2018 WVU Cross Country Guide

SARAH

WILLS

OLIVIA

HILL

CANDACE

JONES

Managing Editor: Joe Swan Editor/Writer: Joe Mitchin Page Layout/Design: Kristin Coldsnow, Bob Slater, Provations Contributors: Lisa Ammons, John Antonik, Ashley Bailey, Kristin Coldsnow, Grant Dovey, Michael Fragale, Charlie Healy, Maggie Matella, Shannon McNamara, Bryan Messerly, Joe Mitchin, Mike Montoro, Chris Pharis, Amy Prunty, Joe Swan, Cheryl Wire Contributing Photographers: All-Pro Photography

by Dale Sparks, Nick Arthur, M.G. Ellis, Don Paul, Dan Friend, Erin Irwin, E.J. Linger, Joe Mitchin, Brian Persinger, Steve Prunty, Megan Raymond, Niesha Shafer, Jenny Shepherd, Cheryl Treworgy and Norman Wills © 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.

Reproduction of any material appearing herein is prohibited without approval of the West Virginia University Intercollegiate Athletics.

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

In the Spotlight ���������������������������������������������������� 2

2017 REVIEW

A Championship Program ������������������������������������ 3

A Look Back at 2017 ���������������������������������������� 46

All-Americans ������������������������������������������������������ 4

2017 Results ���������������������������������������������������� 48

Big 12 Conference ��������������������������������������������� 6

Meet-by-Meet Breakdown �������������������������������� 48

Athletic Training �������������������������������������������������� 8

Individual Times ������������������������������������������������ 50

Strength and Conditioning ���������������������������������� 10

Accolades ���������������������������������������������������������� 50

Community Service �������������������������������������������� 11

RECORD BOOK

Student-Athlete Development ���������������������������� 12

NCAA Honors ���������������������������������������������������� 52

Campus Life ������������������������������������������������������ 14

Conference Honors �������������������������������������������� 51

COACHING STAFF

All-Americans ���������������������������������������������������� 53

Sean Cleary ������������������������������������������������������ 18

GENERAL INFORMATION

Erin O’Reilly ������������������������������������������������������ 22

President E. Gordon Gee ������������������������������������ 58

Support Staff ���������������������������������������������������� 22

Director of Athletics Shane Lyons ���������������������� 59

MOUNTAINEER PROFILES

Intercollegiate Athletics Staff ������������������������������ 60

2018 Roster ������������������������������������������������������ 24

Head Coaches �������������������������������������������������� 61

Profiles �������������������������������������������������������������� 26

Media Information ���������������������������������������������� 62

2018 PREVIEW

Contact Information ������������������������������������������ 63

A Look at 2018 �������������������������������������������������� 42

Athletic Facilities ������������������������������������������������ 64

2018 Schedule �������������������������������������������������� 44

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IN THE

SPOTLIGHT

Choosing to become a Mountaineer student-athlete is special.

Without a professional sports team in the state, West Virginia residents and fans throughout the region love West Virginia University athletics.

The Mountaineers have the unique opportunity to represent themselves, their teammates and their University to news media, alumni, friends, family and the general public. The interaction with these groups is also part of their educational process.

By taking advantage of these opportunities, a positive impact on a student-athlete’s career at West Virginia is formed, which can lead into life after donning the Old Gold and Blue.

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A CHAMPIONSHIP

PROGRAM

In 11 seasons as the cross country head coach, Sean Cleary has led WVU to unprecedented national success and has been named Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year three times.

Kate Harrison crossed the line at the 2011 NCAA Championships in an all-time program best eighth place and helped lead the team to an eighth-place finish as well.

During Cleary’s first season in 2007, the Mountaineers became the fourth program in school history to capture a Big East Championship title. Led by Marie-Louise Asselin, who placed second overall at the conference meet, WVU would go on to finish ninth at the NCAA Championships - the first top10 finish in program history.

In 2014, the Mountaineers recorded an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, where they earned two All-Americans (Jillian Forsey and Katie Gillespie), and an NCAA Elite 89 Award Winner (Kelly Williams). Gillespie joined Asselin and Bland in becoming three-time AllAmericans, as she placed 26th overall at the National Championship. Cleary has produced 12 of the program’s 15 All-America titles and numerous all-conference runners.

The 2008 season saw WVU earn a school-best fourth place at the NCAA Championships and first at the Mid-Atlantic Regional. Asselin became the first Mountaineer runner to earn the individual title at the Big East Championship.

Keri Bland and Asselin became the first three-time AllAmericans in cross country in 2009, leading the team to a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships after finishing in 31st and 34th place, respectively.

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Since then, Cleary has led three individuals – Millie Paladino (2015), Jillian Forsey (2016) and Maggie Drazba (2016) – to the NCAA Championships in the past three seasons.

In all, WVU has appeared in nine NCAA Championships as a team, all of them with Cleary a part of the program in some capacity. The Mountaineers have finished in the NCAA top-10 five times since 2007.

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MOUNTAINEER

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KATE HARRISON

2011

ALL-

AMERICANS

West Virginia has produced 15 All-America selections from eight individuals, including 12 during the Sean Cleary head-coaching era. Each year the Mountaineers’ roster is filled with talent, looking for the next All-American at WVU.

CHARITY

1998

2014

WACHERA

CLARA

2009

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JILLIAN FORSEY

GRANDT

MEGAN

METCALFE

2002, 2004

MARIE-LOUISE

ASSELIN

2007, 2008, 2009

KERI

BLAND

2007, 2008, 2009

KAITLYN GILLESPIE

2010, 2011, 2014

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BIG 12

CONFERENCE

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

»» At the NCAA Cross Country Championships, the Big 12 has had four NCAA individual champions. Since 1996, the Big 12 has had a men’s and women’s team finish in the top 10 every year at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

»» The conference office is headquartered in Irving, Texas.

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tre

Multiple

The athletic

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ATHLETIC

TRAINING

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

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

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

c training staff works in conjunction with team physicians and the athletic administration to assure the studentathletes receive quality care throughout their careers at WVU.

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STRENGTH AND

CONDITIONING

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

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

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

In cross country, special attention is paid to certain strengths and weaknesses that a distance runner has. Cross country runners spend a great deal of time on specific dynamics like speed drills and strength and conditioning exercises so that when the team gets on the course, not only are they the fittest in the race, but also the strongest.

COMMUNITY

SERVICE

Winning and working hard are important to the West Virginia University cross country team, but becoming successful and positive role models on and off the course is just as significant.

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

The WVU cross country team has donated its time to helping the Jerry Lewis Telethon, an event aimed toward helping kids with muscular dystrophy and related diseases. The Mountaineers do their part to help the cause by answering telephones, which are constantly ringing with supportive donors.

The Mountaineers are also frequent visitors to the WVU Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House and help several different local community service projects.

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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, the Mountaineers also teach the participants the importance of good sportsmanship, courage, determination and hard work.

Additionally, Coach Cleary’s studentathletes can 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 also take part in Relay for Life of Monongalia County, the American Cancer Society’s staple event, which offers everyone in the community an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer.

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STUDENT-ATHLETE

SUPPORT

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, West Virginia student-athletes also have made some noteworthy strides in the classroom.

Some of accolades include 13 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 272 student-athletes were represented on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in Fall 2017, of which 53 of them registered a 4.0 GPA. Additionally, 10 student-athletes were named recipients of the fifth annual Dr. Gerald Large Academic Achievement Award, the Big 12 Conference’s highest academic honor.

Over 500 student-athletes were honored on WVU’s Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll last year.

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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2017-18 SEASON One Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic AllAmerica First Team (Amy Cashin) » Two USTFCCCA All-Academic (Cashin, Maggie Drazba) » Cumulative 3.64 team GPA » Ten Academic All-Big 12 Cross Country First Team (Antigone Archer, Cashin, Allie Diehl, Drazba, Jillian Forsey, Brynn Harshbarger, Olivia Hill, Andrea Pettit, Rebecca Wendt, Sarah Wills) » Two Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award recipients (Diehl, Pettit) » One WVU Foundation Most Outstanding Senior (Diehl) » Five 4.0 GPAs » 993 APR score

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MOUNTAINEER

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CHARACTER Public, land-grant institution.

