sister Birthday is July 4 Majoring in communications Big 12 Commissioners Honor Roll Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

2015 (Fr.)

SHAMOYA McNEIL

SR. | 5-5

JUMPS/SPRINTS PORTLAND, JAMAICA 2017 (Jr.)

2016 (So.)

Academic All-Big 12 First Team, while maintaining a 4.0 GPA ■■ Earned a 22nd-place finish in triple jump finals at NCAA Outdoor Championships, earned All-America Third Team honors with the performance, earning a mark of 12.70 meters ■■ Finished 11th in triple jump at NCAA East Prelims (13.04m), qualifying for the national championships ■■ Placed sixth and earned All-Big 12 honors in triple jump with a career-best 13.21 meter effort at Big 12 Championship ■■ Won the triple jump title, clearing a careerbest and the third-best mark of 13.01 in WVU outdoor history at the Bison Classic ■■ Claimed the triple jump victory at the Raleigh Relays with a mark of 12.80 meters ■■ Won the triple jump with a mark of 12.78 meters and placed fifth in the long jump (5.80m) at the 49er Classic ■■ Runner-up finish in the triple jump with a clearance of 12.82 meters at the Virginia Grand Prix ■■ Placed seventh in the triple jump invite with a mark of 12.73 meters at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Finished seventh in the triple jump, leaping 11.87 meters and placed 36th in the 100-meter dash in 12.93 at the Mason Spring Invitational

Academic All-Big 12 First Team USTFCCCA All-Academic First Team Qualified for the NCAA East Prelims in the triple jump, placing 30th overall with a mark of 12.55 meters ■■ Earned All-Big 12 for her sixth-place performance in the triple jump at the Big 12 Championship, marking 12.67 meters, the fourth-best mark in WVU outdoor history at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Jumped a career-best and WVU’s third-best outdoor mark of 12.76 meters at the Texas Relays ■■ Long jumped a career-best mark of 5.80 meters, placing third at the Bison Outdoor Classic ■■ Placed fifth in the triple jump with a mark of 12.60 meters at the Penn Relays ■■ Finished in sixth place in the triple jump invite, leaping 12.52 meters at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Took 13th in the long jump with a leap of 5.67 meters at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Placed 33rd in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.96 at the Bison Outdoor Classic ■■ Placed 50th in the 100-meter dash prelims with a career-best time of 12.80 at the Wake Forest Open

Outdoor Season ■■

Indoor Season

Named WVU Student-Athlete of the Week (2/6/17) ■■ Earned All-Big 12 honors for placing sixth in the triple jump, leaping 12.59 meters at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Won the triple jump gold division title at the Akron Invitational with an indoor career-best mark of 12.93 meters, the second best in WVU indoor history ■■ Claimed the victory in the triple jump, leaping 12.62 meters at the Marshall Invitational ■■ Runner-up finish in the triple jump with a mark of 12.65 meters at the PSU National Open ■■

Outdoor Season ■■ ■■ ■■

Indoor Season

All-Big 12 honors in the triple jump for placing fifth with an overall career-best mark and the second best in WVU history of 12.82 meters at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Won the triple jump title with a mark of 12.39 meters at the High Point Team Challenge ■■ Took second I the triple jump, leaping 12.56 meters, the fifth best in WVU history at the Akron Invite ■■ Placed second in the triple jump with the third-best mark in history of 12.72 meters at the PSU National Invitational ■■ Third-place finish in the triple jump, jumping 12.39 meters at the Nittany Lion Challenge ■■

WVUTrackField

Outdoor Season ■■ Recorded a career best, placing fourth in the triple jump at the Big 12 Championship with a mark of 12.81 meters, while finishing second in the event overall among all freshmen ■■ Sixth-place finish in the triple jump, marking 12.38 meters at the Penn Relays ■■ Took second in the triple jump (12.39 meters) at the Mason Spring Invite ■■ Placed first, jumping 11.93 meters in the triple jump at the Ohio Cherry Blossom ■■ Finished first in the triple jump with a 12.51-meter mark at the Virginia Challenge, recording one of the top three-best jumps in program history ■■ Placed first in the triple jump, leaping 11.93 meters at the Ohio Cherry Blossom Invitational ■■ Competed in the 100-meter dash, finishing fourth in 13.25 meters at the Ohio Cherry Blossom Invitational ■■ Placed 35th in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:03.03 at the UNF Spring Break Invitational Indoor Season ■■ Finished in eighth place in the triple jump, leaping 12.06 meters at the Big 12 Indoor Championship ■■ Jumped to a ninth-place finish in the triple jump (11.93m) at the SPIRE Invite ■■ Placed fifth in the triple jump (12.08m) at the Akron Invite ■■ First place in the triple jump (11.77m) at the WVU Invite ■■ Took 17th place in the long jump, marking 4.99 meters at the PSU Relays ■■ Placed seventh in the preliminary session in the 60-meter event (8.36) at the Marty Pushkin Classic

High School

Attended Titchfield High and St. Jago High in Jamaica ■■ Personal-best mark of 12.3 meters in the triple jump at the 2013 ISSA Boys & Girls Championships, placing fourth ■■ Placed fifth at the JAAA Carifta Trials 2013 with a mark of 40-4.25 in the triple jump ■■ Ran a personal-best time of 1:05.89 in the 400-meter hurdles at the Youngster GoldSmith Classics, finishing 10th ■■ Jumped a personal-best mark of 16-7.25 in the long jump at the Jamaica College Invitational, placing eighth ■■

Personal ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Daughter of Leroy McNeil and Barbara Whyte Has one brother Birthday is November 14 Majoring in occupational therapy Big 12 Commissioners Honor Roll Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll President’s List and Dean’s List

@WVUTrackField

WVUTrackField

33

2015 (r-Fr.) ■■

Did not compete

2014 (Fr.)

Outdoor Season

Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team Claimed first in the 400 meters at the WVU Gold-Blue meet and at the Cal U Early Bird meet ■■ Posted top-five finishes in the 400 meters at the Cherry Blossom Invitational, the Gator Invitational and the YSU Icebreaker meet ■■ ■■

Indoor Season

Member of the 4x400-meter relay team that placed ninth with a time of 3:56.10 at the Big 12 Indoor Championship ■■ Won the 400 meters with a time of 57.20 at the Akron Invitational ■■ Member of the distance medley relay team that placed second (11:45.00) at the PSU National ■■ Member of the 4x400-meter relay team that placed first at the WVU Gold-Blue meet and at the Cal U Early Bird meet ■■

BRIA WELKER

R-SR. | 5-6

HURDLES/SPRINTS RIDGELEY, W.VA.

2017 (r-Jr.)

Outdoor Season

Academic All-Big 12 First Team Fourth-place finish in the 400-meter dash, crossing the finish line in 56.55 at the Mason Spring Invitational ■■ Placed ninth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 56.28 and finished 12th in the 200-meter dash with a career-best time of 25.42 at the Raleigh Relays ■■ Member of the 4x400-meter relay team, finishing 19th in 4:04.29 at the 49er Classic ■■ ■■

Indoor Season

All-Big 12 honors as a member of the distance medley relay team for placing fifth with a time of 11:38.39 at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Runner-up finish in the 400 meters, crossing the finish line in an indoor-career best time of 56.78 at the Marshall Invitational ■■ Eighth-place finish in the 400-meter dash invite with a time of 58.48 at the PSU National Open

■■

2016 (r-So.)

Outdoor Season

Academic All-Big 12 First Team Finished 19th in the 400-meter dash, crossing the finish line in 57.24 at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Took fifth in the 400-meter dash at the Bison Outdoor Classic with a career-best time of 56.61

■■ ■■

34

T R ACK & FIEL D

Member of the third-place distance medley relay team (11:50.96) at the Penn Relays ■■ Helped the 4x400 meter relay team place fourth at the Mason Spring Invitational with a time of 4:10.18 ■■ Placed seventh in the 400 meters with a time of 59.52 at the Mason Spring Invitational ■■ Took 15th in the 400 dash with a time of 57.71 at the Jesse Owens Classic ■■ Placed 16th in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.95 at the Bison Outdoor Classic ■■ Took 16th in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.89 at the Wake Forest Open ■■ Placed 20th in the 200 meters with a time of 26.66 at the Wake Forest Open ■■ Finished 33rd in the 400 meters (58.92) at the Stanford Invitational ■■

Indoor Season

Won the 400-meter dash with a time of 58.87 at the High Point Team Challenge ■■ Took third in the 400 meters, crossing the finish line in an indoor career-best time of 58.34 at the Nittany Lion Challenge ■■ Placed 27th in the 200 meters with a season-best time of 26.34, and placed 11th in the 400 meters (58.50) at the Akron Invite ■■ Finished 10th in the 500-meter run with a career-best time of 1:17.29 at the PSU National Invitational ■■

High School

Ran for Coach Amanda Moreland at Frankfort High ■■ Four-year letterwinner at Frankfort High ■■ West Virginia state meet record in 200-meter dash (25.15) and 400-meter dash (57.13) ■■ Helped lead Frankfort to 2013 State Championship and runner-up in 2010 and 2012 ■■ Three-time state champion in 200-meter dash in 2010, 2012 and 2013 and twotime state champion in 100-meter dash in 2012 and 2013 ■■ Three-time state champion in 400-meter dash in 2010, 2012 and 2013 and twotime state champion in the long jump in 2010 and 2012 ■■ Recorded a state championship in the 300-meter hurdles in 2013 ■■ 2010 Gatorade WV Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year ■■ Holds Frankfort High records for 100-meter, 200-meter and 400-meter dashes, as well as in the long jump and 300-meter hurdles ■■ Wendy’s High School Heisman winner for Mineral County ■■ Four-year letterwinner in soccer and holds school record for most goals in a season with 26 ■■ Two-year letterwinner in basketball ■■

Personal ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Daughter of Greg and Kimberly Welker Birthday is April 18 Sister, Kendra, is a rower at WVU Father played baseball at Frostburg State Majoring in exercise physiology Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

REBECCA WENDT R-SR. | 5-10

DISTANCE WHITBY, ONTARIO

2017 (r-Jr.)

Outdoor Season

Finished 61st in the 800-meter run, crossing the finish line in 2:23.22 at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Member of WVU’s third-place 4x1500-meter relay team (19:05.69) at the Raleigh Relays ■■ Placed 47th in the 800 meters with a time of 2:21.56 at the Mason Spring Invitational ■■ Crossed the finish line in 74th in the 800 meters in a season best, 2:21.00 at the Bison Classic ■■ Placed 76th in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:03.49 at the Raleigh Relays ■■

■■

Helped the 4x400 meter relay team place fourth with a time of 4:10.18 at the Mason Spring Invitational

High School ■■

2016 (r-So.)

2015 (r-Fr.)

Academic All-Big 12 First Team Placed 23rd in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:19.19 at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Ran a season-best time of 2:15.16 in the 800 meters placing 24th at the Bison Outdoor Classic ■■ Placed 25th in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:57.07 at the Mason Spring Invitational ■■ Member of the third-place distance medley relay team (11:50.96) at the Penn Relays

■■

Outdoor Season ■■ ■■

Did not compete

■■

Placed fifth in the 800 meter blue division, crossing the finish line in 2:16.46 at the Akron Invitational ■■ Took eighth in the 800 meters with a time of 2:17.90 at the Marshall Invitational ■■ Finished eighth in the 1,000-meter run invite with a time of 3:00.19 at the PSU National Open ■■

■■

Indoor Season

Won the 800-meter run with a career-best time of 2:13.17 at the Akron Invite ■■ Fourth-place finish in the 600-meter run at the Penn State Tune Up with a career-best time and the fifth-best time of 1:35.53 in WVU history ■■ Placed fourth in the 800 meters (2:17.17) at the High Point Team Challenge ■■ Earned All-Big 12 honors for her seventhplace finish (2:53.71) in the 1,000 meters, thanks to her prelim and career-best time of 2:53.69 at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Took sixth in the 1,000 meters with a time of 2:55.64 at the PSU National Invitational ■■ Placed 16th in the 1,000 meters (2:56.26) at the Nittany Lion Challenge

Indoor Season

2014 (Fr.)

Indoor Season

Placed 25th in the 600 meters with a time of 1:39.03 at the SPIRE Invitational, and placed 58th in the 800-meter event in 2:19.45 ■■ Finished 11th in the 800 meter-run in 2:19.75 at the Thundering Herd Invite ■■ Took sixth in the 800 meters with a time of 2:20.15 at the Akron Invite ■■ Placed 11th overall in the 800-meter run (2:25.64) at the YSU College Invite

WVUTrackField

Double 2013 OFSAA bronze medalist in the 800-meter run and 1,500-meter run ■■ Named the 2013 and 2012 Most Outstanding Varsity Track Athlete ■■ Silver medalist at the 2012 Junior Provincials in the 800-meter run and bronze medalist in the 1,500-meter run ■■ 2012 Youth National Champion in the 800-meter run and silver medalist in the 1,500-meter run ■■ Finished fifth at the 2011 OFSAA Cross Country Championships ■■ 2010 OFSAA Midget Champion in the 1,500 and 3,000-meter runs, while earning bronze in the 800-meter run ■■ Broke four regional records on her way to being named most outstanding track and cross country athlete

Personal ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Daughter of Stephen and Alison Wendt Has one sister Birthday is December 15 Majoring in finance Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

@WVUTrackField

WVUTrackField

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Juniors DANIQUE BRYAN

5-6, JR. JUMPS CLARENDON, JAMAICA

2017 (So.)

Outdoor Season

Academic All-Big 12 First Team Finished 14th in triple jump with a mark of 12.94 meters at the NCAA East Prelims ■■ Earned a 20th-place finish in long jump at NCAA East Prelims, with a mark of 6.10 meters ■■ Took third in triple jump at Big 12 Championship, setting a WVU outdoor record of 13.68 meters ■■ Also earned Big-12 honors in long jump, finishing seventh overall ■■ Won the long jump title with a career-best mark of 6.28 meters and the fourth best in WVU outdoor history at the Bison Classic ■■ Claimed the win in the long jump invite, clearing 6.25 meters and posted a runner-up finish in the triple jump (12.99m), WVU’s No. 4 all-time, at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Took first in the long jump with a mark of 6.01 meters and placed second in the triple jump (12.41m) at the 49er Classic ■■ Member of WVU’s 19th distance medley relay team finishing in 4:04.29 at the 49er Classic ■■ First-place finish in the long jump, clearing 5.86 meters at the Raleigh Relays ■■ Placed third in the long jump, marking 5.79 meters at the Mason Spring Invitational ■■ Finished 33rd in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.82 at the Mason Spring Invitational ■■ Placed 22nd in the long jump with a mark of 4.89 meters at the Virginia Grand Prix ■■ ■■

2015-2016 (Fr.)

Outdoor Season

Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team USTFCCCA All-Academic First Team Took eighth in the long jump (5.94 meters) to earn All-Big 12 honors and placed 14th in the triple jump with a mark of 11.75 meters at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Placed seventh in the long jump with a season-best mark of 6.01 meters at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Ran in the 100-meter dash, placing 25th with a season-best time of 12.88, at the Bison Outdoor Classic ■■ Took fourth in the triple jump, leaping 12.22 meters at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Finished in sixth place in the long jump, leaping 5.78 meters at the Bison Outdoor Classic ■■ Placed sixth in the long jump with a mark of 5.64 meters at the Penn Relays ■■ Ninth-place finish in the long jump (5.54 meters) at the Texas Relays ■■ Took 15th in the long jump, marking 4.95 meters at the Mason Spring Invite ■■ ■■ ■■

Indoor Season

Placed 11th in the long jump, marking 5.60 meters at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Won the long jump with a mark of 5.38 meters at the High Point Team Challenge ■■ First-place finish in the long jump, recording a season-best mark of 6.00 meters, the fourth best in WVU indoor history at the Nittany Lion Challenge ■■

High School

Attended Edwin Allen High Team captain in 2014-15 Personal-best high jump of 1.75 meters at the 2012 Montego Bay Milo Western Relays ■■ Competed in the long jump, marking a personal-best mark of 6.12 meters at the 2015 Kingston Utech Classic ■■ Second in the long jump, marking 6.00 meters at the Penn Relays ■■ Posted a mark of 1.73 meters in the high jump, missing by just .02 meters outside the girls’ champs record at the 2011 Central Championships ■■ ■■ ■■

Personal ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Birthday is October 5 Has one brother and one sister Majoring in nursing Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

Indoor Season

Earned All-Big 12 honors by finishing in seventh in the triple jump with a mark of 12.46 meters at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Won the long jump at the Marshall Invitational, marking 5.92 meters ■■ Placed 10th in the long jump, marking 5.91 meters at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Second-place finish in the long jump gold division at the Akron Invitational, marking a career-best indoor mark of 5.97 meters and the fourth best mark in WVU’s indoor history ■■ Runner-up finish in the long jump with a then career-best indoor mark of 5.91 meters at the PSU National Open ■■

JillianFORSEY and DaniqueBRYAN

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High School

Competed for coach Zach Hall at Williamstown High State champion in the pole vault, 200 meters and 400 meters School record holder in the 300-meter hurdles and the 100-meter high hurdles ■■ High point winner at the state meet ■■ Four-time all-conference selection and three-time all-state honoree ■■ ■■ ■■

MADELIN GARDNER

5-5, R-JR. POLE VAULT WILLIAMSTOWN, W.VA. 2017

Outdoor Season (r-So.)