RESEARCH CLASSIFICATION R1: Doctoral Universities–Highest Research Activity, as described by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

WVU SYSTEM OPERATING BUDGET (INCLUDING WVU MEDICINE) Approximately $3 billion.

ACCREDITATIONS By the Higher Learning Commission and dozens of specialized academic accrediting agencies.

GOVERNANCE The WVU Board of Governors is the University’s governing body. The Higher Education Policy Commission in West Virginia is responsible for developing, establishing and overseeing the implementation of a public policy agenda for the state’s four-year colleges and universities. E. Gordon Gee is WVU’s 24th president.

CAMPUS LOCATIONS The West Virginia University System 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 the student-centered focus of WVU Potomac State College in Keyser to the technology-intensive programs at WVU Institute of Technology in Beckley — we are leveraging our talents and resources to create a better future for West Virginia and the world.

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

WVU Potomac State College in Keyser has one of the lowest tuition rates of all 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 30,855, 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 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 2017 WVU System enrollment is 31,442: Potomac State College - 1,410 WVU Tech - 1,623 Morgantown campus - 28,409 Students at the Morgantown campus come from 108 nations, all 50 U.S. states (plus D.C.) and all 55 West Virginia counties; 15,353 are West Virginia residents.

»» »» »»

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE WVU ranks nationally for prestigious scholarships: 25 Rhodes Scholars, 23 Truman Scholars, 45 Goldwater Scholars, two George C. Marshall (British) Scholars, five Morris K. Udall Scholars, five USA Today All-USA College Academic First Team Members (and 11 academic team honorees), 25 Boren Scholars, 49 Gilman Scholars, 59 Fulbright Scholars, three Department of Homeland Security Scholars, 30 Critical Language Scholars, one Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholar, five National Institute of Standards and Technology Fellows and 25 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows.

FACULTY AND STAFF PROFILE Excellent faculty – 19 of whom have been named Carnegie Foundation Professors of the Year – guide and mentor students.

Eighty-two percent of full-time instructional faculty hold the highest academic degree in their field, and 66 percent of WVU Morgantown classes are taught by full-time instructional faculty.

»»Instructional Faculty: 2,034 Full-time / 671 Part-time »»Extension Faculty: 123 Full-time »»Library Faculty: 33 Full-time / 1 Part-time »»Other Academic (faculty equivalents/researchers): 576 Fulltime / 53 Part-time »»Classified Staff: 1,964 Full-time / 106 Part-time »»Non-Classified Staff: 937 Full-time / 30 Part-time »»Graduate Assistants: 1,594 Part-time

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS Fourteen Morgantown colleges and schools offer 360-plus 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; public health. Hundreds of distance-education and online classes are available.

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS Students can choose from among 480-plus student organizations or participate in an active intramural program or a variety of club sports.

SERVICE AND LEARNING The Center for Service and Learning develops and organizes service learning and volunteer opportunities for students and faculty.

WVU earned the Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement Classification – joining only 6 percent of all universities. It is the only institution in West Virginia the foundation recognizes for its community engagement.

SAFETY West Virginia University continues to be ranked among the top 40 safest college campuses in the United States by the National Council for Home Safety and Security. For the second consecutive year, WVU is 34th in the country.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AID In 2016-17, the WVU System granted $320 million in total aid, while WVU Morgantown disbursed $87 million in scholarships. admissions.wvu.edu/cost-and-aid TUITION Annual undergraduate tuition and fee rates for 2018-19 are $8,976 for in-state students and $25,056 for out-of-state students.

HONORS COLLEGE The WVU Honors College encourages a style of learning and living that is tailored to the highly motivated, excelling student’s special requirements. Innovative, challenging courses, designed to stimulate creativity and to provoke in-depth discussion, are offered in small class settings.

PARENTS CLUB The Mountaineer Parents Club, with 20,000-plus members in 28 clubs, connects parents and families with the student experience.

ATHLETICS A member of the Big 12 Conference, WVU competes in 18 intercollegiate varsity sports.

ADMISSION AND APPLICATION TIMELINE Admission is based on a combination of high school GPA and ACT or SAT scores. Applications are processed beginning Aug. 15 for admission the following fall. March 1 is the deadline for WV residents to submit PROMISE Scholarship applications. WVU has a rolling admissions policy, and no official application deadline.

VISITORS CENTER Located on the Morgantown Waterfront, the WVU Visitors Center features unique, cutting-edge displays and traditional West Virginia hospitality. Guided tours are offered Monday through Saturday, except home football Saturdays.

ALUMNI Chartered in 1873, the WVU Alumni Association is made up of more than 200,000 graduates worldwide in some 135 nations.

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COACHING & SUPPORT

STAFF Sean Cleary ��������������������������������18 Erin O’Reilly ��������������������������������22 Support Staff ����������������������������� 22

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

SEAN

CLEARY

CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK & FIELD COACH 12TH SEASON » 26TH OVERALL Sean Cleary, one of the sport’s most talented coaches, enters his 12th 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 over 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 numerous All-America and all-conference honors.

In 2017, Cleary led the Mountaineer cross country team to a fourth-place finish at the Big 12 Championship in Round Rock, Texas. Maggie Drazba led WVU with a sixth-place finish at the conference meet, while Amy Cashin placed 13th. Both earned All-Big 12 accolades before going on to nab All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors later in the season, helping West Virginia place seventh at the regional meet.

The 2017-18 track and field season saw a large amount of success at the regional and national level. Amy Cashin and Madelin Gardner represented WVU at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March, as well as the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June. The duo combined to record four total All-America honors on the year, including Gardner’s First Team performance in the pole vault at the outdoor meet. Gardner finished eighth in the event to earn a spot on the podium, while Cashin placed 13th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, earning a school-record time in the process.

At the NCAA Indoor Championships, Cashin finished ninth in the mile, while Gardner took ninth in the pole vault. Additionally, Gardner was named the Mid-Atlantic Region Indoor Field Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA. In a year that featured five new track and field records – including two events that were topped on multiple occasions – the Mountaineers also continued their strong showing academically. For the second consecutive year, Cashin was named the Big 12 Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She also earned Google Cloud Academic All-America First Team honors by CoSIDA as was one of 17 Academic All-Big 12 selections from WVU.

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The 2016 cross country season featured multiple runners reach the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Redshirt juniors Jillian Forsey and Drazba each raced in the Terre Haute, Indiana event, marking the first time since 2010 that multiple individuals qualified for the National Championship in the same season. Drazba placed 58th out of 250 runners, while Forsey finished 97th.

At the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals in State College, Pennsylvania, Forsey earned the silver medal (20:09), earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Championships. Drazba finished 11th, while redshirt junior Cashin placed 22nd.

All three were named All-Mid-Atlantic Regional performers.

West Virginia also secured a third-place finish at the Big 12 Cross Country Championship in 2016. Forsey led the way for the Mountaineers, crossing the finish line in second place and earning All-Big 12 honors.

In track, the 2016-17 campaign saw a pair of student-athletes reach the NCAA Outdoor Championships, as 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 Regional. Gardner set the all-time 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 Forsey were CoSIDA Academic All-American Second Team honorees, while the two were joined by 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 Foundation Most Outstanding Senior honor. Forsey, meanwhile, was named the Big 12 Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the third such award in the last five years for a member of the Mountaineer cross country team.

The 2015-16 season also saw many accomplishments academically and athletically. 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, and 12 who were named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team.

At the Big 12 Cross Country Championship, three sophomores posted top-22 finishes on the 6k course in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Drazba crossed the finish line first for the Mountaineers and 19th overall (21:32.5), sophomore Millie Paladino placed 21st (21:34.30) and sophomore Brynn Harshbarger came in 22nd (21:40.40).

At the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional in Princeton, New Jersey, West Virginia finished in fifth place overall. The regional meet was highlighted by Paladino and senior Savanna Plombon’s All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors for posting top-25 finishes. Paladino led the Mountaineers, 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 was the lone Mountaineer to qualify for the 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, the second straight championship showing for Paladino at the time. She placed 77th overall with a career-best time of 20:41.60 on the 6k course at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park.

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

With the guidance of Cleary, the 2014 season demonstrated true athleticism and dedication from young athletes. In the fall, he led the Mountaineers to a second-place finish at the Big 12 Championship for the second straight year.

Forsey finished 12th, earning All-Conference honors, along with Kaitlyn Gillespie and Drazba.

The Mountaineers appeared in their ninth NCAA Championships and sixth under Cleary. The veteran coach oversaw a top-8 national finish, two All-Americans and an Elite 89 Award winner. The team earned its fifth NCAA top-10 finish since 2007. Gillespie was honored as an All-American in her final race as a Mountaineer, finishing 26th, along with Forsey, who finished 14th overall.

Williams earned the Elite 89 Award for having the highest cumulative grade point average out of all participants at the NCAA Championships.

Cleary was named the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) President for Division I Cross Country prior to the start of the 2013 cross country season. He guided the Mountaineers to their sixth NCAA appearance in seven seasons under his direction as well. West Virginia posted a second-place result at the Big 12 Championship, while senior Sarah Martinelli went on to claim All-Big 12 and All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors.

West Virginia entered into a more highly-competitive conference as it competed in the Big 12 for the first time in 2012. Cleary used the season to build on to 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 Championships.

SEAN CLEARY

AT A GLANCE »» 12th season as head coach and 26th overall »» Coached a total of 19 athletes who competed at the

World Track and Field, World Cross Country, World University Games and Pan American Championships »» Coached six All-Big 12 cross country athletes »» Coached three cross country runners to three career All-America honors – Marie-Louise Asselin, Keri Bland and Katie Gillespie »» Three Big 12 Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award winners – Sarah Martinelli, Kaitlyn Gillespie and Jillian Forsey »» Five NCAA Cross Country Championships team appearances in the last 10 seasons »» Coached individuals to NCAA Championships in 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016 »» Five NCAA top-10 finishes since 2007 »» Three-time Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year »» Three straight top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships from 2007-09 »» Five Top-10 NCAA finishes from 2007-2014 »» Has won both Atlantic 10 and Big East team championships »» 2007 Big East Coach of the Year »» Served role in some capacity at WVU since 1991 (student-athlete, graduate assistant, assistant coach, head coach) »» Named USTFCCCA President of Division I cross country in 2013 »» Holds USATF Level I Certification

COACHING EXPERIENCE »» West Virginia University, 1993-Present »» Head coach, 2007-Present

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 qualify individually for the NCAA Championships.

RUNNING EXPERIENCE

The Mountaineers finished No. 8 in the country in 2011 at the NCAA Cross Country Championships – 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 Gillespie became All-Americans, with Harrison finishing in eighth place, an all-time WVU best individual finish for the event.

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY »» Bachelor’s degree (physical education) – 1992

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY, 1991-92 »» Captain of 1991 Atlantic 10 title team »» Earned all-conference honors in 1992

EDUCATION

PERSONAL »» Wife, Heather »» Son, Patrick »» Resides in Morgantown

In 2010, Cleary sent Gillespie and Brault to the NCAA Championships, where Gillespie became Cleary’s sixth All-American with a 34th-place finish in 20:46.

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Brault arrived in 71st place. During indoor track season, three athletes were named All-Americans and all seven athletes who qualified for the outdoor NCAA Championships 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 Championships, its third straight top-10 finish. Clara Grandt, Keri Bland and Marie-Louise Asselin each earned All-America status for their successful campaigns. 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 in what became one of the most successful seasons in school history.

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 United States Track and Field and Cross County Coaches Association (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 Championships over three seasons.

In 2008, the team had its best-ever finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, 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 runner in school history to win an individual Big East title, helping the team finish in second.

In Cleary’s first season as head coach in 2007, he was named Big East Coach of the Year after the program’s first-ever conference cross country championship. Three runners were named All-Big East as the team entered the top 25 for the first time in three years.

20

For the fourth year in a row, the Mountaineers were named an All-Academic Team by the USTFCCCA in 2007. 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.

Cleary previously had been the distance coach in 2005 and 2006 and was a full-time assistant from 2001-04, 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. His primary duties included recruiting and coaching the middle distance and long-distance runners.

WVU’s distance medley relay team qualified for nationals for seven consecutive years from 1998 to 2004, the second-longest streak in the nation at the time, under Cleary’s watch.

In all, Cleary has coached nearly two-dozen athletes who have competed at the World Track and Field, World Cross Country, World University Games and Pan American Championships.

Cleary worked closely with former head coach Dr. Martin Pushkin in building the women’s cross country and track and field teams into national contenders.

Cleary was responsible for the recruitment and mentoring of NCAA mile champion Kate Vermeulen, as well as All-Americans Rebecca Stallwood, Merissa Sexsmith and 2005 NCAA outdoor champion 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 holds a USATF Level I Certification, is the primary recruiter for the cross country and track and field squads, attracting the best in-state, out-of-state and international athletes to Morgantown. He is also 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. Cleary earned all-conference honors in 1992.

Prior to WVU, 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 West Virginia in 1992.

Cleary resides in Morgantown with his wife, Heather. They have one son, Patrick Nolan Cleary, who was born on April 30, 2014.

MAJOR CROSS COUNTRY ACCOMPLISHMENTS UNDER CLEARY TRACK AND FIELD »» 34 total All-America honors have been earned under Cleary’s leadership »» Has coached 11 Mountaineers to multiple All-America honors »» Has coached five Academic All-America First Team selections, including Amy Cashin in 2018 »» Two student-athletes combined for four All-America honors in 2018 – Madelin Gardner, Amy Cashin (indoor and outdoor) »» Led Madelin Gardner to USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Indoor Field Athlete of the Year honor »» Two All-Americans in 2017 – Amy Cashin, Shamoya McNeil »» Coached 2018, 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 »» Academic All-America First Team (CoSIDA) in 2015 – Kelly Williams »» Coached Kaitlyn Gillespie to program’s first Big 12 individual championship in 2015 – 10,000-meter run »» Three All-Americans in 2014 – Sarah Martinelli, Stormy Nesbit, Allison Lasnicki »» Coached former WVU runners to Olympic Trials – Clara Grandt, Aubrey Moskal »» Three CoSIDA All-Americans in 2015 – Kaitlyn Gillespie, Kelly Williams, Jillian Forsey »» Seven CoSIDA All-Americans since 2012 »» Three All-America performances between Chelsea Carrier-Eades and Jessica O’Connell in 2012 »» Four CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in 2012 – Kate Harrison, Kaitlyn Gillespie, Kaylyn Christopher, Ahna Lewis »» 13 All-American performances by eight athletes during the 2011 indoor and outdoor seasons »» Sent a school-record NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2011 »» Eight Big East Championships in 2011 »» Tenth place at NCAA Indoor Championships in 2010 »» Sixteenth place at NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2010 »» 2010 Mid-Atlantic Region Field Athlete of the Year – Chelsea Carrier-Eades »» Five conference champions in 2010