Academic All-Big 12 Second Team Qualified for NCAA East Prelims in pole vault Placed eighth in pole vault finals at Big 12 Championship (13’ 3¾), earning All-Big 12 honors ■■ Tallied four wins throughout the regular season ■■ Set a WVU record in the pole vault, clearing 4.13 meters at the Virginia Challenge, while tying for the win ■■ Won the pole vault at the Bison Classic with a mark of 4.00 meters ■■ Grabbed the victory in the pole vault with a vault of 3.90 meters at the 49er Classic ■■ Claimed the pole vault title at the Mason Spring Invitational, clearing 3.85 meters ■■ Finished sixth in the pole vault invite with a mark of 3.65 meters at the Raleigh Relays

Personal ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Daughter of Jeff and Lisa Gardner Has one sister Birthday is September 24 Majoring in biomedical engineering Participated in competitive gymnastics for 15 years

■■ ■■ ■■

Indoor Season (Jr.) ■■

Did not compete

2015-16

Outdoor Season (r-Fr.)

Academic All-Big 12 Second Team Placed 11th in the pole vault at the Big 12 Championship, marking a career best and sharing the third-best mark in WVU history of 3.91 meters ■■ Won the pole vault title with a mark of 3.90 meters at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Placed second in the pole vault (3.77 meters) at the Wake Forest Open ■■ Finished in third place with a pole vault mark of 3.81 meters at the Mason Spring Invite ■■ ■■

Indoor Season (So.)

Won the pole vault title with an overall personal-best mark and the third-best height in WVU history of 3.96 meters at the Akron Invite ■■ Finished in second place with a pole vault mark of 3.90 meters at the Penn State Tune Up ■■ Took third place in the pole vault (3.71 meters) at the High Point Team Challenge ■■ Finished in sixth place in the pole vault, leaping 3.70 meters at the PSU National Invitational ■■ Placed ninth in the pole vault with a mark of 3.83 meters at the Big 12 Championship ■■

FAITH PENNY

6-0, JR. JUMPS EAST ISLIP, N.Y.

2017 (So.)

Outdoor Season ■■

Did not compete

Indoor Season

Took sixth in the high jump with a mark of 1.60 meters at the Marshall Invitational ■■ Finished seventh in the high jump gold division, leaping a season best 1.66 meters at the Akron Invitational ■■ Placed 12th in the high jump with a mark of 1.60 meters at the PSU National Open ■■

2016 (Fr.)

Outdoor Season

Tied for sixth in the high jump, leaping a season-best mark of 1.66 meters, to earn All-Big 12 honors at the Big 12 Championship ■■ Placed fourth in the high jump with a mark of 1.63 meters at the Wake Forest Open ■■ Finished fifth in the high jump, marking 1.65 meters at the Mason Spring Invite ■■ Placed ninth with a high jump mark of 1.65 meters at the Bison Outdoor Classic ■■ Tied for 18th in the high jump (1.63 meters) at the Penn Relays ■■ Competed in the high jump, tying for 10th place with a mark of 1.61 meters at the Virginia Challenge ■■

Indoor Season

Indoor Season

Placed seventh in the high jump with a season-best mark of 1.66 meters at the Big 12 Championship, earning All-Big 12 honors ■■ Seventh-place finish in the high jump (1.65 meters) at the Nittany Lion Challenge ■■ Took 23rd in the high jump, marking 1.63 meters at the PSU National Invitational

■■ ■■

High School

2014-15 (Fr.)

Outdoor Season ■■

Redshirted

Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team Ninth place in the pole vault with a 3.52-meter mark at the Akron Invite Finished in seventh place, vaulting 3.35 meters at the YSU College Invite ■■ Placed third in the pole vault, marking a 3.50-meter mark at the WVU Invite

■■

■■

Attended East Islip High

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Personal ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Daughter of Harry and Marian Penny Birthday is October 13 Has one brother and one sister Majoring in business and economics Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

Sophomores

KRISTA-GAY TAYLOR

5-11, R-SO. HIGH JUMP ST. ANDREWS, JAMAICA

2017 (r.Fr.)

Outdoor Season ■■

Did not compete

■■

Did not compete

Indoor Season

2016 (Fr.) ■■

Redshirted

High School

AMANDA BARNES

5-6, SO. POLE VAULT BEAUFORT, S.C.

2017 (Fr.)

Outdoor Season ■■ Finished 14th overall in pole vault at Big 12 Championship (career-best 3.76 meters) ■■ Posted a mark of 3.73 meters in the pole vault while placing seventh at the Virginia Grand Prix ■■ Placed seventh in the pole vault at the Raleigh Relays with a mark of 3.50 meters ■■ Seventh-place finish in the pole vault with a clearance of 3.73 meters at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Took 11th in the pole vault, marking 3.70 meters at the Bison Classic Indoor Season ■■ Did not compete

Attended Alpha Academy Was one of 56 athletes selected to compete at the Central America and Caribbean Junior Championships ■■ Won the Championships of Americas title with a high jump of 1.79 meters at the Penn Relays in 2014 ■■ Won the U-20 Girls’ high jump at the National Juniors Championships ■■ Holds a personal-best high jump of 1.82 meters to qualify for the finals at the 2014 Eugene IAAF World Junior Championships ■■ Placed 11th in the high jump with a mark of 1.73 meters in the finals at the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships ■■ ■■

Personal ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Daughter of Sandra Tomlinson Has three brothers Birthday is April 9 Majoring in child development and family studies Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

High School

Competed at Beaufort High for coach Herbert Glaze Member of the Rusty Shealy Pole Vault Club Qualified to compete at the New Balance Outdoor National Championship in the elite group three times and twice for the indoor national championships ■■ Two-time state champion in pole vault (2014-2015) ■■ Placed third in pole vault at the 2015 Junior Olympics, earning All-American status ■■ Holds a personal-best mark of 3.93 meters (12’9”) in pole vault ■■ ■■ ■■

Personal ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

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Daughter of Ben and Mandy Barnes Has one brother Birthday is July 28 Majoring in health professions

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OLIVIA HILL

5-5, R-SO. DISTANCE SCOTT DEPOT, W.VA.

2017 (r-Fr.)

Outdoor Season

Finished 11th in 10,000-meter run at Big 12 Championship in a personal-best time of 35.38.75 ■■ Placed 12th in the 5,000-meter run with a career-best time of 16:53.16 at the Bison Classic ■■ Finished 15th in the 10,000 meters, crossing the finish line in 36:29.63 at the Virginia Challenge ■■ Took 19th in the 1,500 meters in 4:40.93 at the Mason Spring Invitational ■■

■

Placed 32nd in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 17:06.44 at the Raleigh Relays

Indoor Season ■ ■ ■ ■ ■■

Finished 21st in the 3,000 meters with a season-best time of 9:48.48 at the Big 12 Championship Placed seventh in the mile with a career-best time of 4:58.51 at the Penn State Tune-Up Took fourth in the 3,000 meters with a time of 9:56.72 at the Marshall Invitational Finished fifth in the mile gold division with a then season-best time of 5:01.44 at the Akron Invitational Placed eighth in the mile with a time of 5:02.67 at the PSU National Open

2016 (Fr.) ■

Redshirted

High School ■ ■ ■■ ■ ■

Ran at Teays Valley Christian School for coach Aubrey Morris Winner of Hurricane Cross Country Invitational in 2014 Was named Teays Valley Christian School 2015 Female Athlete of the Year Earned the Team High Point Award for track Participated in basketball and volleyball

time of 2:10.34 Fourth-place finish in the 800 meter gold division with a career-best time of 2:12.27 at the Akron Invitational ■ Took fourth in the 1,000 meters with a time of 2:53.07 at the PSU National Open Placed 30th in the 800 meters with a time of 2:12.76 at the Husky Classic ■

2015-16 (Fr.)

Outdoor Season

Redshirted Indoor Season ■ Won the 800-meter run with a season-best time of 2:12.55 at the High Point Team Challenge ■ Placed 37th overall in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:16.87 at the Big 12 Championship ■ Placed third in the mile, finishing with a time of 5:03.49 at the PSU National Invitational ■ Finished in fourth place in the 800 meters (2:13.01) at the Akron Invite ■ Placed sixth in the 800 meters, crossing the finish line in 2:12.80 at the Penn State Tune Up ■ Took 12th in the 600 meters with a time of 1:36.31 at the Nittany Lion Challenge ■

Personal

High School

■ ■ ■ ■ ■■ ■■

■ ■ ■

Daughter of Craig and Jenny Hill

Has one brother Birthday is November 25 Majoring in exercise physiology Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

■ ■ ■ ■

Ran at Patriot High for coach Adam Daniels Seven-time all-state At the 2015 VHSL Group 6A Conference Championship, she ran a personal-best of 5:00.05 in the 1,600 meters Ran a personal-best of 2:11.08 in the 800-meter event at the 2014 VHSL Group 5A/6A State Outdoor Championship Ran in 1,000-meters (2.54.42) at the 2015 VHSL Group 6A State Indoor Track and Field Competed in the distance-medley relay at the 2015 indoor championship to earn All-American honors Ran the 5K in a career-best time of 18:48.30

Personal

CANDACE JONES

5-5, R-SO. MID-DISTANCE BRISTOW, VA.

■ ■ ■ ■

Daughter of Robert and Margaret Jones Has one sister Birthday is March 14 Majoring in criminology

2017

Outdoor Season (r-Fr.) ■ ■ ■■ ■ ■ ■

Third-place finish in the 800-meter run, crossing the finish line in a career best 2:09.22 at the Mason Spring Invitational Member of WVU’s third-place 4x1500-meter relay team with a time of 19:05.69 at the Raleigh Relays Finished fourth in the 800 meters with a time of 2:12.67 at the 49er Classic Crossed the finish line in seventh with a time of 2:11.78 and placed 12th in the 1,500 meters (4:27.32) at the Bison Classic Placed seventh in the 800 meters with a time of 2:09.96 at the Virginia Grand Prix Finished 38th in the 800 meters in 2:11.74 and placed 54th in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:36.40 at the Virginia Challenge

Indoor Season (So.)

Earned All-Big 12 honors in the 1,000 meters for placing seventh with a career-best time of 2:29.43 and earned the accolade as a member of the distance medley relay team, placing fifth in 11:38.39 at the Big 12 Championship ■ Won the 800 meters at the Penn State Tune-Up with a career-best ■

CandaceJONES

WVUTrackField

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ANDREA PETTIT

5-4, R-SO. DISTANCE MORGANTOWN, W.VA.

Freshmen MARIANNE ABDALAH

2017 (r-Fr.)

Outdoor Season ■■

5-4, FR. DISTANCE PITTSBURGH, PA.

Placed 62nd in the 800-meter run with a time of 5:11.61 at the 49er Classic

Indoor Season ■ Did not compete

2015-16 (Fr.) ■

Redshirted

High School ■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Ran for coaches Mike Ryan and Jonathan Wright at Morgantown High 2012 West Virginia Cross Country All-State Team National High School Coaches Association Academic All-American Contributing member of five state championship teams Contributing member of four state runner-up teams First Morgantown High athlete to be a 12-time letterwinner 2015 swim team captain

Personal ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Daughter of John and Denise Pettit Has one sister, Alison, who ran cross country and track at WVU Birthday is June 12 Majoring in immunology and medical microbiology Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, while maintaining a 4.0 GPA Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

High School ■ Ran at Vincentian Academy for coach Erika Suhy ■ Became second athlete in WPIAL history to win four cross country championships ■ Led Vincentian Academy to two WPIAL team titles ■ Three-time PIAA cross country champion ■ Won three WPIAL Class AA championships and two PIAA championships in 3,200-meter run ■ Holds WPIAL record for 3,200-meter run (10:45.54) ■ High school valedictorian Personal ■ Daughter of Marvin and Kim Abdalah ■ Won USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship in 2013 (13-14 Division) ■ Has two brothers ■ Birthday is April 27 ■ Majoring in Pre-Med

ANTIGONE ARCHER

5-4, R-FR. DISTANCE SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS

2017 (Fr.)

Outdoor Season ■ Did not compete Indoor Season ■ Did not compete

High School ■ ■■ ■ ■

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Ran at Southlake Carroll High for coach Justin Leonard Varsity letter winner in track and field and cross country (2013-16) Two-time Nike Cross National Champions and two-time state champions Placed fifth at the Texas 5A state cross country championship

Personal

Personal

■ ■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■ ■

Daughter of David and Amanda Archer Has one brother and two sisters Birthday is March 31 Majoring in mechanical engineering

Daughter of Chris and Samantha Colbert Has one brother and a twin sister Birthday is August 25 Majoring in sport psychology

MICHAELA ASHFORD

KATHERINE DOWIE

5-1, FR. SPRINTS/JUMPS AUGUSTA, GEORGIA

High School ■ Ran track at Jefferson High in Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia, for coach John Serian ■ Won long jump state championship as a junior in 2016 ■ Finished third in 200-meter dash as a junior at WVSSAC State Championships ■ A member of second-place 4x100 and 4x200 teams at 2016 WVSSAC State Championships ■ Also part of 4x100 and 4x200 teams that qualified for state meet as a senior Personal ■ Daughter of Lenearo and Jacquelyn Ashford ■ Has one brother and one sister ■ Birthday is May 8 ■ Majoring in pre-health ■ Born and raised in Augusta, Georgia

5-7, FR. DISTANCE CARISBROOK, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

High School ■ Attended Ballarat Clarendon College and competed at Eureka Athletics Club for coach Rod Griffin ■ Won Ballarat Sportsperson of the Year Award in 2017 ■ Won two e vents at Victorian Championships – 5,000 meters and 3,000-meter steeplechase ■ Placed third in 3,000-meter steeplechase at Sydney Australian U20 Championships in 2017 ■ Earned three first-place finishes at Melbourne Victorian Championships in 2017 (1,500 meters, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters) ■ Also participated in Perth Australian U18 Championships in 2016, finishing fifth in the 2,000-meter steeplechase and sixth in the 3,000 meters Personal ■ Daughter of Alastair and Carlene Dowie ■ Has a twin sister ■ Birthday is April 3 ■ Majoring in exercise physiology

ABBY COLBERT

5-5, R-FR DISTANCE SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.VA.

2017 (Fr.)

Outdoor Season ■ Did not compete Indoor Season ■ Did not compete

High School ■■ ■ ■ ■ ■■ ■

Ran at Jefferson High for coaches Katie Myers and Matt Speaker Two-year team captain Four-time all-state honoree in West Virginia Two-time state champion Personal-best times in the three mile - 17:51 and two mile – 10:56 Ran a personal-best time in the mile (5:06), 800 meters (2:20) and 400 meters (1:00) WVUTrackField

@WVUTrackField

WVUTrackField

41

ELLIE GARDNER

5-3, FR. POLE VAULT WILLIAMSTOWN, W.VA.

5-4, FR. POLE VAULT EAST AMHERST, N.Y.

High School ■ Ran track at Williamstown High School for coach Doak Markley and Tyler George ■ Two-time team captain (2016, 2017) ■ Three-time state pole vault champion (2015, 2016, 2017) and four-year state qualifier ■ School and state record holder in the pole vault (12 feet) ■ A member of Williamstown’s 2014 state championship team ■ Also played soccer at Williamstown, earning first team all-state honors as a senior

High School ■ Ran track at Williamsville North High for coach Caitlin Triantafillou ■ Two-year sectional qualifier ■ Placed fourth in the pole vault at the Section VI Championships as a senior, tying a personal best (10-6) ■ Placed fourth at indoor sectionals as a senior (10-3) ■ Named to the Buffalo News 2017 Winter All Western New York Scholar Athlete Team ■ Also competed in gymnastics

Personal ■ Daughter of Jeff and Lisa Gardner ■ Has one sister, Madelin, who also competes at WVU ■ Birthday is April 29 ■ Majoring in aerospace and mechanical engineering

Personal ■ Daughter of David and Beth Shute ■ Has two brothers ■ Birthday is July 2 ■ Majoring in immunology and medical microbiology

HAYLEY JACKSON

6-0, FR. DISTANCE LUSBY, MARYLAND

High School ■ Ran at Patuxent High for coach Kris Jost ■ Accumulated 14 total state championships in high school career ■ Won three 2A state cross country champions ■ Won three 2A track championships as a senior ■ Won Maryland state indoor track championships in the 800 and 1,600 as a senior ■ Recorded state-record time in indoor 1,600, the fastest time in the country in 2016-17 ■ Broke Maryland state outdoor record in two mile (10:14) as a senior ■ Finished eight at the Foot Locker Cross Country Nationals as a senior Personal ■ Daughter of Leah Walker ■ Birthday is October 6 ■ Undecided major

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T R ACK & FIEL D

McKENNA SMITH

5-7, FR. SPRINTS BRIDGEPORT, W.VA.