»» 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 »» 2009 Big East Indoor Most Outstanding Track Performer – Clara Grandt »» Four NCAA qualifiers in 2008 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 »» 2016 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Jillian Forsey »» 2016 All-Academic Team (USTFCCCA) »» Three 2016 All-Academic Individuals – Jillian Forsey, Maggie Drazba, Amy Cashin »» Two Mountaineer graduates competed at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics – Sarah-Anne Brault (Triathlon), Jessica O’Connell (5,000m) »» Clara (Grandt) Santucci raced at the 2016 Olympic Trials in L.A. »» 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championship individual qualifier – Millie Paladino »» Two all-region honors in 2015 – Millie Paladino and Savanna Plombon »» 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championship eighth-place finish »» 2014 Big 12 Championship and Mid-Atlantic Regional second-place finish »» Coached 2014 NCAA Elite 89 Award winner Kelly Williams »» 2014 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Kaitlyn Gillespie »» Two 2014 All-American honors – Jillian WVUCrossCountry

Forsey and Kaitlyn Gillespie »» Jillian Forsey qualified for the World Cross Country team in 2014 »» 2013 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional fourthplace finish »» Three all-region and one all-conference runner in 2013 »» 2013 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Sarah Martinelli »» 2012 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region fifth-place finish »» 2011 NCAA Cross Country Championship eighth-place finish »» 2011 Two All-Americans - Kate Harrison, Kaitlyn Gillespie »» Coached 2011 NCAA Elite 89 Award winner Ahna Lewis »» Five all-region and three all-conference runners in 2011 »» 2010 All-American Kaitlyn Gillespie »» NCAA Cross Country Championship sixth-place finish in 2009 »» Highest weekly national ranking – No. 3 on Oct. 6, 2009 »» Five All-Mid-Atlantic Region runners in 2009 »» Three 2009 All-Americans – Marie-Louise Asselin, Keri Bland, 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 »» At least one All-Mid-Atlantic Region honor every year since taking over program in 2007 »» 13 All-Big East honors from six runners »» 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 @WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCross Country

21

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

ERIN

O’REILLY

ASSISTANT COACH Erin O’Reilly begins her sixth season as an assistant cross country and track and field coach at West Virginia University after re-joining the staff in August 2013.

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

O’Reilly helped lead WVU to a fourth-place finish at the 2017 Big 12 Cross Country Championship in Round Rock, Texas, as Maggie Drazba (sixth) and Amy Cashin (13th) registered All-Big 12 performances. Cashin and Drazba also earned All-Mid-Atlantic Region status for finishing 18th and 19th, respectively, at the regional meet.

A total of 10 Mountaineers were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Cross Country Team, including Cashin, who was selection to the Google Cloud Track and Field/Cross Country Academic All-America First Team by CoSIDA. Two other Mountaineers – Allie Diehl and Andrea Pettit – earned the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award in 2017-18, the Big 12 Conference’s highest academic honor.

O’Reilly also was a part of a highly productive track and field season in 2017-18. Two Mountaineers – Cashin and Madelin Gardner – combined to tally four All-America accolades, while seven total members of WVU’s squad qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round. Additionally, West Virginia celebrated five school records in two events over the course of the season.

While the 2017-18 track and field season was record-setting on the track, the Mountaineers also excelled academically. Cashin was named the Big 12 Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season, leading a group of 17 Mountaineers to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team.

O’Reilly also 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 Mid-Atlantic Regionals – thanks to redshirt junior Jillian Forsey – added 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 2016-17 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. Eleven Mountaineers earn Academic All-Big 12 honors as well. 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’s accomplishments in the classroom also led to three individual student-athletes being recognized by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for their academic success during the 2016-17 season. Cashin, Drazba and Forsey were named to the USTFCCCA Women’s All-Academic Individuals Team.

» 6th SEASON AT WVU

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 in the past five years. 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 All-Mid-Atlantic Region honorees, assisted an individual qualifier to the NCAA Cross Country Championships and helped two earn Academic All-District Team. 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 performances that led to All-MidAtlantic Region honors for posting top-25 finishes. Paladino led the Mountaineers by crossing the finish line in 11th place with a time of 21:16.20, while Plombon placed 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 were ranked in the top 48 in their respective events.

At the 2015 Big 12 Outdoor Championship, O’Reilly coached four Mountaineer freshmen to top-five finishes, all of them earning spots on the podium. She also helped guide Kaitlyn Gillespie to All-America honors after finishing ninth in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Championships.

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

In her first season in 2013, 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 AllAmerica status in 2000-01. Smith became 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 Championship 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 in track during her senior year. O’Reilly held seven school records in cross country and track by the end of her career.

The Canton, Ohio, native, also 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.

SUPPORT

STAFF

22

Amy HILE

Joe MITCHIN

Sandy COLE-DEMENT Bubba SCHMIDT

A.J. MONSEAU

Cindy SMITH

Sina KING

Ty BIGELOW

Connor McNAMARA

Clara SANTUCCI

Athletic Trainer

Graduate Assistant Athletic Communications

Assistant Director, StudentAthlete Academic Services

Medical Doctor

Administrative Assistant

Director of Sports Nutrition

Athletic Trainer

Assistant Equipment Manager

Cross Country Graduate Assistant

Equipment Manager

MOUNTAINEER

PROFILES Roster ����������������������������������������24 Profiles ����������������������������������������26

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

2018

ROSTER

Name Marianne Abdalah Antigone Archer Abby Colbert Amber Dombrowski Katherine Dowie Jillian Forsey Samantha Hatcher Olivia Hill Hayley Jackson Linda Jebet Candace Jones Peyton Kukura Hannah Lipps Malina Mitchell Andrea Pettit Avigail Radabaugh TaShala Turner Mikenna Vanderheyden Bree Warren Charlotte Wood Sarah Wills

Ht. 5-4 5-4 5-5 5-4 5-6 5-4 5-2 5-5 6-0 5-3 5-5 5-5 5-5 5-6 5-4 5-6 5-5 5-7 5-7 5-7 5-7

Class Hometown/High School r-Fr. Pittsburgh, Pa./Vincentian Academy r-So. Southlake, Texas/Southlake Carroll r-So. Shepardstown, W.Va./Jefferson Fr. Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown Fr. Carisbook, Victoria, Australia/Ballarat Clarendon College r-Sr. Stephenville, N.L., Canada/Stephenville Fr. Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown r-Jr. Scott Depot, W.Va./Teays Valley Christian So. Lusby, Md./Patuxent Fr. Kapsabet, Kenya/High School r-Jr. Bristow, Va./Patriot Fr. Morgantown, W.Va./University Fr. Romney, W.Va./Hampshire Fr. McDonald, Ohio/McDonald r-Jr. Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown Fr. Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown Fr. Morgantown, W.Va./University Fr. Mount Brydges, Ontario, Canada/High School So. Belgrave, Australia/Monash University Fr. Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada/High School r-So. Morgantown, W.Va./University

BY STATE/PROVINCE W.Va. 10 Australia 2 Ontario 2 Kenya 1 Md. 1 Newfoundland and Laborer 1 Pa. 1 Ohio 1 Texas 1 Va. 1

BY CLASS Fr. 11 r-Fr. 1 So. 2 r-So. 3 r-Jr. 3 r-Sr. 1

2018 MOUNTAINEERS

24

PRONUNCIATION GUIDE First Names / Last Names Abdalah Ab-doll-ah Dombrokwski Dom-brow-ski Dowie Dough-y Kukura Koo-kur-a Forsey FOR-see Radabaugh Rad-a-baugh TaShala Ta-Shall-a Vanderheyden Vander-hey-den

MARIANNE ABDALAH 5-4 » r-Fr. » Pittsburgh, Pa. Vincentian Academy

ANTIGONE ARCHER 5-4 » r-So. » Southlake, Texas Southlake Carroll

KATHERINE DOWIE 5-6 » Fr. » Carisbook, Victoria, Australia Ballarat Clarendon College

JILLIAN FORSEY 5-4 » r-Sr. » Stephenville, N.L., Canada Stephenville

HAYLEY JACKSON

6-0 » So. » Lusby, Md. Patuxent

HANNAH LIPPS

5-5 » Fr. » Romney, W.Va. Hampshire

ABBY COLBERT

AMBER DOMBROWSKI 5-4 » Fr. » Morgantown, W.Va. Morgantown

SAMANTHA HATCHER 5-2 » Fr. » Morgantown, W.Va. Morgantown

OLIVIA HILL 5-5 » r-Jr. » Scott Depot, W.Va. Teays Valley Christian

LINDA JEBET 5-3 » Fr. » Kapsabet, Kenya Kapsisiywa Secondary

CANDACE JONES 5-5 » r-Jr. » Bristow, Va. Patriot

PEYTON KUKURA 5-5 » Fr. » Morgantown, W.Va. University

MALINA MITCHELL 5-6 » Fr. » McDonald, Ohio McDonald

ANDREA PETTIT 5-4 » r-Jr. » Morgantown, W.Va. Morgantown

AVIGAIL RADABAUGH 5-6 » Fr. » Morgantown, W.Va. Morgantown

SARAH WILLS 5-7 » r-So. » Morgantown, W.Va. University

TASHALA TURNER MIKENNA VANDERHEYDEN 5--5 » Fr. » Morgantown, W.Va. 5-7 » Fr. » Mount Brydges » Ontario, Canada University Strathroy Collegiate Institute

5-5 » r-So. » Shepardstown, W.Va. Jefferson

BREE WARREN CHARLOTTE WOOD 5-7 » So. » Belgrave, Australia 5-7 » Fr. » Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada Monash University Bracebridge/Muskoka Lakes WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCross Country

25

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY 2013 (FR.)

»» Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team »» Named to the All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team

following a 25th-place finish at the NCAA MidAtlantic Regional »» Ran a personal-best time of 20:53 at the regional meet, while being the third Mountaineer to cross the line »» Finished in 25th place (21:34), as her first appearance of her career at the Big 12 Championship »»Competed at the NCAA Cross Country Championship, placing 145th, with a time of 21:37.5 »»Claimed a Silver medal while representing the Canadian National Team at the 2014 North American, Central and Caribbean (NACAC) Cross Country Championship in Trinidad and Tobago HIGH SCHOOL

»» Ran at Stephenville High for coach Ray Will »» Newfoundland Provincial Champion in

JILLIAN

FORSEY

5-5 » R-SR. » STEPHENVILLE, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, CANADA

2017 (R-SR.)

»» Did not compete »» Granted sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA in June 2018

2016 (R-JR.)

»» Named Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year »» Academic All-Big 12 First Team »» Named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team »» Earned Big 12 Runner of the Week on Sept. 13 »» Competed at the NCAA Championships, placing 97th overall with a 6k time of 20:49.8 »» Runner-up finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals with a season-best 6k time of 20:09, earning all-region and individually qualifying for the NCAA Finals »» All-Big 12 honors for placing second at the Big 12 Championship with a 6k time of 20:32 »» Won the 6k race at the Texas Tech Open with a time of 21:05.50 »» Crossed the finish line in fourth place at the Paul Short Invitational with a 6k time of 20:14 »» Finished 11th at the Penn State National Open with a 6k time of 20:31 »» Named WVU Student-Athlete of the Week on Sept. 12 and Nov. 14

26

2015 (JR.)

»» Did not compete 2014 (SO.)

»» Academic All-Big 12 First Team, while maintaining a 4.0 GPA »» USTFCCCA All-American »» Capital One Academic All-America Third Team »» Competed at the 2014 IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championship, earning a top-10 finish »» WVU Student-Athlete of the Week (Nov. 17) »» First WVU runner to cross the line at four competitions »» Placed 14th (20:17.9) overall in the 6k at the

NCAA Championships, where she earned AllAmerica status »» Finished second overall, with a time of 20:18 (6k) at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, earning All-Region honors »» Placed 12th (6k) at the Big 12 Championship in 20:54.9, earning All-Big 12 recognition »» Finished 11th overall (6k) at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational, helping WVU knock off 17 ranked teams »» Crossed the line in fifth overall with a 5k time of 16:58.69 at the Greater Louisville Classic

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 Championship, where she placed 49th with a 6k time 20:40 »» Placed eighth at the 2013 4k NACAC Cross Country Championship »» Finished first at the 2012 Canadian Cross Country Championship 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 the 2012 Newfoundland and Labrador Female Athlete of the Year »» 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 event at the 2012 Athletics Ontario Championship »» Finished 14th at the 2011 Canadian Cross Country Championship »» Placed fifth in the 3,000-meter run and seventh in the 1,500-meter run at the 2011 Canadian Youth National Championship »» Finished seventh in the 3,000-meter run at the 2011 Canadian Junior Championship »» Bronze medalist in the 1,200-meter run and fourth in the 2,000-meter run at the 2010 Canadian Youth National Championship »» 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 Championship PERSONAL

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

OLIVIA 5-5 2017 (R-SO.)

»» Academic All-Big 12 First Team »» Finished 35th overall at the Big 12

Championship in a season-best time of 21:26.3 (6k) »» Placed 64th at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional in 21:33.60 (6k) »» Made season debut at the Spiked Shoe Invitational, finishing 24th in a 6k time of 22:17 »» Ran Greater Louisville Classic course (5k) in 18:11.36 for a 132nd-place finish »» Finished 65th at Penn State National Open, crossing the finish line in 21:46 (6k) 2016 (R-FR.)

»» Academic All-Big 12 First Team »» Placed 48th at the Big 12 Championship with a 6k time of 22:24 »» Fifth Mountaineer to cross the finish line, placing 42nd overall on the 6k course in 21:45 at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional

HILL

» R-JR. » SCOTT DEPOT, W.VA.

»» Finished 28th at the Spiked Shoe Invitational with a 6k time of 22:40 »» Placed 64th on the 6k course with a time of 21:40 at the Penn State National »» Crossed the finish line in 119th with a 6k time of 21:33 at the Paul Short Invitational

2015 (FR.)

»» Redshirted »» Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team HIGH SCHOOL

PERSONAL

»» Daughter of Craig and Jenny Hill »» Has one brother »» Birthday is November 25 »» Majoring in exercise physiology »» Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll »» Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll »» President’s List »» Dean’s List »» 2017-18 recipient of the Charleston Scholarship Dinner Athletic Endowment

»» 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 »» Also participated in basketball and volleyball WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCross Country

27

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

CANDACE 5-5 2017 (R-SO.)

»» Finished 36th overall at the Big 12 Championship in a 6k time of 21:29.3 »» Ran at NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, finishing 75th in 21:41.7 (6k) »» Placed fourth overall at the Lehigh Invitational, crossing the finish line in 21:55.0 »» Registered a 66th-place finish at the Penn State National Open, finishing in 21:47 (6k) »» Finished 84th at Greater Louisville Classic in 17:47.87 (5k)

2016 (R-FR.)

»» Placed 70th at the Big 12 Championship with a 6k time of 23:14 »» Third Mountaineer to cross the finish line and

the 32nd overall at the Spiked Shoe Invitational with a 6k time of 23:04 »» Finished 110th at the Penn State National Open, crossing the finish line (6k) in 22:04 »» Took 136th at the Paul Short Invitational with a 6k time of 21:37

28

JONES

» R-JR. » BRISTOW, VA.

2015 (FR.)

»» Redshirted

HIGH SCHOOL

»» Ran at Patriot High for coach Adam Daniels »» Seven-time all-state »» Indoor state champion in the 1,000 meters (2:54.24) her senior year »» At the 2015 VHSL Group 6A Conference

Championship, she ran a personal-best time of 5:00.05 in the 1,600 meters »» Ran a personal-best time of 2:11.08 in the 800-meter event at the 2014 VHSL Group 5A/6A State Outdoor Championship »» Ran in the 1,000-meter event (2.54.42) at the VHSL Group 6A State Indoor Track and Field »» Competed in the 400-meter event with a time of 57.8 »» Ran the 5k with a career-best of 18:48.30

PERSONAL

»» Daughter of Robert and Margaret Jones »» Has one sister »» Birthday is March 14 »» Majoring in criminology »» Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

ANDREA 5-4 2017 (R-SO.)