High School ■ Ran track at Bridgeport High School for coach Emily Stout ■ Finished with 10 state championships during her high school career ■ Won four state championships as a senior, breaking four state records in the process (100, 200, 300-hurdles, 400) ■ Won four state championships as a junior and two as a freshman ■ Helped Bridgeport to two Class AA state championships as a team ■ McCoy Award winner – West Virginia’s top track and field athlete ■ Also played soccer Personal ■ Daughter of Jeremy and Naomi Smith ■ Has one brother ■ Birthday is March 31 ■ Majoring in occupational therapy

BREE WARREN

5-7, FR. DISTANCE BELGRAVE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

Monash University (2016-17) ■ ■

Represented school at Southern University Games Member of Elite Student Performer Scheme

High School ■ Ran at Haileybury Secondary College ■ Finished sixth at Australian U-20 Cross Country Championships in 2016 ■ Won U-20 Victoria Women’s Cross Country Championship ■ Won multiple Victorian track championships, including 5,000m and 6,000m ■ Vice-captain of cross country team in 2014 and vice-captain of athletics in 2015 ■ Captain of APS Cross Country All-Star Team Personal ■ Daughter of Grant and Denise Warren ■ Has one brother and one sister ■ Birthday is January 10 ■ Majoring in human nutrition and foods

KYRIELLE WILLIAMS

5-9, R-FR. JUMPS NORTH ROYALTON, OHIO

2017 (Fr.)

Outdoor Season ■ Placed 55th in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.69 at the Raleigh Relays ■ Finished 20th in the prelims of the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.90 and took 100th in the 200-meter prelims with a time of 28.42 at the 49er Classic Indoor Season ■ Redshirted

High School ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Competed at Saint Joseph Academy for coach Fred Kieser Four-year letterwinner in track and field Placed third in the high jump at the state championships Set a personal-best mark of 1.70 meters (5’7”) in the high jump Personal-best mark of 5.52 meters in the long jump Also competed in AAU basketball

Personal ■ ■ ■ ■

Daughter of Gregory and Kelly Williams Has two brothers and one sisters Birthday is January 11 Majoring in chemistry

WVUTrackField

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JillianFORSEY

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MOUNTAINEER

Preview

2017-18 Season Preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Quick Facts/2017-18 Track Schedule. . . . . . . . 50

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Preview

2017-18 SEASON

The West Virginia University track and field team enters the 2017-18 season filled with optimism. With plenty of veteran leadership infused with a large crop of talented underclassmen, coach Sean Cleary’s 12th season leading the Mountaineer program shows the potential to be highly successful.

2017-18 SCHEDULE

WVU will take on familiar-looking schedule in some regards, with some new challenges along the way. The indoor season begins with a pair of home meets at the WVU Shell Building. First, the Mountaineers open competition at the Marty Pushkin Track Classic on Dec. 2, before hosting the WVU Open on Jan. 13.

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From there, the Mountaineers hit the road, featuring a pair of away meets at Penn State (Jan. 26-27, Feb. 17), as well as trips to Youngstown State (Jan. 19), Akron (Feb. 2-3) and Marshall (Feb. 9-10). Additionally, a select group of Mountaineers will compete in Boston University’s David Hemery Valentine Invitational on Feb. 9, a meet that showcases some of the top talent from around the country.

From there, WVU competes in the Big 12 Indoor Championship, from Feb. 23-24, in Ames, Iowa, with the NCAA Indoor Championships set for March 9-10 in College Station, Texas.

Then, WVU heads outdoors as it begins the spring at the 49er Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina, from March 16-17. That leads into a split-squad weekend on March 30-31, which will slot Mountaineers in NC State’s Raleigh Relays and the Stanford Invitational. The team reunites for a trip to Bucknell from April 13-14, before back-toback visits to Virginia on April 20-21 and April 28.

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47

WVU concludes the outdoor regular season at the Billy Hayes Invitational in Bloomington, Indiana, on May 4, a week before the squad competes in the Big 12 Outdoor Championship in Waco, Texas, from May 11-13. West Virginia’s postseason also features opportunities to compete in the NCAA East Preliminary Regional and the NCAA Outdoor Championships to cap the campaign.

SENIORS STEPPING UP

The Mountaineer roster features seniors in nearly all facets of the team. From pole vaulters Sara Finfrock and Rebekah Lafata, to jumpers Shamoya McNeil and Meghan Jean-Baptiste, and distance runners Amy Cashin, Maggie Drazba and others, WVU has leadership at every turn.

In all, WVU has nine seniors on the 2017-18 roster, with each of them possessing experience and expertise in competing at the college level. For West Virginia, the goal is to use its veteran presence throughout the year, using those seniors to its advantage to help the rest of the team grow.

MOUNTAINEERS ADD EIGHT

Once again this year, West Virginia has scoured the globe to find the next group of Mountaineers. Cleary and his staff welcome eight newcomers this season, featuring in-state, national and international recruits.

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Freshmen Michaela Ashford, Ellie Gardner and McKenna Smith arrive to WVU after competing in the Mountain State during their high-school careers. That trio is joined by Marianne Abdalah, Hayley Jackson and Mikayla Shute, who arrive to Morgantown from outside the state. Additionally, the Mountaineers welcome Australians Katherine Dowie and Bree Warren to the program – and country. Each student-athlete adds to the overall talent level and depth that WVU continues to focus on.

DISTANCE RUNNERS

One of the Mountaineers’ biggest strengths entering the new year continues to be in their distance group.

Cashin and Drazba earned All-Big 12 and All-MidAtlantic Region honors in cross country last fall, and the team finished fourth at the Big 12 Cross Country Championship.

Cashin, the 2017 Big 12 women’s track Scholar-Athlete of the Year, returns after finishing 19th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last season.

Other contributors like redshirt sophomore Olivia Hill and Candace Jones, as well as redshirt freshman Sarah Wills, are primed to take on a larger role this season.

While Abdalah, Dowie, Jackson and Warren are set to join the distance group for the first time this spring, they won’t have to look far to find veteran leadership.

Additional returning runners like redshirt senior Rebecca Wendt, redshirt sophomore Andrea Pettit and redshirt freshmen Antigone Archer and Abby Colbert also look to continue to help the group’s depth.

VAULTERS

The pole vault group looks primed for a big year.

Redshirt junior Madelin Gardner, who owns the school’s outdoor record in the event and qualified for the NCAA East prelims last spring, headlines a talented lineup.

Gardner earned a mark of 4.13 meters at the Virginia Challenge last spring, taking over No. 1 spot in WVU’s outdoor history.

Seniors Finfrock and Lafata return to help bolster the group. They’re joined by sophomore Amanda Barnes, who tasted collegiate action for the first time last season, as well as freshmen Ellie Gardner and Shute, who look to make their presence known at the beginning of their Mountaineer careers.

Together, the Mountaineer vaulters hope to reach new heights in 2017-18 and continue to be a major strength within the WVU track and field program.

JUMPERS

As with other areas on the team, the WVU jumps group is filled with some old with some new. McNeil return following a terrific campaign in 2016-17. She earned a trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the triple jump following an 11th-place finish in the event at the NCAA East Prelims. McNeil, one of the top jumpers in the Big 12 Conference, is a multiple-time All-Big 12 performer and looks to continue to improve upon her near-record-setting marks.

However, the talent doesn’t end there. Jean-Baptiste, who doubles as a multi athlete for the Mountaineers, and Bryan (a 2017 NCAA East prelim qualifier) are primed for big years in the Old Gold and Blue this season, as is junior Faith Penny, who is slated to return to action in the spring.

Ashford joins the group and will concentrate on the long jump, as well as sprint events on the track. Redshirt freshman Kyrielle Williams is slated to be full-go at the start of indoor season, hoping to make an impact for the squad, while redshirt sophomore Krista Gay-Taylor is another Mountaineer with huge potential entering a new season.

In all, the Mountaineer jumpers are powerful, which could translate into some exciting results.

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49

Facts

QUICK

UNIVERSITY INFORMATION Location Enrollment Founded President Director of Athletics Nickname Colors Conference

Morgantown, W.Va. 31,514 1867 E. Gordon Gee Shane Lyons Mountaineers Old Gold (PMS 124) and Blue (PMS 295) Big 12

COACHING STAFF Head Coach

Assistant Coach

Assistant Coach

TEAM INFORMATION

2017 All-Big 12 Selections (Indoor) 8 2017 All-Big 12 Selections (Outdoor) 7 2017 Big 12 Finish (Indoor/Outdoor) 10th/10th 2017 NCAA Qualifiers Amy Cashin (Outdoor - 3,000m Steeplechase)

Shamoya McNeil (Outdoor - Triple Jump) Returnees 21 Newcomers 8

TRACK AND FIELD HISTORY Sean Cleary (11th season/25th overall West Virginia ‘92 Shelly-Ann Gallimore (10th season) West Virginia ‘08 (Master’s) Erin O’Reilly (5th season) -West Virginia ‘93

MEDIA INFORMATION Track and Field Contact Email Office Cell Fax

Joe Mitchin jmitchin@mail.wvu.edu (304) 293-9916 (330) 933-2084 (304) 293-4105

Season of Track and Field First Year Individual National Champions All-Americans Individual Conference Champions Individual ECAC Champions Home Indoor Facility Home Outdoor Facility

FOLLOW THE MOUNTAINEERS Website Twitter Facebook Instagram

41st 1978 4 91 69 34 WVU Shell Building Mountaineer Track

www.WVUSports.com @WVUTrackField /WVUTrackField @WVUTrackField

Schedule

2017-18 TRACK & FIELD

INDOOR

50

Date Event

Location

Dec. 2 Jan. 13 Jan. 19 Jan. 26-27 Feb. 2-3 Feb. 9-10 Feb. 9-10 Feb. 17 Feb. 23-24 March 9-10

Morgantown, W.Va. Morgantown, W.Va. Youngstown, Ohio University Park, Pa. Akron, Ohio Huntington, W.Va. Boston, Mass.

University Park, Pa. Ames, Iowa College Station, Texas

Marty Pushkin Track Classic WVU Open YSU College Invitational Penn State National Open Akron Invitational Marshall Invitational David Hemery Invite Penn State Tune-Up Big 12 Indoor Championship NCAA Indoor Championships

T R ACK & FIEL D

OUTDOOR

Date Event

Location

March 16-17 49er Classic March 30-31 Raleigh Relays March 30-31 Stanford Invitational Apr. 13-14 Bison Outdoor Classic Apr. 20-21 Virginia Challenge Apr. 28 Virginia Grand Prix May 4 Billy Hayes Invitational May 11-13 Big 12 Outdoor Championship May 24-27 NCAA East Preliminary Regional June 6-9 NCAA Outdoor Championships

Charlotte, N.C. Releigh, N.C. Stanford, Calif.

Lewisburg, Pa. Charlottesville, Va. Charlottesville, Va. Bloomington, Ind. Waco, Texas Tampa, Fla. Eugene, Ore.

MOUNTAINEER

Review

2016-17 Season Review ������������������������������� 52 2016-17 Track Schedule ������������������������������� 54

2016-17 SEASON REVIEW The 2016-17 track and field season at West Virginia University once again saw plenty of success in and away from competition. The Mountaineers featured two NCAA outdoor qualifiers and several prestigious academic accomplishments.

WVU combined to break three school records during the outdoor campaign, including Amy Cashin in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Danique Bryan in the triple jump and Madelin Gardner in the pole vault.

In the classroom, the Mountaineers filled conference, regional and national academic lists based off their academic pedigree. It all led to a year full of growth in Morgantown, paving the way for a bright future.

ACADEMICS Success in the classroom is nothing new for the WVU track and field team, and 2017 was no different. Eleven Mountaineers were named to the Academic All-Big 12 team, while multiple others were selected for even higher distinction.

Perhaps the biggest academic accomplishment came when Cashin and Jillian Forsey earned CoSIDA Academic All-District and Academic All-America Second Team accolades.

“This is a very prestigious award, one that we are very proud of,” WVU coach Sean Cleary said. “The demands placed upon student-athletes can sometimes become overwhelming but the resources provided to all student-athletes at WVU certainly help make such awards attainable.

We have some wonderful students with very ambitious goals. Amy and Jill surely present themselves as powerful leaders.”

The duo also grabbed United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic status, along with Maggie Drazba.

Additionally, Cashin was named the Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year following the outdoor track season.

The Werribee, Victoria, Australia, native later received WVU’s Order of Augusta Award, the university’s highest academic honor and received the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Award from the Big 12.

52

T R ACK & FIEL D

Drazba, meanwhile, also received special recognition, as she was selected as one of WVU’s Most Outstanding Senior, further cementing the positive and impactful strides the Mountaineers continue to make away from the track.

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS WVU earned eight All-Big 12 honors at the Big 12 Indoor Championship in Ames, Iowa, before it claimed seven more at the conference’s outdoor championships in Lawrence, Kansas, three months later.

In late February, Forsey led the way with a fourth-place finish in the 3,000 meters. The Mountaineer distance medley relay team of Megan Yuan, Bria Welker, Drazba and Candace Jones placed fifth, before Jones became a two-time all-conference performer by claiming seventh place in the 1,000 meters. In the field events, Shamoya McNeil placed sixth in the triple jump. Danique Bryan finished just behind her teammate McNeil for seventh in the triple jump.

The Mountaineers also displayed some big-time performances against some of the nation’s top programs at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in May. Led by a record-breaking mark by Bryan in the triple jump, WVU finished with seven All-Big 12 accolades in five different events.

Bryan set a school-record mark of 13.68 meters (44 feet, 10.75 inches) in the triple jump, ahead of McNeil, who earned the program’s second-best mark in a sixthplace finish. Cashin also shined at the conference meet, earning the silver medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Yuan also competed in the event, taking seventh.

Other All-Big 12 outdoor performances came from Maggie Drazba in the 10,000-meter run (fourth place), Bryan in the long jump (seventh place) and Gardner in the pole vault (eighth place).

NCAA EAST PRELIMINARY REGIONALS Bryan, Cashin, Drazba, Gardner, McNeil and Yuan represented WVU at the

NCAA East Preliminary Regionals in Lexington, Kentucky. The six Mountaineers ranked in the top 48 of the East Region in their respective events, earning a chance to compete for a trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Cashin punched her ticket to the national meet with a WVU record time of 10:01.19 for sixth place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Later, McNeil became the second Mountaineer to earn a trip to Eugene when she placed 11th in the triple jump.

Bryan fell just short of qualifying for the NCAA Championships. She finished in 14th place in the triple jump. Bryan also competed in the long jump during the three-day event, finishing 20th.

Drazba placed 22nd in the 10,000-meter run, while Yuan took 34th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS Cashin and McNeil made their NCAA Championships debuts at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, becoming the first Mountaineers to qualify since Kaitlyn Gillespie in 2015.

Cashin placed 19th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:11:86 in the event’s semifinals. For McNeil, the Portland, Jamaica, native finished 22nd in the triple jump finals, earning a mark of 12.70 meters (41 feet, 8 inches). With the performances, the two Mountaineers earned All-America Third Team honors.

“We are very proud of both Shamoya and Amy,” Cleary said. “Amy began competing last September, while Shamoya began in December. To be standing at the NCAA finals competing alongside the finest young athletes in the world is a tremendous achievement. While both wanted more from themselves this week, they do return home with the knowledge that they have the ability and belief that they will be back on this stage next year. Both will take this experience, along with their All-American awards and be much of motives the next time they stand on the track.”

AmyCASHIN ShamoyaMcNEIL

OliviaHILL

Meghan JEAN-BAPTISTE

KellyWILLIAMS

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53 53

2016-17 TRACK SCHEDULE INDOOR DATE EVENT

LOCATION

Dec. 4

WVU Inter-Squad

Morgantown, W.Va.

Jan. 16

Nittany Lion Challenge

State College, Pa.

Jan. 29-30

Penn State National Invitational

State College, Pa.

Feb. 5-6

Akron Invitational

Akron, Ohio

Feb. 11

High Point Team Challenge

Winston-Salem, N.C.

Feb. 20

Penn State Tune-Up

State College, Pa.

Feb. 26-27

Big 12 Championship

Ames, Iowa

OUTDOOR

54

DATE OPPONENT

LOCATION

Mar. 18-19

Wake Forest

Winston-Salem, N.C.

Apr. 1

Texas Relays

Austin, Texas

April 1

Stanford Invitational

Stanford, Calif.

April 9

Mason Spring Invitational

Fairfax, Va.

April 16-17

Bison Outdoor Classic

Lewisburg, Pa.

April 22-23

Virginia Challenge

Charlottesville, Va.

April 22-23

Jesse Owens Classic

Columbus, Ohio

April 28-29

Penn Relays

Philadelphia, Pa.

May 6

Jim Thorpe Invite

State College, Pa.