» Academic All-Big 12 First Team » Made WVU cross country debut at Spiked Shoe Invitational, earning a time of 27:41 (6k) » Also raced at Penn State National Open, crossing the finish line in 26:27 (6k)

2016 (R-FR.)

» Did not compete 2015 (FR.)

» Redshirted

PETTIT

» R-JR. » MORGANTOWN, W.VA.

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 statechampionship teams » Contributing member of four state runner-up teams » First Morgantown High athlete to become a 12-time letterwinner » 2015 swim team captain WVUCrossCountry

PERSONAL

» Daughter of John and Denise Pettit » Has one sister, Alison, who ran cross country and track at WVU » Father swam at WVU » Birthday is June 12 » Majoring in immunology and medical microbiology » Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award » Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll » Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll » President’s List » Dean’s List @WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCross Country

29

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

ANTIGONE 5-4 2017 (R-FR.)

» Academic All-Big 12 First Team » Finished 61st at Big 12 Championship in a 6k time of 22:17.3 » Placed 11th in WVU debut at Lehigh Invitational in 22:33.4 (6k) » Earned a 38th-place finish at the Spiked Shoe Invitational, crossing the finish line in 22:48 (6k) » Also competed at Penn State National and Greater Louisville Classic, earning times of 22:24 (6k) and 18:46.96 (5k), respectively

30

ARCHER

» R-SO. » SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS/SOUTHLAKE CARROLL

2016 (FR.)

» Redshirted

HIGH SCHOOL

» Ran at Southlake Carroll High for coach Justin » »

Leonard Varsity letterwinner in track and field and cross country (2013-16) A member of two-time Nike Cross National and team state champions Placed fifth at the Texas 5A state cross country championship

PERSONAL

» Daughter of David and Amanda Archer » Has one brother and two sisters » Birthday is March 31 » Majoring in mechanical engineering » Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll » Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll » President’s List » Dean’s List

SARAH 5-7 2017 (R-FR.)

» Academic All-Big 12 First Team » Earned a 40th-place finish at the Big 12 Championship in a 6k time of 21:33.3 » Posted a 65th-place finish at the NCAA Mid» » »

Atlantic Regional in 21:34.7 Finished third in WVU debut at Lehigh Invitational, finishing in 21:34.4 (6k) Was the third Mountaineer finisher at the Spiked Shoe Invitational, crossing the finish line in 26th place with a time of 22:22 (6k) Placed 63rd at Greater Louisville Classic in 17:38.17 (5k) Crossed the finish line in 21:59 at the Penn State National Open, good for 72nd place

2016 (FR.)

» Redshirted

WILLS

» R-SO. » MORGANTOWN, W.VA.

HIGH SCHOOL

» Ran at University High for coach Ed Fronapfel » » » » » » » »

and ran club for WV Flyers under coach Jonathan Wright West Virginia team state champions in 2014 and 2015 2014 OVAC 5A champion Two-time cross country all-state Four-time all-state honoree in the 4×800 relay Placed third in the 800 meters, running a personal-best time of 2:17 at the 2016 state meet Runner-up finish in the 3,200 meters at the 2016 state meet, finishing with a personal-best time of 10:57 2016 state champion in the 1,600 meters with a personal-best time of 5:04 Member of the National Honor Society and math honorary – Mu Alpha Theta WVUCrossCountry

PERSONAL

» Daughter of Norman and Rebecca Wills » Has one sister » Birthday is December 11 » Majoring in biomedical engineering » Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll » Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll » Dean’s List

@WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCross Country

31

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

HALEY 6-0 2017 (FR.)

» Earned a 25th-place finish at the Big 12 Championship in 21:07.1 (6k) » Crossed the finish line in 58th place at the » »

32

NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional with a 6k time of 21:26.6 Made her WVU debut at Greater Louisville Classic in an 80th-place 5k finish (17:46.45) Competed at the Penn State National Open, finishing 49th in a 6k time of 21:28

JACKSON

» SO. » LUSBY, MD.

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 meters and 1,600 meters 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 twomile run (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 » Enrolled in general studies

BREE 5-7 2017 (FR.)

» Posted a 6k time of 22:02.1 in a 54th-place finish at the Big 12 Championship » Placed 55th at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional in a time of 21:24.5 (6k) » Made her collegiate debut at the Greater »

Louisville Classic, finishing the 5k course in 18:31.16 Ran at the Penn State National Open, finishing 78th with a time of 22:05 (6k)

WARREN

» SO. » 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 WVUCrossCountry

PERSONAL

» Daughter of Grant and Denise Warren » Has one brother and one sister » Birthday is January 10 » Majoring in human nutrition and foods » Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll » President’s List » Dean’s List

@WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCross Country

33

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

MARIANNE 5-4

ABDALAH

» R-SO. » PITTSBURGH, PA. 2017 (FR.)

» Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team » Redshirted 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 » Held 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 » Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll » Dean’s List

ABBY 5-5

COLBERT

» R-SO. » SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.VA. 2017 (R-FR.)

» Did not compete 2016 (FR.)

» Redshirted

HIGH SCHOOL

» Ran at Jefferson High for coach 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 one-mile (5:06), 800 meters (2:20) and 400 meters (1:00)

34

PERSONAL

» Daughter of Chris and Samantha Colbert » Has one brother and a twin sister » Birthday is August 25 » Majoring in sport psychology » Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

NEWCOMERS

AMBER 5-4

DOMBROWSKI

» FR. » MORGANTOWN, W.VA.

HIGH SCHOOL

» Ran at Morgantown High for coaches Michael Ryan and Steven Blinco » 11-time all-state selection » Won eight letters during high school career » Helped lead Morgantown to four consecutive » » »

PERSONAL

» Daughter of Martin and Lynn Dombrowski » Has one brother » Birthday is June 7 » Majoring in exercise physiology

Class AAA cross country state runner-up finishes Also helped the Mohigans to 2017 Class AAA state track and field championship Two-time state champion in the 4x800 relay Competed at the New Balance Nationals (outdoor) in 2016 and 2017

KATHERINE 5-6

DOWIE

» FR. » CARISBROOK, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA HIGH SCHOOL

» Ran at Ballarat Clarendon College » Won state championship in 5k and 3,000-meter steeplechase in 2017 » Placed third at Australian National »

Championship in 2017 (3,000-meter steeplechase) Enrolled at WVU in January 2018

WVUCrossCountry

PERSONAL

» Daughter of Alastair and Carlene Dowie » Has one sister » Birthday is April 3 » Majoring in exercise physiology

@WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCross Country

35

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

NEWCOMERS

SAMANTHA

5-2

HATCHER

» FR. » MORGANTOWN, W.VA.