May 6

Billy Hayes Invitational

Bloomington, Ind.

May 13-15

Big 12 Championship

Fort Worth, Texas

May 26-28

NCAA East Preliminary Round

Jacksonville, Fla.

T R ACK & FIEL D

MOUNTAINEER

RecordBook

All-Time Records ������������������������������������������������ 56 Top Five Performers �������������������������������������������� 58 Campus Records ������������������������������������������������ 62 Conference Champions ���������������������������������������� 63 NCAA Champions ������������������������������������������������ 66 WVU All-Americans ���������������������������������������������� 67 All-Time Coaches and Captains ��������������������������� 72

55

T R ACK & FIEL D

Records

ALL-TIME

AletheaMOODY

INDOOR

56

Event 55 meters 60 meters 55m Hurdles 60m Hurdles 200 meters 200m Hurdles 300 meters 400 meters 500 meters 600 meters 800 meters 1,000 meters Mile 3,000 meters 5,000 meters 4x200 Relay 4x400 Relay 4x800 Relay DMR Long Jump High Jump

Holder Tammy Henderson Stacian Brown Pat Itanyi Chelsea Carrier Stacian Brown Jeanna Johnson Tammy Henderson April Rotilio Connie Ellerbe Keri Bland Kate Vermeulen Kate Vermeulen Keri Bland Megan Metcalfe Marie-Louise Asselin Marlene Dawkins, Pat Itanyi, Martina Miller, Jeanna Johnson Maxine Dawkins, Jeanna Johnson, Martina Miller, Tameca Williams Keri Bland, Kaylyn Christopher, Marie-Louise Asselin, Jessica O’Connell Kaylyn Christopher, Karly Hamric, Marie-Louise Asselin, Keri Bland Pat Itanyi Sharon Pfister

Triple Jump Pole Vault Shot Put Weight Throw Pentathlon

Christine Brown Erin Nett Jodi Smith Heather Adams Chelsea Carrier

T R ACK & FIEL D

Record Year 6.82 1985 7.34 1999 7.67 1996 8.08 2011 23.67 1999 27.40 1997 39.45 1984 54.29 2009 1:12.84 1990 1:33.32 2010 2:06.42 1999 2:43.02 1999 4:34.78 2009 8:58.17 2005 15:50.53 2010 1:38.80 1996 3:42.84 1998 8:44.98 2010 11:05.12 2009 6.48m 1996 1.78m 1985 13.13m 4.07m 14.80m 18.18m 4,170 points

2000 2002 1984 2013 2011

ChelseaCARRIER-EADES

OUTDOOR Event

Holder

Record

Year

100 meters

Stacian Brown

11.36

1999

200 meters

Maxine Dawkins

23.21

1998

400 meters

April Rotilio

52.71

2011

800 meters

Jennifer Kemp

2:05.09

2002

1,500 meters

Megan Metcalfe

4:12.00

2003

3,000 meters

Megan Metcalfe

9:04.02

2004

Steeplechase

Amy Cashin

10:01.19

2017

5,000 meters

Megan Metcalfe

15:47.64

2005

10,000 meters

Clara Grandt

33:16.96

2009

100 Hurdles

Chelsea Carrier

12.78

2012

400 Hurdles

Connie Ellerbe

55.87

1992

4x100 Relay

Keisha Miller, Tameca Williams, Zane Francis, Stacian Brown

44.28

1999

4x200 Relay

Amanda Valentine, Maxine Dawkins, Jeanna Johnson, Marlene Dawkins

1:34.55

1996

4x400 Relay

Maxine Dawkins, Jeanna Johnson, Martina Miller, Tameca Williams

3:36.58

1998

4x800 Relay

Karly Hamric, Keri Bland, Jessica O’Connell, Kaylyn Christopher

8:47.95

2010

SMR

Stacian Brown, Tameca Williams, Amanda Valentine, Rebecca Stallwood

3:54.62

2000

DMR

Keri Bland, Abbie Stechschulte, Raeleen Hunter, Marie-Louis Asselin

11:24.76

2007

Long Jump

Pat Itanyi

6.74m

1995

High Jump

Althea Moody

1.83m

1990

Javelin

Jodi Smith

47.98m

1984

Shot Put

Jodi Smith

14.22m

1984

Discus

Jodi Smith

50.26m

1984

Hammer Throw

Heather Adams

56.96m

2013

Pole Vault

Madelin Gardner

4.13m

2017

Triple Jump

Danique Bryan

13.68m

2017

Heptathlon FAT - fully automatic time

Chelsea Carrier

5,927 points

2011

WVUTrackField

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57

Indoor

TOP FIVE PERFORMERS

60 Meters

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Stacian Brown Jessica Czaikowski Ciara Chic Chelsea Carrier Sabrina Cox

600 Meters

7.34 7.49 7.54 7.56 7.58

1999 2007 2003 2011 2000

8.08 8.22 8.23 8.38 8.42

2011 1999 2005 2013 1996

23.63 23.78 23.80 24.12 24.17

1999 1998 1997 1984 2009

54.29 54.79 55.09 55.18 55.24

2009 1998 1992 1991 1989

1:12.84 1:12.93 1:14.35 1:14.42 1:14.56

1990 2005 1995 1986 2001

60 Hurdles 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Chelsea Carrier Stacian Brown Jessica Czaikowski ChenĂŠ Townsend Pat Itanyi

Stacian Brown Maxine Dawkins Marlene Dawkins Tammy Henderson April Rotilio

April Rotilio Tameca Williams Kristy Beans Connie Ellerbe Claudette Rodgers

Connie Ellerbe Pamela Richardson Tamara Stoner Holly Workman Aileen Smith

2010 2015 2013 1985 2016

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Kate Vermeulen Keri Bland Aileen Smith Jennifer Kemp Merissa Sexsmith

2:06.42 2:06.72 2:08.81 2:09.55 2:09.98

1999 2009 2001 2005 2000

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Kate Vermeulen Kaylyn Christopher Millie Paladino Karly Hamric Megan Metcalfe

2:43.01 2:45.56 2:45.80 2:46.03 2:46.78

1999 2011 2016 2010 2004

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Keri Bland Megan Metcalfe Kelly Williams Karly Hamric Kate Vermeulen

4:34.78 4:35.89 4:36.77 4:38.55 4:39.05

2009 2004 2013 2010 1999

8:58.17 9:14.12 9:14.44 9:26.52 9:26.81

2005 2011 2008 2014 2002

Megan Metcalfe Jessica O’Connell Marie-Louise Asselin Jillian Forsey Rebecca Stallwood

Marie-Louise Asselin Clara Grandt Jillian Forsey Sarah-Anne Brault Tara Struyk

15:50.53 16:04.24 16:14.76 16:17.95 16:22.44

2010 2010 2016 2011 2004

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Pat Itanyi Christine Brown Chelsea Carrier Danique Bryan Abbie Stechschulte Stormy Nesbit

6.48m 6.21m 6.10m 6.00m 5.92m 5.92m

1996 2003 2010 2016 2007 2013

14.80m 13.12m 13.10m 12.83m 12.53m

1984 2014 2008 2007 2003

4.07m 3.98m 3.96m 3.87m 3.86m

2001 2014 2016 2009 2016

1.78m 1.78m 1.75m 1.75m 1.74m 1.74m

1985 2013 2010 2016 2004 1988

13.13m 12.93m 12.69m 12.46m 12.20m

2000 2017 2014 2017 1989

4,170 4,111 4,016 3,817

2011 1997 2007 1986

14.80m 13.12m 13.10m 12.83m 12.53m

1984 2014 2008 2007 2003

18.18m 16.73m 15.18m 15.05m 14.65m

2013 2012 2013 2004 2013

Shot Put 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Jodi Smith Karissa Knabenshue LaShawna Black Abbie Stechschulte Michelle McGinnis

Pole Vault 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Erin Nett Katlyn Shelar Madelin Gardner Alex Acker Tori Bertrand

High Jump

3,000 Meters 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Long Jump

Mile

500 Meters 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

5,000 Meters 1:33.32 1:33.69 1:34.84 1:35.05 1:35.53

1,000 Meters

400 Meters 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Keri Bland Brianna Kerekes Alyssa Scherich Kelly Austin Rebecca Wendt

800 Meters

200 Meters 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

1.)

3.)

5.)

Sharon Pfister Sydney Cummings Katelyn Williams Hannah Stone Nancy Regalbuto Alethea Moody

Triple Jump 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Christine Brown Shamoya McNeil Stormy Nesbit Danique Bryan Tessie Palmer

Pentathlon 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

Chelsea Carrier Pat Itanyi Abbie Stechschulte Sharon Pfister

Shot Put 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Jodi Smith Karissa Knabenshue LaShawna Black Abbie Stechschulte Michelle McGinnis

Weight Throw

PatITANYI

58

T R ACK & FIEL D

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Heather Adams Terina Miller Karissa Knabenshue Michele McGinnis Alanna Pritts

SydneyCUMMINGS

CiaraCHIC

4x800m Relay

Distance Medley Relay

DMR Splits 1200

1.) Keri Bland, Kaylyn Christopher, 8:44.98 Marie-Louise Asselin Jessica O’Connell 2010 2.) Merissa Sexsmith, Ailene Smith,, 8:50.10 Rebecca Stallwood, Jennifer Davis 2002 3.) Karly Hamric, Kaylyn Christopher, 8:51.55 Alison Spiker, Keri Bland 2009 4.) Jennifer Kemp, Rebecca Stallwood, 8:52.44 Jennifer Davis, Ailene Smith 2002 5.) Jennifer Kemp, Rebecca Stallwood, 8:52.59 Jennifer Davis, Merissa Sexsmith 2002

1.) Kaylyn Christopher, April Rotilio, 11:05.12 Karly Hamric, Keri Bland 2009 2.) Marie-Louise Asselin, April Rotilio, 11:07.64 Karly Hamric, Keri Bland 2008 3.) Keri Bland, April Rotilio, 11:09.28 Kaylyn Christopher, J essica O’Connell 2010 4.) Kaylyn Christopher, April Rotilio, 11:11.33 Karly Hamric, Keri Bland 2009 5.) Pam Richardson, Ailene Smith, 11:11.98 Jennifer Kemp, Megan Metcalfe 2003

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

DMR Splits 800 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

Jennifer Kemp Aileen Smith Merissa Sexsmith Karly Hamric

2:05.75 2:07.89 2:08.50 2:08.89

Megan Metcalfe Rebecca Stallwood Marie-Louise Asselin Keri Bland Kaylyn Christopher

3:21.85 3:23.20 3:23.90 3:25.84 3:25.90

2004 2002 2008 2010 2009

4:33.50 4:35.94 4:36.15 4:39.50 4:39.60

2003 2008 1999 2005 2008

DMR Splits 1600 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Megan Metcalfe Keri Bland Kate Vermeulen Jennifer Davis Marie-Louise Asselin

2005 2003 2002 2009

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59

Outdoor

TOP FIVE PERFORMERS

100 Meters

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Stacian Brown Kay Iheagwam Maxine Dawkins Tammy Henderson Trinese Summerlin

11.36 11.51 11.54 11.55 11.61

1999 1995 1998 1983 1994

12.78 13.20 13.27 13.29 13.44

2012 1995 2007 1999 2012

23.21 23.54 23.56 23.56 23.61

1998 1984 1995 1998 1999

52.71 52.92 53.70 54.10 54.35

2011 1999 1987 1988 1992

55.87 57.48 57.77 1:00.74

1992 2011 1999 2004

2:05.09 2:05.63 2:06.09 2:08.02 2:08.89

2003 2010 2007 2010 2002

100 Meter Hurdles 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Chelsea Carrier-Eades Pat Itanyi Jessica Czaikowski Stacian Brown Chené Townsend

200 Meters 1.)

2.)

3.)

5.)

Maxine Dawkins Tammy Henderson Kay Iheagwam Tameca Williams Stacian Brown

400 Meters 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

April Rotilio Tameca Williams Holly Workman Connie Ellerbe Kristy Beans

400 Meter Hurdles 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

Connie Ellerbe Chelsea Carrier Martina Miller Pam Richardson

800 Meters 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Jennifer Kemp Keri Bland Raeleen Hunter Karly Hamric Ailene Smith

Megan Metcalfe Karly Hamric Kelly Williams Keri Bland Jessica O’Connell

4:12.00 4:13.54 4:13.61 4:14.52 4:18.31

2003 2010 2013 2010 2010

9:04.02 9:23.45 9:26.09 9:29.86 9:30.06

2004 2001 2007 2014 2012

Megan Metcalfe Rebecca Stallwood Marie-Louise Asselin Jillian Forsey Jessica O’Connell

15:47.64 15:53.93 16:00.27 16:01.18 16:05.89

2005 2010 2015 2010 2016

60

Megan Metcalfe Marie-Louise Asselin Katie Gillespie Clara Grandt Jillian Forsey

T R ACK & FIEL D

Clara Grandt Kaite Gillespie Allison Lasnicki Kate Harrison Sarah-Anne Brault

33:16.96 33:44.08 33:46.22 33:48.64 33:51.14

2009 2015 2014 2011 2011

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Amy Cashin Sarah Martinelli Jordan Hamric Susan Davis Megan Yuan

1.)

2.)

2.)

4.)

5.)

Chelsea Carrier Pat Itanyi Abbie Stechschulte Sharon Pfister Melinda Case

1.)

2.)

3.)

5.)

Alethea Moody Katelyn Williams Sharon Pfister Sydney Cummings Marseille McBeam

1.83m 1.79m 1.78m 1.78m 1.76m

1990 2011 1986 2013 2014

4.13m 4.10m 4.00m 3.91m 3.91m

2017 2013 2002 2016 2016

6.74m 6.42m 6.29m 6.28m 6.17m

1995 2011 2002 2017 2011

Pole Vault

10:01.19 10:05.27 10:06.47 10:25.93 10:27.39

2017 2014 2013 2006 2016

5,927 5,647 5,609 5,141 4,523

2011 1997 2007 1986 1987

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

Madelin Gardner Katlyn Shelar Erin Nett Tori Bertrand Sara Finfrock

Long Jump

Heptathlon

5,000 Meters 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

3,000 Meter Steeplechase

3,000 Meters 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

High Jump

10,000 Meters

1,500 Meters 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

JennniferKEMP

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Pat Itanyi Chelsea Carrier Christine Brown Danique Bryan Meghan Mock

AllisonTYREE

MeganMETCALFE

Triple Jump 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Danique Bryan Shamoya McNeil Christine Brown Stormy Nesbit Tessie Palmer

4x100 Relay 13.68m 13.21m 13.20m 13.19m 12.45m

2017 2017 2001 2014 1991

47.99m 43.09m 41.82m 40.00m

1984 2006 1997 1995

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

50.26m 47.32m 46.29m 42.89m 42.31m

1984 2013 2012 2012 2010

4x400 Relay

14.22m 13.16m 12.67m 12.37m 11.80m

1984 2013 2006 2007 2011

56.96m 55.25m 53.29m 42.51m 42.24m

2013 2012 2012 2006 2012

Javelin 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

Jodi Smith Lindsey Clark Kristen Snyder Pat Itanyi

Discus 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Jodi Smith Heather Adams Heather Adams Karissa Knabenshue Brittany Fink

Shot put 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Jodi Smith Karissa Knabenshue Michelle McGinnis Abbie Stechschultz Terina Miller

Hammer throw 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Heather Adams Terina Miller Heather Adams Michele McGinnis Alanna Pritts

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Martina Miller, Tameca Williams, Zane Francis, Stacian Brown Haneefah Norman, Tameca Williams, Zane Francis, Stacian Brown Maxine Dawkins, Marlene Dawkins, Pat Itanyi, Martina Miller Jeanna Johnson, Tameca Williams, Martina Miller, Maxine Dawkins Maxine Dawkins, Pat Itanyi, Amanda Valentine, Marlene Dawkins

44.28 44.65 44.88 45.27 45.43

1999 1999 1997 1998 1996

1:34.55 1:35.41 1:36.37 1:36.40 1:36.94

1999 1998 2006 1996 1995

3:36.58 3:41.62 3:41.68 3:41.74 3:42.38

1998 1992 2011 1995 1996

8:47.95 8:48.07 8:49.50 8:51.17 8:51.66

2010 2003 1999 2002 2002

11:19.81 11:24.76 11:33.63

2008 2007 2002

4x200 Relay

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Martina Miller, Tameca Williams, Haneefah Norman, Zane Francis Martina Miller, Maxine Dawkins, Tameca Williams, Jamillah Nock Junique Morris, Jamillah Nock, Shani Boone, Jessica Czaikowski Amanda Valentine, Maxine Dawkins, Jeanna Johnson, Marlene Dawkins Amanda Valentine, Pat Itanyi, Tamara Stoner, Kay Iheagwam