HIGH SCHOOL

» Ran at Morgantown High for coach Michael Ryan » Team captain » Led Morgantown High to four consecutive Class AAA cross country state runner-up finishes » Also helped the Mohigans to 2017 Class AAA state track and field championship » 11-time all-state selection, including 10 in track

PERSONAL

» Daughter of Dean and Judy Hatcher » Has one brother and one sister » Birthday is September 12 » Majoring in nursing

LINDA 5-3

JEBET

» FR. » KAPSABET, KENYA HIGH SCHOOL

» Attended Kapsisiywa Secondary School » Previously coached by Elijah Samoei » Participated at Kaptagat Training Camp in Kenya » Ran 400 and 800 meters during high school career

36

PERSONAL

» Daughter of William and Margaret Maiyo » Has one sister » Birthday is September 22 » Majoring in criminology

PEYTON 5-5

KUKURA

» FR. » MORGANTOWN, W.VA. HIGH SCHOOL

» Ran at University High for coach Ed Frohnapfel » Part of four-time Class AAA state champion cross country team » Four-time All-Ohio Valley Athletic Conference in cross country » All-state honoree in 2017 (XC); second-team selection in 2014 » Placed eighth at the 2017 WVSSAC Class AAA State Cross Country Championship » Participated in 4x800 relay, 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters at 2018 WVSSAC State Track Meet » Raced at Footlocker South Regional Cross

PERSONAL

» Daughter of Jeffrey and Lisa Kukura » One of four children » Birthday is May 1 » Undecided major

Country Championships as a junior

HANNAH 5-5

LIPPS

» FR. » ROMNEY, W.VA. HIGH SCHOOL

» Ran at Hampshire High for coach Bill Lipps » Won Class AAA state cross country championship in her junior year; placed third as a senior » 12-time all-state selection » Won back-to-back regional cross country championships as a junior and senior » Hampshire High school-record holder in the 800

PERSONAL

» Daughter of William and Patty Lipps » One of four children » Birthday is June 27 » Majoring in elementary education

meters

WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCross Country

37

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

NEWCOMERS

MALINA 5-6

MITCHELL

» FR. » MCDONALD, OHIO

HIGH SCHOOL

» Ran at McDonald High for coach Mike Richards » Helped McDonald to a Division III state cross country championship in 2014 » Also led the Blue Devils to a Division III state » » »

track title as a freshman and anchored state champion 4x400 relay team 12-time all-state selection, including four in the 1,600 meters Holds 1,600-meter school record and was part of school-record-setting 4x400 relay team Represented Ohio at the Midwest Meet of Champions

PERSONAL

» Daughter of David Mitchell and Nancy Cassidy » Only child » Birthday is August 26 » Majoring in sports psychology

AVIGAIL 5-6

RADABAUGH

» FR. » MORGANTOWN, W.VA.

HIGH SCHOOL

» Ran at Morgantown High for coach Michael Ryan » Ran club track for the WV Flyers » Led Morgantown High to four consecutive Class AAA cross country state runner-up finishes » Also helped the Mohigans to 2017 Class AAA state track and field championship » Named all-region and all-conference in cross country » Held a personal-best 5k time of 18:50

38

PERSONAL

» Daughter of Mike and Stephanie Radabaugh » Has one brother » Birthday is January 27 » Majoring in exercise physiology

TASHALA 5-5

TURNER

» FR. » MORGANTOWN, W.VA. HIGH SCHOOL

» Ran at University High for coach Ed Frohnapfel » Part of four-time Class AAA state champion cross country team » Named the West Virginia Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year » Three-time all-state and four-time All-Ohio Valley Athletic Conference » Won state championship n 3,200 meters in 2015 » Finished as the state runner-up at 2015 and 2017 state cross country meets » Finished seventh in the Nike Cross Nationals

PERSONAL

» Daughter of Rodney and Tammy Turner » One of four children » Birthday is September 13 » Majoring in exercise physiology

Southeast Regional in 2017

MIKENNA 5-7

VANDERHEYDEN

» FR. » MOUNT BRYDGES, ONTARIO, CANADA HIGH SCHOOL

» Ran at Strathroy District Collegiate Institute for coach Sandy Cooper Ryder » Also ran at London Legion Track Club » Captain of cross country and track teams » Named Athlete of the Year » Canadian Interscholastic record holder in

PERSONAL

» Daughter of Chris and Jenn Vanderheyden » Has two brothers » Birthday is June 30 » Majoring in forensics and investigative sciences/ psychology

1,500-meter

WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCross Country

39

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

NEWCOMERS

CHARLOTTE

5-7,

WOOD

» FR. » BRACEBRIDGE, ONTARIO, CANADA HIGH SCHOOL

» Ran at Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School » Multiple-time competitor at Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association Championships » Recipient of 2017 Jim Quigley Memorial AwardBracebridge Athlete of the Year » Won GBSSA Cross Country Championships as a senior » Has competed at Canadian Junior Nationals, »

40

Espoire Games and Athletics Ontario training camp School-record holder in 800 and 1,500 meters

PERSONAL

» Daughter of Dan and Laurie Wood » Father played hockey for Team Canada in 1984 Winter Olympics » Has one brother and one sister » Birthday is June 13 » Majoring in exercise physiology

2018

PREVIEW A Look at 2018 ������������������������������������������������������ 42 2018 Schedule ������������������������������������������������������� 44

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

2018

PREVIEW

COACH SEAN CLEARY

West Virginia has qualified as a team to the NCAA Championships nine times, all since 1997. This year, the Mountaineers are working toward retuning to the national stage for the first time as a team since 2014. To accomplish that mission, WVU must have newcomers ready to take on top-level collegiate competition, as well as more experienced runners raise the bar for themselves and their teammates.

Sean Cleary, who enters his 12th season as the head coach of the West Virginia University cross country and track and field teams, is primed again lead the Mountaineers into some of the nation’s biggest meets in 2018-19. With over 25 years of coaching experience, Cleary has mentored eight cross country All-Americans and helped the Mountaineers reach the NCAA Championships in 10 of the last 11 years (team and individual).

With a good mix of experienced runners, veteran presence and a big group of talented newcomers, the Mountaineers are aiming to compete at a high level inside the Big 12 Conference, Mid-Atlantic Regional and with top programs around the country.

STEPPING UP

BIG GOALS AHEAD

High expectations are nothing new for WVU’s cross country program and 2018 will be no different. The Mountaineers, who finished fourth at the 2017 Big 12 Championship, have their minds set at continuing to climb the conference ladder, as well as compete for a regional championship.

42

OLIVIA HILL

The Mountaineers are again fortunate to be able to lean on some talented upperclassmen entering the 2018 campaign. Despite five seniors leaving the program due to graduation, Cleary and the Mountaineers still feel comfortable about the amount of veteran support some of the members of the roster can provide.

WVU received a major boost in June when the NCAA granted redshirt senior Jillian Forsey a sixth year of eligibility. Forsey, who missed the entire 2017 cross country season due to injury, can make a major impact at the starting line. The Stephenville, Newfoundland and

Laborer, Canada, native has appeared in three NCAA Championships, including as an individual in 2016. Her strong resume and ability is a big asset for the Mountaineers.

Other veterans, like redshirt juniors Olivia Hill and Candace Jones, also will be asked to take on a larger role in the team’s scoring this season. Both runners now have two years of collegiate racing under their belts, which has helped confidence and familiarity with the competition. Their growth is a critical piece to the 2018 season.

UP AND COMING

WVU also is very excited for the development of multiple runners heading into the new season. Redshirt sophomore Sarah Wills and Antigone Archer, as well as true sophomores Hayley Jackson and Bree Warren, all experienced their first taste of representing the Gold and Blue in 2017.

Wills raced at all six meets for WVU last fall, one of two runners to do so.

The Morgantown native finished third in her Mountaineer debut at the Lehigh Invitational. Jackson and Warren, meanwhile, showed plenty of poise and determination as freshmen a year ago.

The goal is for that group to continue to make positive steps forward to help the Mountaineers’

team scoring. Under Cleary’s guidance, the Mountaineers are hoping to progress each of these runners into the front of the pack.

NEWCOMERS

Eleven freshmen are set to join the Mountaineers this fall in one of the largest incoming classes in program history. As has become the norm, Cleary and his staff targeted student-athletes from around the globe, searching for the top talent to enter the program.

This year, seven in-state runners – Amber Dombrowski, Samantha Hatcher, Peyton Kukura, Hannah Lipps, Avigail Radabaugh and TaShala Turner – are set to join the Mountaineers, including six who hail from Morgantown. Malina Mitchell also joins the team from McDonald, Ohio.

Three international runners also will join the squad this fall, traveling from the likes of Australia, Canada and Kenya to West Virginia. For Katherine Dowie, Linda Jebet and Mikenna Vanderheyden, new experiences on a new team, in a new country, await.