Jeanna Johnson, Tameca Williams, Martina Miller, Maxine Dawkins Kristy Beans, Connie Ellerbe, Jennifer Scweizer, Tamara Stoner Jenna Barreto, Chelsea Carrier, Allison Tyree, April Rotilio Amanda Valentine, Kay Iheagwam, Tamara Stoner, Halima Sinceno Jeanna Johnson, Marlene Dawkins, Amanda Valentine, Maxine Dawkins

4x800m Relay 1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

Karly Hamric, Keri Bland, Jessica O’Connell, Kaylyn Christopher Merissa Sexsmith, Megan Metcalfe, Jennifer Kemp, Jennifer Davis Jennifer Zawaski, Merissa Sexsmith, Rebecca Stallwood, Kecia Herod Jennifer Kemp, Ailene Smith, Jennifer Davis, Megan Metcalfe Jennifer Davis, Jennifer Kemp, Megan Metcalfe, Ailene Smith

Distance Medley Relay 1.) Kaylyn Christopher, Katelyn Williams, Karly Hamric, Keri Bland 2.) Keri Bland, Abbie Stechshulte, Emma Hunter, Marie-Louise Asselin 3.) Jennifer Kemp, Stacian Brown, Ailene Smith, Megan Metcalfe

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MOUNTAINEER TRACK RECORDS Event Holder 100-meters Kay Iheagwam (WVU) 200-meters Debbie Bonner (Pitt) 400-meters Connie Ellerbe (WVU) 800-meters Keri Bland (WVU) 1,500-meters Keri Bland (WVU) 3,000-meters Susie Comer (WVU) 5,000-meters Jennifer Colgrove (All.CC) 10,000-meters Charlene Burstrom (WVU) 100 Hurdles Allison Williams (Unat) 400 Hurdles Connie Ellerbe (WVU) 4x100 Relay Pitt 4x200 Relay West Virginia 4x400 Relay West Virginia 4x800 Relay West Virginia Mile Relay West Virginia 2-Mile Relay Indiana, Pa. DMR West Virginia SMR West Virginia Long Jump Pat Itanyi (WVU) High Jump Alethea Moody (WVU) Triple Jump Tessie Palmer (WVU) Pole Vault Alex Acker Shot Put Jodi Reidel (Kent St.) Weight Throw Heather Adams (WVU) Discus Jodi Smith (WVU) Javelin Jodi Smith (WVU) Heptathlon Pat Itanyi (WVU)

Record 11.51 23.80 54.10 2:07.01 4:27.09 9:47.34 17:06.11 35:00.05 13.38 56.95 46.37 1:37.31 3:43.05 8:57.31 3:49.80 9:33.56 12:14.60 4:06.97 20’6 .5” 5’10” 40’ .75” 3.66m 44’10 .5” 16.53m 160’5” 157’5” 5647 points

Year 1995 1989 1988 2008 2008 1981 1983 1987 1996 1987 1989 1988 1988 1990 1984 1983 1995 1984 1995 1990 1989 2008 1983 2013 1984 1984 1997

SHELL BUILDING RECORDS Event 55-meters 55 Hurdles 200-meters 300-meters 400-meters 500-meters 600-meters 800-meters 1,000-meters Mile 3,000-meters 5,000-meters 4x400 Relay 4x800 Relay

Long Jump High Jump Triple Jump Pole Vault Pentathlon

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Holder Tammy Henderson (WVU) Pat Itanyi (WVU) Tammy Henderson (WVU) Janet Dodson (Morgan St.) Edna Brown (Temple) Connie Ellerbe (WVU) Monica Egbuonu (Princeton) Dorianne Lambelet-McClive (Cornell) Kate Vermeulen (WVU) Megan Metcalfe (WVU) Alyse Holden (Allegheny) Janice Brown (William & Mary) Temple Megan Metcalfe, Rebecca Stallwood, Merissa Sexsmith, Jennifer Kemp (WVU) Trecia Smith (Pitt) Becky Bryan (West Ontario) Najuma Fletcher (Pitt) Madelin Gardner (WVU) Pat Itanyi (WVU)

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Record 6.82 7.71 24.27 37.54 53.59 1:12.84 1:32.35 2:07.32 2:48.30 4:44.00 9:23.10 16:29.50 3:43.19

Year 1985 1996 1985 N/A 1983 1990 1982 1982 1999 2003 1992 1993 1982

9:00.45 20’10 .5” 5’10” 41’2.5” 13’7’’ 4,111

2002 1997 1994 1993 2017 1995

ATLANTIC 10

Champions

Atlantic 10 Team Indoor Champion

400-meter Dash

55-meter Hurdles

1995 - Mandy Valentine, 57.88 1993 - Halima Sinceno, 57.80

1995 - Patience Itanyi, 07.91

Atlantic 10 Individual Indoor Champions

500-meter Run 1995 - Tamara Stoner, 1:14.35

1995 - 3:54.17 (M. Valentine, H. Sinceno, K. Iheagwam, T. Stoner)

One-mile Run

High Jump

1993 - Erin O’Reilly, 4:55.90

1993 - Chantel Dubois, 5-04.25

3,000-meter Run

Long Jump

1995 - Charity Wachera, 9:59.41 1993 - Erin O’Reilly, 9:46.55

1995 - Patience Itanyi, 20-04.50

1993 • 1995

55-meter Dash 1995 - Kay Iheagwam, 6.96 1993 - Trinese Summerlin, 6.90

200-meter Dash 1995 - Kay Iheagwam, 24.52 1993 - Trinese Summerlin, 24.86

4x400-meter Relay

5,000-meter Run 1995 - Carisa Brown, 17:38.28

ECAC INDOOR

Champions

Year Name Event Time/Distance 2008 Chelsea Carrier 60 meter hurdles 8.46 2007 Jessica Czaikowski 60 meter hurdles 8.36 2004 Megan Metcalfe 1,000 meters 2:47.11 2004 Tara Struyk 5,000 meters 16:22.44 2002 Rebecca Stallwood, Ailene Smith,

Schavia Felder, Megan Metcalfe DMR 11:14.25 2000 Christine Brown Triple Jump 12.95m 2000 Stacian Brown 200 meters 23.95 2000 Merissa Sexsmith 1,000 meters 2:49.08 1998 Kristin Quackenbush Pole Vault 11’8” 1996 Charity Wachera 5,000 meters 16:39.87 1993 Trinese Summerlin 55 meters 6.88 1992 Trinese Summerlin 55 meters 6.92 1990 Erin O’Reilly 1,000 meters 2:53.01 1983 Tammy Henderson 55 meters 6.89 1982 Tammy Henderson 55 meters 7.02

OUTDOOR Year Name Event Time/Distance 2012 Chelsea Carrier-Eades 100 meters 11.82 2012 Stormy Nesbit Triple jump 13.07 meters 2009 Chelsea Carrier 100 meter hurdles 13:30 2008 Clara Grandt 10,000 meters 34:15.07* 2008 Keri Bland 1,500 meters 4:19.02 2005 Jennifer Kemp 800 meters 2:06.33 2005 Jennifer Davis 3,000 meters 9:33.61 2003 Megan Metcalfe 1,500 meters 4:21.81 2003 Tara Struyk 10,000 meters 35:02.44 2002 Stacian Brown 100 meter hurdles 13.51 2002 Megan Metcalfe 3,000 meters 9:20.17 1999 Tameca Williams 400 meters 52.93 1998 Maxine Dawkins 100 meters 11.69 1998 Kristin Quackenbush Pole Vault 11’4 1/4” 1998 Maxine Dawkins, Jenna Johnson,

Martina Miller, Tameca Williams 4x100 meter relay 45.27 1997 Pat Itanyi 100 meter hurdles 13.48 1997 Charity Wachera 10,000 meters N/A 1996 Maxine Dawkins, Pat Itanyi,

Mandy Valentine, Marlene Dawkins 4x100 meter relay 46.51 1996 Maxine Dawkins 100 meters 11.55 1996 Charity Wachera 10,000 meters 34:43.11 1995 Kay Iheagwam 100 meters 11.63 * ECAC meet record

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BIG EAST

INDOOR

Champions

Big East Outdoor Outstanding Track Performer 1996 2011

Marlene Dawkins Chelsea Carrier

Big East Outdoor Individual Champions 100-meter Dash 1998 1999

Maxine Dawkins, 11.58 Stacian Brown, 11.62

200-meter Dash 1996 1998 1999

Marlene Dawkins, 23.67 Maxine Dawkins, 23.44 Stacian Brown, 23.89

400-meter Dash 1996 1999 2000 2011

Marlene Dawkins, 54.57 Temeca Williams, 53.16 Tameca Williams, 53.55 April Rotilio, 52.71

1,500-meter Run 1999 2010

Kate Vermeulen, 4:25.72 Karly Hamric, 4:28.02

5,000-meter Run 2002 2009 2010

Megan Metcalfe, 16:35.63 Clara Grandt, 16:07.55 Marie Louise Asselin, 16:31.04

10,000-meter Run 2003 2010 2011

Megan Metcalfe, 35:08.89 Clara Grandt, 33:31.80 Kate Harrison, 33:59.84

100-meter Hurdles 2006 2008 2011 2012

Jessica Czaikowski, 13.42 Chelsea Carrier, 13.48* Chelsea Carrier, 13.07 Chelsea Carrier-Eades, 12.93

400-meter Hurdles 2011

Chelsea Carrier, 57.48

Pole Vault 1998 2001 2002

Kristen Quackenbush, 3.61m (11’10”) Erin Nett, 3.80m (12’5.5”) Erin Nett, 3.95m (12’11.5”)

Long Jump 2011

Chelsea Carrier, 6.42m (21-3/4)

400-meter Relay 1999 2000

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45.27 (H. Norman, T. Williams, Z. Francis, S. Brown) 45.39 (S. Brown, S. Cox, Z. Francis, T. Williams)

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ClaraGRANDT

OUTDOOR Big East Outdoor Outstanding Track Performer 1996 2011

Marlene Dawkins Chelsea Carrier

Big East Outdoor Individual Champions 100-meter Dash 1998 1999

Maxine Dawkins, 11.58 Stacian Brown, 11.62

200-meter Dash 1996 1998 1999

Marlene Dawkins, 23.67 Maxine Dawkins, 23.44 Stacian Brown, 23.89

400-meter Dash 1996 1999 2000 2011

Marlene Dawkins, 54.57 Temeca Williams, 53.16 Tameca Williams, 53.55 April Rotilio, 52.71

1,500-meter Run 1999 2010

Kate Vermeulen, 4:25.72 Karly Hamric, 4:28.02

5,000-meter Run 2002 2009 2010

Megan Metcalfe, 16:35.63 Clara Grandt, 16:07.55 Marie Louise Asselin, 16:31.04

KarlyHAMRIC

10,000-meter Run 2003 2010 2011

Megan Metcalfe, 35:08.89 Clara Grandt, 33:31.80 Kate Harrison, 33:59.84

BIG 12

100-meter Hurdles 2006 2008 2011 2012

Jessica Czaikowski, 13.42 Chelsea Carrier, 13.48* Chelsea Carrier, 13.07 Chelsea Carrier-Eades, 12.93

400-meter Hurdles 2011

Champion

10,000-meter Run 2015

Kaitlyn Gillespie, 33:45.56

Chelsea Carrier, 57.48

Pole Vault 1998 2001 2002

Kristen Quackenbush, 3.61m (11’10”) Erin Nett, 3.80m (12’5.5”) Erin Nett, 3.95m (12’11.5”)

Long Jump 2011

Chelsea Carrier, 6.42m (21-3/4)

400-meter Relay 1999 2000

45.27 (H. Norman, T. Williams, Z. Francis, S. Brown) 45.39 (S. Brown, S. Cox, Z. Francis, T. Williams)

KaitlynGILLESPIE

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NCAA

Champions

Pat Itanyi 1995 NCAA Outdoor Long Jump Champion In only her sophomore season, Pat Itanyi became the first female in West Virginia University women’s track and field history to win a national championship by taking top honors in the long jump at the 1995 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Knoxville, Tenn., with a leap of 22'1. Itanyi edged out George Mason’s Diane Guthrie-Greshman who had a jump of 22'0.25" and surpassed her WVU record of 21'10.25", a mark that placed her ranking second entering the meet. A native of Ukehe, Nigeria, Itanyi’s jump was the 10th longest in NCAA History at the time and set a school record in the finals that still stands to this day.

Kate Vermeulen 1999 NCAA Indoor Mile Champion As a freshman, Kate Vermeulen became the second female NCAA champion when she took top honors in the mile at the 1999 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis, Ind., with a time of 4:39.07. Vermeulen’s time was her best of the year as she edged out Mary Jayne Harrelson of Appalachian State who finished with a time of 4:39.53. The London, Ontario native is the only indoor champion for WVU and in only one year as a Mountaineer, Vermeulen tied other national champion Pat Itanyi by setting six school records in one season.

Megan Metcalfe 2005 NCAA Outdoor 5,000m Champion In her final season at WVU, Megan Metcalfe concluded an already stellar career as a Mountaineer by capturing the 5,000 meter title at the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif., with a time of 16:31.88. Metcalfe used a final surge of energy to outkick the defending champion, Sara Bei of Stanford, defeating her by just 0.54 seconds. The Edmonton, Alberta native, finished her career as a nine-time All-American and still holds four school records to this day.

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WVU Connie ELLERBE

Pat ITANYI

Charity WACHERA

1988, 1989, 1991, 1992

1995, 1996, 1997

1998

As a freshman, she became the first female track and field athlete in school history to earn AllAmerica accolades when she finished seventh in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1988 NCAA Outdoor Championships at Oregon. She again earned All-America honors during her sophomore campaign – finishing ninth in the hurdles at the outdoor meet in Provo, Utah. After redshirting the 1989-90 season, she captured her third All-America honor by finishing fourth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 56.60. Ellerbe culminated her brilliant career in 1992 by finishing second in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA meet in Austin. She also competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1992 where her fifthplace finish in the 400-meter hurdles is the highest a WVU female track athlete has ever placed and she narrowly missed a spot on the U.S. roster.

Alethea MOODY 1990 Moody earned All-America honors during the 1990 season when she placed sixth in the high jump with a leap of 5’ 11 1/4” at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Duke. Two weeks earlier, the junior won the high jump at the Penn Relays and at the ECAC Outdoor Championships; her victory at Penn Relays represented the first female WVU winner at the prestigious meet. She finished the season as the No. 1 ranked jumper in the East and was also selected to compete in the Olympic Sports Festival.

Trinese SUMMERLIN 1993 WVU’s third female track All-American, Summerlin placed sixth in the 55-meter dash at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Indianapolis, blazing to a time of 6.85. The honor capped off an indoor season that saw her take top honors in the 55-meter dash at the ECAC Indoor Championships, as well as the Fairfax Indoor Classic and the George Mason Collegiate Invitational.

Pat Itanyi ended her career at WVU with seven All-America honors and six school records. In 1995, the Ukehe, Nigeria, native culminated a brilliant season by becoming the school’s first female national track champion. During the indoor season, Itanyi placed third in the long jump and fifth in the 55-meter hurdles at the NCAA Indoor Championships at Indianapolis to secure All-America status. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Knoxville, Tenn., the sophomore won the long jump with a leap of 22’1”, edging George Mason’s Diane Guthrie-Greshman for the national title.

That jump was the 10th longest in NCAA history at that time. Itanyi took her fourth All-America honor in 1996 at the NCAA Indoor Championships by placing fifth in the long jump. To cap off her senior season at WVU, Itanyi brought home three All-America awards in 1997. She placed eighth in the long jump at the NCAA indoor meet in Indianapolis. During the outdoor season, Itanyi notched third in the long jump and fifth in the heptathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Bloomington, Ind., to once again earn All-America status.

Kristin QUACKENBUSH 1998 Kristin Quackenbush only participated in track for one season, but she left her mark as one of WVU’s most gifted athletes ever. Quackenbush earned All-America status in the pole vault during the outdoor season. Her mark of 12’1 1/2” was good enough for fourth at the NCAA Championships, and was her third-best effort on the season. Quackenbush also placed 10th at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

She captured first place in the Big East and ECAC Championships during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Quackenbush was only one of three athletes in West Virginia history ever to earn All-America status in two different sports at the time. This 1997 national Gymnast of the Year, excelled in gymnastics at WVU for four years. Her All-American honors in gymnastics include: 1994-95-96 floor, 1994 and 96 vault, and 1996 all-around. She was tied for the most individual All-America awards in West Virginia history with former track stars James Jett and Pat Itanyi.

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Charity Wachera was one of WVU’s best distance runners during her career. The Nairobi, Kenya, native earned All-America honors in the 10,000-meters during the outdoor season as she crossed the line with a time of 34:29.64, good enough for a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. She also held two school records. She ran a 16:27.27 in the 5,000-meters and a 34:24.00 in the 10,000-meters during the 1998 outdoor track season, both good enough for first alltime. In 1997, Wachera finished 11th with a time of 17:00 to become WVU’s first female cross country All-American.

Kate VERMEULEN 1999 Kate Vermeulen will go down as one of the most prolific distance runners in WVU history.

Vermeulen took just one year to become the NCAA indoor champion in the mile, setting a then-school record with a time of 4:39.07. She earned All-America honors during the indoor season and joins Pat Itanyi (long jump, 1995), Mike Mosser (1000-yards, 1972) and Megan Metcalfe (5,000-meters, 2005) as one of only four West Virginia track national champions.

Vermeulen’s six school records ties Itanyi with the most of any track athlete in the University’s history. During the outdoor season, she captured the 1,500-meters (4:22.89), and managed to run down five throughout the indoor season, which included the 800-meters (2:06.42), the 1000-meters (2:43.01) and the mile (4:39.07). She also anchored the 4x800 relay (8:58.47) and distance medley relay (11:15.50), which both captured school records. She was named Outstanding Track Performer at the Big East Championships and posted the fastest collegiate mile time (4:39.84) during the indoor season.

Merissa SEXSMITH 1999, 2000, 2001 Sexsmith proved to be a picture of consistency throughout her freshman campaign as she earned AllAmerica honors for her participation on the distance medley relay team, where she ran the 800-meter leg of the relay. This team, made up of Rebecca Stallwood (1,200 meters), Tameca Williams (400 meters) and Kate Vermeulen (mile), became the first relay team to win a

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WVU Big East Championship (11:15.40) and set the school record during the indoor season with that time. The team placed fifth at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Sexsmith was also a member of the 4x800 relay team that captured a Big East Championship and a school record. Sexsmith became a two-time All-American when the distance medley team came in second at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2000. She earned her third AllAmerica accolade as a member of the 2001 DMR team.

Tameca WILLIAMS 1999, 2000 A transfer from Southern University, Williams quickly became West Virginia’s top 400-meter runner. She was part of the distance medley relay team, running the 400-meter leg, that captured the school record (11:15.40) and a Big East Championship during the indoor season. She also holds the school record in the 400-meters outdoor with a time of 52.92.

Williams earned her second All-America honor with her membership in the 2000 indoor distance medley relay team. Williams was part of the DMR that finished second at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a time of 11:17.92.

Rebecca STALLWOOD 1999, 2000 Stallwood was a fantastic two-sport athlete for West Virginia’s track and cross country teams for four years. As a freshman, she joined the 1997 women’s cross country team at the NCAA Cross Country Championship and had an equally successful season with the cross country team in 1999, with another NCAA Cross Country Championship appearance. She earned her All-America honors, for her contribution on the distance medley relay team, running the opening 1,200-meter leg. This team captured the Big East Championship and set a school record with a time of 11:15.40. The Burlington, Ontario, Canada, native earned her second All-America honor when the distance medley team finished second at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2000.

Christine BROWN 1999, 2000 An athlete that coaches only dream about, Brown came from Jamaica as a freshman. In her first season, the talented athlete took the U.S. Collegiate track scene by storm. Then after taking a year off to work on her studies, she decided to attend WVU, where

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in 2000, she went to the NCAA Championships as a top seed. There she earned her All-America honors with a sixth-place finish in the triple jump.

Ailene SMITH 2000, 2001 Smith earned her All-America honors as part of the second-place distance medley relay team at the 2000 Indoor NCAA Championships. Smith, a transfer from Southern University, was all-Big East as a freshman and made a huge impact on the team’s relays. Smith ran the second leg of the 4x800 relay team that finished fourth at the Big East Indoor Championships in 2000 and finished eighth at the Big East Outdoor Championships in the 800 with a time of 2:11.88. Smith earned her second All-America honor as a member of the 2001 distance medley relay team.

Ciara CHIC 2001 Ciara Chic, a Charleston, W.Va., native, was one of the top athletes to come out of West Virginia during the past decade. She earned her All-America honor during her freshman year as a member of the 2001 distance medley relay team, which finished eighth at the 2001 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Megan METCALFE 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Megan Metcalfe, a nine-time AllAmerican, is one of the most prolific distance runners in Mountaineer women’s track and field history. The Edmonton, Alberta, native earned her first All-America accolade as a member of the 2001 distance medley relay team, which finished in eighth place. Metcalfe’s second All-America award, and first individual, came with a third-place finish in the 3,000-meter at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championships in a WVU record time of 9:09.95.

Also an outstanding cross country runner, Metcalfe was named the 2000 Big East Freshman of the Year.

Her third All-America honor came with a ninth-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Cross Country Championship, making her just the second female cross country All-American in school history and only the fourth Mountaineer to earn All-America honors in two sports.

She earned her fourth and fifth All-America accolades in 2003 by finishing fourth in the 3,000-meter at the indoor championships and was a part of the schoolrecord setting distance medley relay team in that same meet. Her sixth and seventh awards came in March of

2004 when she was fifth in the 3,000-meter and again was a member of the DMR team. Metcalfe’s eighth and school-record winning All-America honor came at the 2004 NCAA Cross Country Championships where she recorded a 16th-place overall finish. Metcalfe capped off her brilliant career with a ninth All-America honor and a national championship when she won the 5,000 meters at the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Jennifer DAVIS 2004, 2005 Jennifer Davis, a native of Romney, W.Va., earned her first All-America honor as a part of the DMR team that finished fifth at the 2004 NCAA Indoor Championships. The team recorded a time of 11:12.56 en route to a fifth place overall finish. Her second such honor came in the same event at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships. The team finished sixth with a time of 11:13.07. Davis currently serves as an assistant coach for the WVU cross country and track teams.

Susan DAVIS 2005 Susan Davis earned her All-America honor as a member of the WVU distance medley relay squad at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships. The Romney, W.Va., native helped the Mountaineers achieve a sixthplace finishing time of 11:13.07.

Jennifer KEMP 2003, 2004, 2005 Jennifer Kemp was a three-time AllAmerican as a member of the Mountaineers’ stellar distance medley relay team. The Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, native picked up her first honor in 2003 when she was a part of the school-record quartet that ran 11:11.19 at the NCAA indoor meet. In 2004, she was again a part of the DMR squad that finished fifth. For the third consecutive year, in 2005, Kemp helped the Mountaineer DMR team capture sixth place at NCAA Indoor Championships.

Pam RICHARDSON 2003, 2004, 2005 Pam Richardson was a three-time AllAmerican as a member of the Mountaineer distance medley relay team. The Atco, N.J., native earned her

first honor in 2003 as part of the record-setting DMR team that finished fourth in a then school-record time of 11:11.19. She followed that performance by being a part of the 2004 DMR squad that finished fifth at the 2004 NCAA Indoor Championships with a time of 11:12.56. In 2005, Richardson helped the WVU DMR team capture sixth place with a time of 11:13.07.

Abbie STECHSCHULTE 2007 After three years of dedicated work, Abbie Stechschulte finally built herself a name in the track world, showing dominance as a multi-event athlete during the 2007 indoor and outdoor season. As proof, the Columbus Grove, Ohio, native won the 2007 Big East Indoor pentathlon crown and finished sixth at the NCAA Championships, earning her All-America honors.

During the 2007 outdoor season, Stechschulte nabbed an Olympic Trials ‘B’ standard at the 80th Annual Texas Relays, scoring 5,609 points in the heptathlon. At the end of her career, she ranked second in the WVU record book for the pentathlon (4,085 points) and the heptathlon (5,609 points).

Marie-Louise ASSELIN 2008, 2009, 2010 One of the most talented and decorated distance runners to ever wear the Old Gold and Blue, as of 2010, Marie-Louise Asselin, a Sarnia, Ontario, native owns seven All-America medals, including three in cross county and four in track. Asselin’s last cross country season, 2009, was one for the record books as she became one of only two WVU runners to earn three All-America honors in the sport. Along with teammate Keri Bland, Asselin achieved the honor as she finished in 31st place (20:43) at the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championship. The Mountaineers went on to finish sixth, marking the third-consecutive year that WVU finished in the top 10 at the national championships.

Asselin also earned all-region honors for the fourth time in her career and all Big East honors for the third time.

Her success continued into the track season as she posted a second-place finish in the 5,000-meter race at the NCAA Indoor Championships (15:50.53) and a second-place finish in the 5,000 meter at the NCAA Outdoor Championships (15:53.93).

In 2008, she led WVU to its most successful season in school history, as the Mountaineers took a historic fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championship, first at the NCAA all-Mid-Atlantic Regionals and second at the Big East Championship. Asselin became the first Big East Women’s Cross Country Individual Champion in 2008, as she took the top spot with a time of 20:10.

She then placed 17th at the NCAA Championship race with a time of 20:27 to earn her second consecutive All-American honor. She earned her first All-American

title in 2007 as the Mountaineers captured their first Big East Championship and finished ninth in the country. Even though she was just a sophomore at the time, Asselin became WVU’s third All-American in the sport when she finished 17th (14th in the team standings) with a time of 20:39 at the 2007 NCAA Championship. It was a fitting ending to an outstanding season that saw her post the team’s highest finish in the final five meets. Asselin showed glimpses of her abilities just weeks earlier at the Big East Championship where she took second and at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional race, where she placed third in leading her team to an overall second-place finish. Asselin, an all-Big East and all-Mid-Atlantic region selection, was joined by Bland as an All-American, marking the first time in program history that two teammates earned the honor in the same season. In the 2008 indoor season, Asselin went on to place seventh in the 3,000-meter to earn All-America honors and was on the All-America distance medley relay team that took fourth at nationals.

Keri BLAND 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Keri Bland, a nine-time All-American, continued to leave her name in the WVU record books as the most decorated athlete in WVU track and field history. In 2011, Bland earned third-team All-America honors in the 1,500-meter run with an 18th-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a time of 4:24. She aided the Mountaineers to a sixth-place finish at the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships, marking the third-straight year WVU finished in the nation’s top 10. Bland, along with teammate MarieLouise Asselin, became the only Mountaineers in school history to earn All-America honors for three seasons in cross county, as she finished 34th (20:45).

The Fairview, W.Va., native earned two All-America honors in the 2009 indoor track season, as she placed eighth in the mile and was a part of the distance medley relay team. Bland continued to dominate in the outdoor season, as she earned her fourth honor of the year by virtue of finishing as one of the top U.S. citizens in the 1,500-meter race, marking the second time she earned honors in all three seasons (cross county, indoor track and outdoor track). Bland was an essential part of the Mountaineers team in 2008, when she led WVU to its most successful season in school history as the squad placed fourth at the NCAA Championship, first at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals and second at the Big East Championship. She was the first Mountaineer to finish at the NCAA Championship, where she finished 14th with a time of 20:20.

In 2007, Bland and Asselin helped guide the Mountaineers to their first conference title and the highest finish at nationals in school history (ninth) in 2007. At nationals, Bland was the second Mountaineer to cross the line in 23rd at 20:58. Bland, along with Asselin, was named a first team All-American, marking the first time WVU’s cross country program had multiple All-Americans in the same year. Bland earned all-Big WVUTrackField

East and all-Mid-Atlantic region accolades during the season after finishing fourth and seventh, respectively, in those races. In the 2008 indoor track season, Bland was a part of the All-America distance medley team that set a school record and placed fourth in the country. She finished the 2008 outdoor season by earning All-America honors in the 1,500-meters to become the first female in WVU history to earn AllAmerica honors in three sports in the same year.

Karly HAMRIC 2008, 2010 Bruceton Mills, W.Va., native Karly Hamric capped off an excellent career in 2010 as she earned her second All-America honor with a sixth-place finish in the 1,500-meter run (4:17.78) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Hamric’s first honor came when she ran the 800-meter leg of the distance medley relay at the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships to help the unit earn All-America honors. Hamric’s 800-meter split was 2:10.82, as the DMR finished fourth with a school record time of 11:07.64. Hamric was joined by Marie-Louise Asselin, Keri Bland and April Rotilio on the squad. Owns a persona-best time of 4:23.54 in the 1,500-meter.

April ROTILIO 2008, 2010, 2011 April Rotilio earned her third All-America honor in 2011 with a 19th-place finish in the 400-meter dash at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 53.47 seconds. She qualified for NCAAs with a 10th-place finish in the 400-meter at the NCAA East Regional in 53.31 seconds. Rotilio earned her best 400-meter time of the year at the Big East Championships, finishing in 52.71 seconds in first place and became the first Mountaineer since Tameca Williams in 2000 to win the event. Academically, she capped her career with third team CoSIDA Academic All-America honors and was named to the Capital One Academic all-district first team.

Rotilio captured her second All-America honor in 2010 as she once again aided the distance medley relay team (Rotilio, Keri Bland, Kaylyn Christopher and Jessica O’Connell) to an eighth-place showing (11:16.39) at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. In 2008, Rotilio earned her first honor as she ran the 400-meter leg of the DMR at the NCAA Indoor Championships, helping lead the Mountaineer unit to a fourth-place finish. The Bellaire, Ohio, native ran the 400-meter split in 55.14. The group, who set a new school record with a time of 11:07.64, featured Marie-Louise Asselin, Keri Bland and Karly Hamric.

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WVU Clara GRANDT 2009 Clara Grandt saved the best for last as she posted the finest season of her career and earned her first All-America honor in cross country. The West Union, W.Va., native led the team to a sixth-place finish at the 2009 NCAA Championship, the first Mountaineer to cross the line in 13th place overall. Grandt also earned all-region and all-Big East honors and was named Big East Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Sept. 24, for her efforts in the Midwest Open. There she crossed the line in 17:00.1, 19 seconds before Louisville’s Tarah McKay (17:19.4), for the fastest course time in over 20 years. In the track season, Grandt earned her second honor of the year by virtue of finishing as one of the top U.S. citizens in the 5,000-meter race at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships. She then capped off her final season as a Mountaineer with a fourthplace showing in the 10,000-meter race at the outdoor championships, giving her four total All-America honors.

Grandt became WVU’s 24th track and field All-American as she earned the honors with a fourth-place showing in the 10,000-meter finals at the NCAA Championship in 2009. Grandt started off the race behind the lead pack before finding her stride around the 6,000-meter mark. The junior closed the gap, and finished with a time of 33:45.16.

Kaylyn CHRISTOPHER 2010 Kaylyn Christopher, a native of Kingwood, W.Va., received her first and second All-America honors in 2010, by virtue of finishing as one of the top U.S. citizens in the mile, and as a member of the distance medley relay team at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Christopher captured her first honor with a 12th-place finish in the mile with a time of 4:46, to finish as one of the top eight Americans in the race. Later in the day, she returned to aid the DMR team (Christopher, Keri Bland, Jessica O’Connell and April Rotilio) to an eighthplace showing (11:16.39). Owns a personal-best time of 4:40.78 in the mile.

Jessica O’CONNELL 2010, 2011, 2012 Another name to be added to the list of great WVU distance runners, Jessica O’Connell earned her first All-America honors as a member of the distance medley relay team (O’Connell, Kaylyn Christopher, Keri Bland and April Rotilio) that finished in eighth place (11:16.39) at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships

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in Fayetteville, Ark. The Calgary, Alberta, native also was a vital asset in the NCAA Outdoor Regionals in 1,500-meter race, but was tripped on the last leg.

O’Connell still managed to finish in 10th place in the semifinals (4:30.05). She is also a NCAA qualifier in the 3,000-meter race after running a life-time best of 9:16.22 at the NY Fast Times Invitational and went on to win the North American Championships in the 5,000-meter that summer.

Her second All-America honor came in the 3,000-meter at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships, when she finished in 16th place to earn second team All-America honors. To qualify for NCAAs, O’Connell earned her first ever Big East title in the 3,000-meter with a time of 9:21.09.

In 2012, she earned her third All-America honor at the NCAA Outdoor Championships where she placed 19th in the 5,000-meter run in 17:10.43 for an honorable mention accolade. That year she also finished eighth in the 5,000-meter at the Big East Indoor Championships and had two first-place marks in the 3,000-meter at the Wake Forest Open and the Larry Ellis Invitational.

Chelsea CARRIER-EADES 2010, 2011, 2012 Chelsea Carrier, an eight-time AllAmerican, left her name in the WVU record books as one of the greatest track athletes in school history. In 2010, Carrier, a Buckhannon, W.Va., native earned her first and second All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. Her first honor came after a fourth-place showing in the pentathlon.

Carrier finished with one of her best performances with 4,133 total points. Later in the day, Carrier earned her second honor with a sixth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles (8.29). Earlier in the season, Carrier was named Mid-Atlantic Field Athlete of the Year after earning two Big East Champion honors and breaking the school record in the pentathlon at the Sykes-Sabock Challenge on Feb. 5. Carrier won the event with 4,136 points to break the school record previously set by All-American Pat Itanyi in 1997 (4,111).

In 2011, Carrier earned first team All-America honors in the heptathlon after placing third with 5,761 points and also earned third team All-America in the 100-meter hurdles after placing 19th in 13.56 seconds. She was named the Mid-Atlantic Field Athlete of the Year, and before that earned three individual Big East titles in the long jump, 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles.

During the indoor season, Carrier earned All-America in the 60-meter hurdles with a fourth-place finish in 8.08 seconds, beating her personal record of 8.15 seconds. She notched another All-American award in the pentathlon with a fifth-place finish with 4,128 points, her second All-America award in the pentathlon.

Her junior campaign saw her break the school records in the 60-meter hurdles, pentathlon, 100-meter hurdles and the heptathlon. She also participated at the USA Track and Field Championships following the season,

finishing 16th in the semifinals round in a time of 13.04 seconds.

Her 2012 senior campaign notched two All-America awards as she earned first team honors in both the heptathlon and the 100-meter hurdles. She placed third in the heptathlon with 5,839 points and seventh in the hurdles in 13.31. She earned a career- and school-best 12.78 in the 100-meter hurdles during the semifinals at NCAAs and also won the heptathlon for a second consecutive year at the Texas Relays.

Kate HARRISON 2011 Kate Harrison earned her first All-America honor as a track and field athlete at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships where she was first team AllAmerica in the 10,000-meter run by way of a secondplace finish in 34:30.35. She qualified for NCAAs with a first-place finish for the event at the NCAA East Regional in 33:48.64, a personal best for the Toronto, Ontario, native. The championship season began well for No. 16-ranked Harrison as she earned her first Big East title in the 10,000 with a time of 33:59.84, her best mark of the year at the time. Harrison also earned her first All-America honor during the 2011 cross country season with an eighth-place individual finish at the NCAA Championship.

Sarah-Anne BRAULT 2011 Sarah-Anne Brault earned her first All-America honor in 2011 with a second team AllAmerica achievement in the 10,000-meter run as she finished in 10th place in 35:05.36. To qualify for NCAAs, the Winnipeg, Manitoba, native placed sixth in the 10,000 at the NCAA East Regional with a time of 33:51.14, her best mark of the year for the event.

Brault earned a second-place finish in 34:04.63 in the 10,000-meter at the Big East Championships and a solid 10th place in the 1,500-meter race in 4:35.07 at the prestigious Jesse Owens Classic. During the indoor season, Brault finished fourth in the 5,000-meter run in 16:17.95 at the Big East Championships. She also excelled academically by earning second team CoSIDA Academic All-America honors and was named to the Capital One Academic all-district first team.

Meghan MOCK 2011 Meghan Mock capped off a stellar junior season by finishing with third team All-America honors in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships

with a distance of 6.02 meters, good for 20th place among the nation’s elite jumpers. The Berkeley Springs, W.Va., native qualified for the NCAAs for the first time of her career by placing 11th in the long jump at the NCAA East Regional at a distance of 6.07 meters. Mock began the championship portion of the season well with an eighth-place mark for the event at 5.81 meters, advancing to the East regional for the first time. Her junior year was enhanced with a first-place finish in the long jump with a 6.17-meter mark at the Penn Relays, a personal-best and currently ranks third all-time at WVU. At the prestigious Stanford Invitational, she placed fourth in the long jump at 5.70 meters. During the indoor season, Mock finished fourth at the Big East Championships at a distance of 5.86 meters.

Katelyn WILLIAMS 2011 Katelyn Williams earned third team All-America honors in the high jump with an 18th-place height of 1.76 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. To earn her second trip to NCAAs, the Chesterland, Ohio, native placed ninth at the NCAA East Regional, also at a height of 1.78 meters. She started the outdoor championship season well at the Big East Championships with a second-place finish in the high jump at 1.78 meters and placed third in the heptathlon with 5,044 points. In the heptathlon, she finished first in the high jump with a career-best 1.79-meter height, and had solid finishes in the shot put (3rd, 11.09m) and javelin (4th, 29.30m). At the prestigious Jesse Owens Classic, Williams placed third at 1.70 meters. Her indoor season was highlighted with a fourth-place finish in the long jump at 5.08 meters at the WVU Holiday Classic.

Jordan HAMRIC 2013 Jordan Hamric ended her career as a Mountaineer, earning second team All-America honors.

The Bruceton Mills, W.Va., native posted a 12th-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2013 NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oreg. Hamric ended her career as the school record holder in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, which she set at the 2013 NCAA semifinals with a time of 10:06.47.

During her senior campaign, Hamric also placed second at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships, third at the Penn Relays and seventh at the Stanford Invitational. It marked the first time in her career that she garnered All-America honors.

Kelly WILLIAMS

Allison LASNICKI

2013

2014

Kelly Williams wasted no time to ink her name into the Mountaineer record books. The freshman became the 33rd All-American in WVU track and field program history in 2013. The Chesterland, Ohio, native recorded a seventh-place finish in the mile at the 2013 Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. Williams finished with a time one-mile time of 4:39.30 at the meet, just two seconds off her personal-best mile time of 4:36.77 set earlier in the season. That time ranks her No. 3 in WVU program history for the mile.

Allison Lansnicki, a native of Canastota, N.Y., earned third team All-America honors in the 10,000 meter run where she placed 17th during the second day of the 2014 Division I NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. Lansnicki recorded the second fastest time in school history in this event with a time of 33:456.22.

Kaitlyn GILLESPIE 2015

Stormy NESBIT 2014 Stormy Nesbit completed her career as perhaps the greatest jumper in West Virginia University track and field history. The Roseville, Minnesota, native spent three seasons with the Mountaineers. Nesbit concluded her career with an eighth-place finish at the 2014 Division I NCAA Outdoor Track and field Championships in Eugene, Oregon in the triple jump.

The finish earned her First Team All-America status.

Nesbit ended her career as the WVU school record holder in the triple jump (13.19 meters).

It’s recognized that distance runner Kaitlyn Gillespie is a strong-minded athlete shown by her many accomplishments throughout her collegiate career.

Gillespie earned second team All-America honors-the first of her career in the 10,000-meter run at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

She placed ninth overall with a time of 33:44.08 for a new personal best, marking the second-fastest time in program history. This marks Gillespie’s fourth time in her career of being honored an All-American

Amy CASHIN 2017

Sarah MARTINELLI 2014 Martinelli was named second team AllAmerican in the 3,000 meter steeplechase event where she finished 11th place crossing the finish line in 10:12.73 at the 2014 NCAA Championships. Martinelli was a scholar and an athlete where she was recognized often for her success. The Morgantown native was named the Big 12 Women’s Cross Country ScholarAthlete of the Year, an Academic All-Big 12 First team selection while maintaining a 3.75 GPA, earned All-Big 12 honors by finishing eighth overall at the Big 12 Championships with a personal-best 6k time of 20:44.9 and earned All-Mid-Atlantic Region from finishing in 22nd place overall at the NCAA Regional Meet.

WVUTrackField

Amy Cashin’s hard work and determination paid off in a big way in 2017. After not competing during indoor season, Cashin moved outdoors, where she became a third-team All-America selection in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The Werribee, Victoria, Austraila, native finished 19th in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, just weeks after reagistering a schoolrecord time of 10:01.19 at the NCAA East Prelims.

Shamoya McNEIL 2017 Shamoya McNeil rode her late-season momentum all the way to Eugene during a successful junior campaign in 2017. First, the Portland, Jamaica, native tallied the second-best mark in program history in the triple jump at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships, jumping 13.21 meters (43 feet, 4.25) inches. Later on, McNeil recorded a mark of 13.04 meters (42 feet, 9.5 inches) at the NCAA East Prelims to earn a bid to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. From there, she ended her season with a 22nd-place finish in the event, earning All-America Third Team honors.

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ALL-TIME

Coaches And Captains

Year Coach Captains 1978 Linda King None 1979 Linda King None 1980 Linda King None 1981 Linda King None 1982 Linda King None 1983 Pat Nicol None 1984 Kim Kemp Jean England, Kris Kavetski 1985 Kim Kemp Lisa Ayers, Kris Kavetski 1986 Laura Nardelli Karen Carpenter, Lori Smith 1987 Laura Nardelli Charlene Burstrom, Karen Carpenter 1988 Laura Nardelli Charlene Burstrom, Traci Purtell 1989 Laura Nardelli Charlene Burstrom 1990 Laura Nardelli Theresa Papa 1991 Martin Pushkin Vicki Stum 1992 Martin Pushkin None 1993 Martin Pushkin Erin O’Reilly 1994 Martin Pushkin Kerryn Davidson, Joleen Tocci 1995 Martin Pushkin Carisa Brown 1996 Martin Pushkin Heather Bury, Mary Ann Myer 1997 Martin Pushkin Charity Wachera 1998 Martin Pushkin Nancy Knapp, Rebecca Stallwood 1999 Martin Pushkin Rebecca Stallwood, Johanna Fisher 2000 Martin Pushkin Rebecca Stallwood, Johanna Fisher 2001 Martin Pushkin Rebecca Stallwood 2002 Jeff Huntoon Stacian Brown 2003 Jeff Huntoon Megan Metcalfe 2004 Jeff Huntoon Tara Struyk 2005 Jeff Huntoon Jennifer Kemp, Pam Richardson 2006 Jeff Huntoon Jessica Czaikowski, Susan Davis 2007 Jeff Huntoon Jessica Czaikowski, Abbie Stechschulte, Halimah Bashir, Alison Spiker 2008 Sean Cleary Halimah Bashir, Alison Spiker 2009 Sean Cleary Alison Spiker, Nicole DeStefano 2010 Sean Cleary Marie-Louise Asselin, Keri Bland, Clara Grandt, Karly Hamric, April Rotilio 2011 Sean Cleary April Rotilio, Chelsea Carrier-Eades 2012 Sean Cleary Chelsea Carrier-Eades, Katelyn Williams 2013 Sean Cleary Sarah-Anne Brault, Sydney Cummings 2014 Sean Cleary Sarah Martinelli, Stormy Nesbit 2015 Sean Cleary None 2016 Sean Cleary Kelly Williams, Maggie Drazba, Amy Cashin and Bria Welker 2017 Sean Cleary None Total *no dual meets -- all invitational competition

MartinPUSHKIN

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SeanCLEARY

Record 1-2 2-0 1-0 2-0 2-1 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 3-4 8-0 11-0 9-2 14-8 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 0-0* 56-17

GENERAL

Information President E. Gordon Gee ������������������������������ Director of Athletics Shane Lyons ���������������� Intercollegiate Athletics Staff ���������������������� Head Coaches �������������������������������������������� WVU Intercollegiate Athletics 2016-17 �������� Athletic Facilities ���������������������������������������� WVU Athletic Communications �������������������� Media Information ��������������������������������������

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PRESIDENT

E. GORDON Gee,

J.D, ED.D

Dr. E. Gordon Gee is one of America’s most prominent higher education leaders, having served as president of some of the most prestigious public and private universities for more than three decades.

When he returned to lead West Virginia University in 2014 as the institution’s 24th president, it was a homecoming of sorts. He was first named WVU president in 1981 at age 36 – at the time, among the youngest persons to ever serve as a university president.

He led WVU until 1985 when he went on to presidencies at the University of Colorado (1985-90), Brown University (1998-2000) and Vanderbilt University (2001-07). He served as president of The Ohio State University from 1990-97 and again from 2007-13.

On his return to the Morgantown campus, he said, “This is not a job to me; it is a calling.” His leadership style bears that out as he works tirelessly to advance the University’s land-grant mission and open doors to the American dream.

In his latest address to the University community, he noted that for 150 years, the institution has been a polar star guiding West Virginians toward a brighter tomorrow. He said, “That is why, in this milestone year, we recommit our University to living the values that drive our work. Serving our students and our state is not just our duty — it is our passion.”

Gee has built a special relationship with the students as well as the state’s citizens, making it a point to visit students where they live, learn and socialize -- and visiting all 55 West Virginia counties during his inaugural year -- and at least half in subsequent years.

Born in Vernal, Utah, Gee graduated from the University of Utah with an honors degree in history and earned his J.D. and Ed.D. degrees from Columbia University. He clerked under Chief Justice David T. Lewis of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals before being named a judicial fellow and staff assistant to the U.S. Supreme Court. In this role, he worked for Chief Justice Warren Burger on administrative and legal problems of the Court and federal judiciary. Gee returned to Utah as an associate professor and associate dean in the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, and was granted full professorship in 1978.

One year later, he became dean of the WVU College of Law, and, in 1981, was named WVU’s 19th president.

Gee has served on several education-governance organizations and committees, including the Big 12 Conference Council of Presidents, the Business Higher Education Forum and the American Association of Universities. He was chair of the American Council on Education’s Commission on Higher Education Attainment and served as co-chair of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Energy Advisory Committee. In 2009, King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia invited him to join its international advisory board. In 2009, Time magazine named him one of the top 10 university presidents in the United States.

Gee is serving as chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors Executive Committee for the 2017-18 year. Active in many national professional and service organizations, he is on the executive committee of the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees and serves on the board of directors of the American Council on Education, the nation’s largest higher education organization, as well as on the board of trustees of the Royal University for Women in Bahrain, with which WVU has a long-standing academic partnership. A recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, he is an executive board member of Boy Scouts of America. He has also served on the boards for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Limited Brands.

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In 2011, Gee began serving as secretary on the Board of Directors of Ohio’s economic development program, JobsOhio. In 2011-12, Governor John Kasich asked him to chair the Ohio Higher Education Capital Funding Collaborative and the Ohio Higher Education Funding Commission. In December 2012, he began serving on the Columbus Education Commission.

Gee has received many honorary degrees, awards, fellowships and recognitions. He is a fellow of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest science organization.

In 1994, Gee received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Utah, as well as from Teachers College of Columbia University. In 2013, he received the ACE Council of Fellows/Fidelity Investments Mentor Award and the Outstanding Academic Leader of the Year Award on behalf of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

He is the co-author of 11 books, including Law, Policy and Higher Education, published in 2012. He has also authored many papers and articles on law and education.

In the summer of 2016, Gee announced his engagement to Laurie Erickson, leader of the Erickson Foundation. Gee’s daughter, Rebekah, is Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health. In addition to that role, she is a practicing gynecologist and Gratis Faculty at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. Dr. Rebekah Gee is married to David Patrón and they have five children.

TheGEE FAMILY Front from left: Nathan, Elly and Ben Patrón.

Back from left: Rebekah Gee, Eva Patrón, E. Gordon Gee, Elizabeth Patrón and David Patrón

DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

SHANELyons The 2017-18 season is Shane Lyons’ third full year as director of athletics at West Virginia University. If the next year is anything like the previous two, the Mountaineer athletics story will be full of positive results and continued success.

In year two, Lyons put the finishing touches, to rave reviews, on $23 million in renovations to the WVU Coliseum, while $50 million in renovations and fan enhancements to Milan Puskar Stadium finished in August 2017.

Lyons is always on the go, focusing his energy daily on the betterment of more than 500 student-athletes. His open lines of communications have made him a popular role model for WVU athletes, and his honest, fair and caring approach has energized an athletic department that turned in record results in 2017.

Under Lyons’ leadership, 2017 was one of the best in WVU history. Six teams were nationally ranked, football turned in a 10-win season, women’s soccer played for the national championship and had the Hermann Trophy winner, men’s basketball reached the Sweet 16, women’s basketball won the Big 12 championship and rifle won its 19th national championship. Overall, the Mountaineers registered in 24 All-Americans, 104 all-conference performers, 20 academic award winners, 121 academic all-conference selections, 10 Olympians, one Olympic gold medalist and two silver medalists.

Overseeing 18 varsity sports, a self-sustaining department budget of more than $90 million and more than 200 employees, Lyons’ tireless efforts in the coming year will be geared toward getting started on a new $45 million aquatic and track center in Morgantown, and a continued focus, on the growth and cultivation of the more than $23 million in fundraising efforts brought in by the Mountaineer Athletic Club. He will also direct phase two of the Coliseum renovations, which will bring the building up to ADA seating code, and for the first-time ever, Milan Puskar Stadium will have two video boards to improve in fan entertainment and information.

While some outside observers may think that he is a behind-the-scenes guy, the people who count will tell you that Lyons is a results-oriented leader who has his finger on the pulse and is a positive influence on the entire department.

His work with WVU President E. Gordon Gee’s senior leadership team, as well as the Big 12 Conference and other national committees has brought additional respect and positive exposure to his department and the University. He currently serves on the Big 12 Administration Committee, Finance and Budget Committee and the Game Management and Officiating Subcommittee. Also in 2017-18, Lyons will chair the overall athletic directors committee for the Big 12.

Lyons came to West Virginia after spending three years as the deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer at Alabama where he worked closely on day-to-day strategic leadership and direction of the Crimson Tide Athletic program.

During his time at Alabama, his responsibilities included oversight of a $120 million budget, management of the day-to-day operations of the department and oversight of the Crimson Tide’s 21 sports teams. In addition, he played a pivotal role in a historic renegotiation of Alabama’s multimedia rights agreement that started in 2014 and was involved in several significant capital projects totaling more than $85 million.

The Crimson Tide won seven national titles in five different sports during his time there – two in football, two in men’s golf, one in women’s golf, one in gymnastics and one in softball. He also played a critical role in the hiring of four Alabama head coaches.

Prior to joining the Alabama staff in November 2011, Lyons spent 10 years as an associate commissioner at the Atlantic Coast Conference. At the ACC, Lyons focused on conference-wide compliance and academic initiatives, providing direct assistance to the conference’s presidents, chancellors and athletics directors in matters dealing with NCAA regulatory matters.

In addition, he served as the ACC’s human resource manager and was responsible for the administration, negotiation and mediation of the employee benefits program and managing the conference’s organizational policies and procedures. He was part of the senior administrative team for ACC events,

including the football championship game, the men’s basketball tournament and men’s and women’s NCAA basketball events.

Prior to working at the ACC, Lyons served as associate athletics director for compliance at Big 12 member Texas Tech from 1998 to 2001. During that time, Lyons assumed responsibility for the leadership, administration and implementation of a comprehensive NCAA compliance program with emphasis toward rules education and extensive monitoring systems. He also served as oversight administrator for several of the Red Raiders’ athletic teams and had financial and operational supervision of the strength and conditioning, nutritional and sports medicine units.

Before joining Texas Tech, Lyons worked at the NCAA for almost 10 years as a senior membership services representative, where he was responsible for the oversight and coordination of the 25 membership service representatives.

Lyons began his career in college athletics in July 1988 as assistant commissioner of the Big South Conference. With the Big South, he was in charge of conference-wide compliance and championships.

A native of Parkersburg, West Virginia, and a graduate of Parkersburg High, Lyons was a standout basketball player for the Big Reds. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sport management from WVU in 1987 and 1988, respectively.

Lyons, the University’s 12th athletic director, and his wife, Emily, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, have two children: Cameron and Brooke.

THROUGH THE YEARS 1988-89 Big South Conference

(Assistant Commissioner for Compliance and Championships)

1989-98 NCAA (Senior Membership Services Representative) 1998-2001 Texas Tech (Associate Athletic Director – Compliance) 2001-11 Atlantic Coast Conference

(Associate Commissioner – Compliance and Governance)

2011-15 Alabama (Deputy Director of Athletics) 2015-present West Virginia (Director of Athletics and Associate Vice President)

NATIONAL COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS

1995-97 Legislative Review Committee

2004-06 Division I Academics/Eligibility Compliance Cabinet 2004-08 Division I Interpretations Committee

2006-08 Division I Management Council 2008-11 Division I Legislative Council

2010-11 2015-18 2015-18 2017-18

(Chair 2 years)

(Chair 2 years)

(Chair 1 year)

Division I Communications and Coordination Committee Big 12 Administration, Finance and Budget Committee Big 12 Game Management and Officiating Subcommittee Big 12 Athletic Directors Council

(Chair)

The Lyons Family: Cameron, Brooke; Emily and Shane

WVUTrackField

@WVUTrackField

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WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY INTERCOLLEGIATE Athletics Keli Zinn Deputy Director of Athletics

Steve Uryasz Simon Dover Executive Senior Senior Associate Associate Athletic Director Athletic Director/ Business Operations/CFO

Michael Fragale Senior Associate Athletic Director/ Communications

Terri Howes Senior Associate Athletic Director/Sport Administration/SWA

Ben Murray Senior Associate Athletic Director/ MAC Executive Director

Matt Wells Senior Associate Athletic Director/ External Affairs

Greg Featherston Associate Athletic Director/ Governance & Compliance

April Messerly Associate Athletic Director/ Facilities & Operations

Bryan Messerly Assistant Athletic Director/ Communications

Sam Morrone Assistant Athletic Director/ Business Operations

Preston Wages Assistant Athletic Director/Compliance

Stephanie White Assistant Athletic Director/ Student-Athlete Development

Zach Eckert Assistant Athletic Director/ Facilities & Operations

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Head Coaches

Nathaniel Zinn Assistant Athletic Director/Marketing

Jason Butts Gymnastics

Mike Carey Women’s Basketball

Sean Cleary Cross Country/Track

Sean Covich Golf

Jon Hammond Rifle

Sammie Henson Wrestling

Dana Holgorsen Football

Bob Huggins Men’s Basketball

Nikki Izzo-Brown Women’s Soccer

Jimmy King Rowing

Marlon LeBlanc Men’s Soccer

Miha Lisac Tennis

Randy Mazey Baseball

Vic Riggs Swimming and Diving

Reed Sunahara Volleyball

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BASEBALL: 36-26/12-12 Big 12; T-4th place Big 12; NCAA Winston-Salem Regional Final

WVU IntercollegiateAthletics

2016-17

CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS FIRST TEAM

• Jack Elliott, Men’s Soccer • Elizabeth Gratz, Rifle

SECOND TEAM • Carly Black, Women’s Soccer • Amy Cashin, Track and Field/Cross Country • Jillian Forsey, Track and Field/Cross Country • Ginny Thrasher, Rifle

THIRD TEAM • Amelie Currat, Women’s Swimming & Diving • Bianca St. Georges

ALL-AMERICANS FIRST TEAM

• Milica Babic, Rifle, NRA All-America First Team Air Rifle • Kadeisha Buchanan, Women’s Soccer, NSCAA All-America, Senior CLASS Award • Elizabeth Gratz, Rifle, NRA All-America Air Rifle, NRA All-America Smallbore • Ashley Lawrence, Women’s Soccer, NSCAA All-America • Jean-Pierre Lucas, Rifle, NRA All-America Smallbore • Tyler Orlosky, Football, Senior CLASS Award All-America • Morgan Phillips, Rifle, NRA All-America Smallbore • Ginny Thrasher, Rifle, NRA All-America Air Rifle, NRA All-America Smallbore, CRCA All-America

SECOND TEAM • Michaela Abam, Women’s Soccer, NSCAA All-America • Milica Babic, Rifle, NRA All-America Second Team Smallbore, CRCA All-America • Jackson Cramer, Baseball, Senior CLASS Award All-America • Rasul Douglas, Football, Associated Press All-America, CBSSports.com All-America, Football • Writers of America Association All-America, Phil Steele All-America, Pro Football Focus • All-America, USA Today All-America, Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America • Elizabeth Gratz, Rifle, CRCA All-America • Kirah Koshinski, Gymnastics, NACGC/W Regular Season All-America • Ashley Lawrence, Women’s Soccer, Senior CLASS Award All-America • Jean-Pierre Lucas, Rifle, CRCA All-America • Zaakira Muhammad, Gymnastics, NCAA Championships All-America • Tyler Orlosky Football, Associated Press All-America, CBSSports.com All-America, Football • Writers of America Association All-America, Phil Steele All-America, SI.com All-America, USA Today All-America

THIRD TEAM • Amy Cashin, Track & Field (Outdoor), 3,000m Steeplechase • Rasul Douglas, Football, SBNation All-America • Shamoya McNeil, Track & Field (Outdoor), Triple Jump • Tyler Orlosky, Football, Athlon Sports All-America • Braden Zarbnisky, Baseball, NCBWA All-America

FOURTH TEAM • Tyler Orlosky, Football, SBNation All-America

HONORABLE MENTION • Rasul Douglas, Football, FOXSports All-America • Tyler Orlosky, Football, FOXSports All-America • Morgan Phillips, Rifle, CRCA All-America Honorable Mention • Jean-Pierre Lucas, Rifle, NRA All-America Honorable Mention Air Rifle • Tynice Martin, Women’s Basketball, Associated Press All-America, WBCA All-America

CONFERENCE MAJOR AWARDS

• Michaela Abam, Women’s Soccer, Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Year • Milica Babic, Rifle, GARC Outstanding Rookie • Kadeisha Buchanan, Women’s Soccer, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Defensive Player • Morgan Car, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Big 12 Women’s Co-Newcomer of the Year • Jevon Carter, Men’s Basketball, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year • Justin Crawford, Football, Newcomer of the Year, Coaches, ESPN.com • Ashley Lawrence, Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Offensive Player • Tynice Martin, Women’s Basketball, Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player • Tarik Phillip, Men’s Basketball, Sixth Man Award • Ginny Thrasher, Rifle, GARC Shooter of the Year

NATIONAL AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

• Nathan Adrian, Men’s Basketball, Reese’s NABC Division I All-Stars • Milica Babic, Rifle, CRCA Freshman of the Year • Kadeisha Buchanan, Women’s Soccer, espnW National Player of the Year, Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy, Honda Sports Award, Senior CLASS Award Finalist, TopDrawerSoccer.com Player of the Year, ESPY nomination as top women’s college athlete • Jevon Carter, Men’s Basketball, NABC Defensive Player of the Year, Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year, Allstate NABC Good Works Team nominee • Jackson Cramer, Baseball, Senior CLASS Award Finalist • Skyler Howard, Football, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Semifinalist, Senior CLASS Award Candidate • Ashley Lawrence, Women’s Soccer, Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, Senior CLASS Award Finalist • Lanay Montgomery, Women’s Basketball, Allstate WBCA Good Works Team nominee, Senior CLASS Award Candidate • Tyler Orlosky, Football, Rimington Trophy Finalist, Senior CLASS Award Finalist • Ginny Thrasher, Rifle, 87th AAU James E. Sullivan Award Finalist; CRCA Rifle Athlete of the Year, 2016 USA Shooting Athlete of the Year • Braden Zarbnisky, Baseball, John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Finalist

NCAA TEAM QUALIFIERS

• Baseball, Winston-Salem Regional Final • Cross Country, 4th at Mid-Atlantic Regionals • Men’s Basketball, NCAA Sweet 16 • Women’s Basketball, NCAA Second Round • Women’s Soccer, National Runner-Up

NCAA INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS

• Amy Cashin, Women’s Track & Field, 3,000m Steeplechase (Outdoor) • Dylan Cottrell, Wrestling, 165 pounds • Maggie Drazba, Cross Country • Jillian Forsey, Cross Country • Shamoya McNeil, Women’s Track & Field, Triple Jump (Outdoor) • Zaakira Muhammad, Gymnastics • Jacob A. Smith, Wrestling, 197 pounds (did not compete due to injury)

94 ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS

• 154 Academic All-Conference Selections • Four Team Academic Award Winners (Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Cross Country and Women’s Swimming and Diving) • 517 Student-Athletes were named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll • 512 Student-Athletes were named to the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll WVUTrackField

CROSS COUNTRY: 3rd place at Big 12 Championship; 4th place at NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional; 2 NCAA qualifiers MEN’S BASKETBALL: 28-9/12-6 Big 12; T-2nd place Big 12; NCAA West Regional Semifinal WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: 24-11/8-10 Big 12; 6th place Big 12; Big 12 Tournament Champions; NCAA Second Round FOOTBALL: 10-3/7-2 Big 12; T-2nd place Big 12; Russell Athletic Bowl GOLF: 10th at Big 12 GYMNASTICS: 13-10/3-3 Big 12; 3rd place Big 12; 3rd place NCAA Morgantown Regional; 1 NCAA Qualifier ROWING: 5th place at Big 12 Championship RIFLE: 12-0/8-0 GARC; GARC Regular-Season & Postseason Champions; NCAA Champions MEN’S SOCCER: 8-7-1/1-4 MAC; 6th place MAC WOMEN’S SOCCER: 23-2-2/8-0 Big 12; Big 12 Regular-Season & Tournament Champions; NCAA National Runner-Up MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING: 5-4/1-0 Big 12; 2nd place Big 12 WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING: 5-6/1-1 Big 12; 4th place Big 12 WOMEN’S TENNIS: 4-16/0-9 Big 12; 10th place Big 12 WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD: Indoor-10th Big 12; Outdoor-10th Big 12; 2 NCAA Qualifiers VOLLEYBALL: 12-18/3-13 Big 12; 8th place Big 12 WRESTLING: 4-12/1-3 Big 12; 6th place at Big 12 Championship; 2 NCAA Qualifiers

NCAA TEAM CHAMPIONS Rifle NCAA TEAM RUNNER-UP Women’s Soccer INDIVIDUAL NCAA CHAMPIONS Milica Babic, Air Rifle Morgan Phillips, Smallbore TEAM CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS Rifle, Regular Season and Tournament Women’s Basketball, Tournament Women’s Soccer, Regular Season and Tournament @WVUTrackField

WVUTrackField

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Facilities

ATHLETIC

BASKETBALL PRACTICE FACILITY

CAPERTON INDOOR FACILITY

CARY GYM

DICK DLESK SOCCER STADIUM

DREAMSWORK FIELD

MONONGALIA COUNTY BALLPARK

MOUNTAINEER FIELD AT MILAN PUSKAR STADIUM

MOUNTAINEER TENNIS COURTS

MOUNTAINEER TRACK

WVU BOATHOUSE

WVU COLISEUM

WVU NATATORIUM

WVU RIFLE RANGE

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WVU WRESTLING PAVILLION

Athletic Information The West Virginia University athletic communication office is located on the second floor of the WVU Coliseum in room 217.

Mailing Address Athletic Communications Office West Virginia University

WVA ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS STAFF

CONTACT INFORMATION

MichaelFRAGALE

BryanMESSERLY

JohnANTONIK

Senior Associate Athletic Director/ Communications

Assistant Athletic Director/Communications

Director of Digital Media

MikeMONTORO

JoeSWAN

KristinCOLDSNOW

Director of Football Communications

Director of Athletic Publications

MultimediaSpecialist

P.O. Box 0877 Morgantown, WV 26507-0877 Overnight Shipping Address WVU Athletic Communications 3450 Monongahela Blvd., Room 217 Morgantown, WV 26506

GrantDOVEY

ShannonMcNAMARA

CharlieHEALY

Digital Media Manager

Associate Director of Athletic Communications

Associate Director of Athletic Communications

Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

AmySALVATORE

LisaAMMONS

Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

Business Manager

CherylWIRE

AmyPRUNTY

ChrisPHARIS

JoeMITCHIN

MaggieMATELLA

Graduate Assistant

Graduate Assistant

Graduate Assistant

AshleyBAILEY

Phone Information Office: 304-293-2821 Fax: 304-293-4105 Press Box: 304-293-6480 Track Contact Joe Mitchin

Operations Coordinator

Program Assistant

Graduate Assistant Athletic Communications jmitchin@mail.wvu.edu

WVUTrackField

@WVUTrackField

WVUTrackField

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Media Services The West Virginia athletic communications office will be available through the entire 2017-18 women’s track and field season to accommodate any media requests. The following are some guidelines that should make it easy for media members to cover the West Virginia track and field team. Any additional questions should be directed to the track and field contact Joe Mitchin.

During the Week Any member of the media wishing to interview a runner or member of the coaching staff during the week should the West Virginia track and field contact Joe Mitchin, via email (jmitchin@mail.wvu.edu) or by phone (304293-9916), at least 24 hours in advance.

Cell phone numbers will not be available.

All WVU student-athletes have been instructed not to conduct interviews without prior approval of the athletic communications staff.

Receiving Information Media members may receive women’s track and field press releases, notes and more via email. To receive such press releases, meet recaps and more, simply email your requests to jmitchin@mail.wvu.edu.

WVUsports.com WVUsports.com is the place for media and fans to browse for the latest on Mountaineer track and field.

Player and coaching staff bios are available at the click of your finger by going to WVUsports.com. After each meet, WVUsports.com is updated with the latest statistics. Not only will you find this season’s stats, but you will also be able to find the WVU record book where you can gain some historical insights.

Social Media WVU track and field is active on various social media platforms- Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Visit facebook.com/ WVUTrackField to like the Facebook page.

To follow the Mountaineers on Twitter visit, Twitter.com.WVUTrackField. To follow the team on Instagram, visit Instagram.com/ WVUTrackField.

MEDIAInformation The West Virginia University athletic communications office is located on the second floor of the Coliseum.

MichaelFRAGALE Senior Associate Athletic Director, Communications

AmySALVATORE Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

MAILING ADDRESS

BryanMESSERLY Assistant Athletic Director, Communications

Charlie HEALY Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

John ANTONIK Director of Digital Media

Lisa AMMONS Business Manager

Mike MONTORO Director of Football Communications

Cheryl WIRE Operations Coordinator

Joe SWAN Director of Athletic Publications

Amy PRUNTY Program Assistant

Kristin COLDSNOW Multimedia Specialist

Maggie MATELLA Graduate Assistant Digital Media

Grant DOVEY Digital Media Manager

Chris PHARIS Graduate Assistant Athletic Communications

Athletic Communications office West Virginia University P.O. Box 0877 Morgantown, WV 26507-0877

OVERNIGHT SHIPPING

WVU Athletic Communications 3450 Monongahela Blvd., Room 217 Morgantown, WV 26506

PHONE INFORMATION Office: 304-293-2821 Fax: 304-293-4105

TRACK and FIELD CONTACT Joe MITCHIN Graduate Assistant Athletic Communications Email: jmitchin@mail.wvu.edu

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Information

ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Ashley BAILEY Associate Director of Athletic Communications

HERE, GOING FIRST IS IN OUR BLOOD. IT’S IN OUR SWEAT. IT’S IN OUR NATURE.

SO WE WILL GO ABOVE. WE WILL GO BEYOND.

WHEN EVERYONE ELSE GOES BACK,

MOUNTAINEERS #GOFIRST.