WVU hopes the incoming class can not only make an early impact but also provide the necessary foundation for the next generation of Mountaineers.

2018 SCHEDULE

West Virginia’s focal point is always on the championship season. This year, the Mountaineers will participate in five regular-season meets to get ready for the postseason, and they’ll go up against some of the nation’s top programs along the way.

The season kicks off with a trip to the Charlotte Opener on Aug. 31.

From there, WVU makes its first of three stops at Penn State with the Spiked Shoe Invitational on Sept. 7.

The Mountaineers also visit University Park on Oct. 12 for the Penn State National Open and Nov. 9 for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional.

WVU travels to the Lock Haven XC Open on Sept. 22, six days before competing at a meet to be determined.

Postseason competition begins with the 2018 Big 12 Championship, held Oct. 26, in Ames, Iowa. With all eyes set for the conference and regional meets, good performances and solid results will lead the Mountaineers to the 2018 NCAA Championships on Nov. 17, in Madison, Wisconsin.

JILLIAN FORSEY WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCross Country

43

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

2018 CROSS COUNTRY

44

DATE

EVENT

Aug. 31

SCHEDULE LOCATION

TIME

at Charlotte Opener

Concord, N.C.

6:30 p.m.

Sept. 7

at Spiked Shoe Invitational

University Park, Pa.

5:30 p.m.

Sept. 22

at Lock Haven XC Open

Lock Haven, Pa.

11 a.m.

Sept. 29

at Paul Short Run

Bethlehem, Pa.

9:30 a.m.

Oct. 12

at Penn State National Open

University Park, Pa.

10:45 a.m.

Oct. 26

at Big 12 Championship

Ames, Iowa

11 a.m.

Nov. 9

at NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional

University Park, Pa.

12 p.m.

Nov. 17

at NCAA Championships

Madison, Wisc.

TBA

2017

REVIEW A Look Back at 2017 �������������������� 46 2017 Results �������������������������������� 48 Meet-by-Meet Breakdown ������������ 49 Individual Times ���������������������������� 50 Accolades ������������������������������������ 50

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

2017

SEASON REVIEW

LOOKING BACK

The 2017 edition of the West Virginia University cross country team provided plenty of individual success as well as solid building blocks for the program’s future.

The Mountaineers again competed against some of the best programs in the country last fall, inside one of the most respected conferences in the sport. Led by 11th-year head coach Sean Cleary, WVU opened the season with a bang, placing first at the Lehigh Invitational on Sept. 1, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. From there, WVU went on to compete at a high level and garner several postseason accolades.

“I am very proud of the way this team has conducted itself for the entire fall,” Cleary said. “They worked very hard and had a wonderful attitude.”

The team was featured in the USTFCCCA National Poll on Oct. 3, and

46

it received votes throughout the year despite battling through injuries and inexperience all season.

West Virginia also was terrific in the classroom during the 2017 season, something that has long since become a staple for the program. Whether it was on the course or off, the Mountaineers continued to prove why they are a prominent, successful program.

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP

At the 2017 Big 12 Cross Country Championship in Round Rock, Texas, WVU finished fourth as a team, placing a pair of runners in the top 20.

Redshirt senior Maggie Drazba led the way at Old Settlers Park, finishing sixth overall in a time of 20:19.1 (6k). Not far behind was redshirt senior Amy Cashin, who placed 13th in 20:44.00.

Both runners earned All-Big 12 distinction for their performances.

WVU finished with 115 team points at the event.

NCAA MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL

Cashin and Drazba’s leadership continued at the 2017 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The duo gained All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors, as the two finished in 18th and 19th place, respectively.

Cashin ran the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course (6k) in 20:32.2, while Drazba crossed the finish line in 20:35.1.

As a team, WVU finished in seventh place at the event, compiling a total of 214 points. Additionally, three Mountaineers – Bree Warren, Hayley Jackson and Sarah Wills – made their regional-meet debut, earning valuable experience that can be counted on in the future.

IN THE CLASSROOM

West Virginia continued to get the job done academically in 2017, and individual and team recognition followed.

Perhaps the biggest accolade came when Cashin was named to the 2017-18 Google Cloud CoSIDA Cross Country/ Track & Field Academic All-America First Team. The Werribee, Victoria, Australia, native became the Mountaineers’ first student-athlete to garner first-team honors since Kelly Williams in 2015-16. It also was Cashin’s second career Academic All-America honor and the 18th in the Coach Cleary era.

Two other Mountaineers – Allie Diehl and Andrea Pettit – were recipients of the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, the Big 12 Conference’s highest academic honor.

Additionally, Diehl was named a WVU Foundation Outstanding Senior.

Along with Cashin and Drazba being named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, a total of 10 Mountaineers earned a spot onto the Academic All-Big 12 Team.

“Ten out of a roster of 15 is incredibly reflective of the work ethic of these young ladies, and the outstanding support given by both the academic support system and administration,” Cleary said. “Being that freshmen and transfers do not qualify for this award, we hit a home run with the size of this group. This team works so hard both on and off the field, and I could not be prouder.”

SAYING GOODBYE

While the 2017 season introduced several members of the team to collegiate racing, it also served as the final campaign for five seniors. Cashin and Drazba headlined the group, and the services of Diehl, Brynn Harshbarger and Rebecca Wendt certainly added to it.

When the senior class arrived in Morgantown, it joined a program full of expectations. It leaves after carrying even more success forward, as it continued to build even higher.

“This group of seniors led the program and we feel very fortunate to have such great ladies represent themselves so well,” Cleary said.

Whether it was accomplishments inside the classroom or memorable big-meet performances, each senior remained committed to helping the overall improvement of the team. Their impact and participation will go a long way in the future for the next generation of Mountaineers.

AMY CASHIN WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCross Country

47

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

2017 MEET-BY-MEET

BREAKDOWN

2017 RESULTS DATE Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 30 Oct. 13 Oct. 28 Nov. 10

EVENT PLACE (POINTS) Lehigh Invitational (Bethlehem, Pa.) ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1st Place (21) PSU Spiked Shoe Invitational (University Park, Pa.) �������������������������������������������������� 6th Place (n/a) Greater Louisville Classic (Louisville, Ky.) ������������������������������������������������������������������� 8th Place (269) Penn State National Open (University Park, Pa.) ������������������������������������������������������� 8th Place (211) Big 12 Championship (Round Rock, Texas) ��������������������������������������������������������������� 4th Place (115) NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional (Bethlehem, Pa.) ����������������������������������������������������������� 7th Place (214)

LEHIGH INVITATIONAL

GREATER LOUISVILLE CLASSIC

September 1 » Bethlehem, Pa. Goodman Campus Course (6k) 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

1.

2.

3.

4.

11.

Team Standings Points West Virginia ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 21 Rutgers ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 53 Lehigh ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 62 Delaware �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 87 La Salle ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������114 NJIT �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 190 Fairleigh Dickinson �������������������������������������������������������������� 197 WVU Finishers Time Maggie Drazba ���������������������������������������������������������������� 20:58.6 Amy Cashin ���������������������������������������������������������������������21:25.1 Sarah Wills ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 21:34.4 Candace Jones �������������������������������������������������������������� 21.55.0 Antigone Archer �������������������������������������������������������������� 22:33.6

SPIKED SHOE INVITATIONAL

September 8 » University Park, Pa. Blue-White Golf Course (6k) 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Team Standings Dual Wins Penn State ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������6 Georgetown �������������������������������������������������������������������������������5 Syracuse �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������4 Pitt ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3 Bucknell �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2 West Virginia �����������������������������������������������������������������������������1 Edinboro �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������0

12.

24.

26.

38.

85.

WVU Finishers Time Amy Cashin ������������������������������������������������������������������������21:49 Olivia Hill ����������������������������������������������������������������������������22:17 Sarah Wills ��������������������������������������������������������������������������22:22 Antigone Archer ������������������������������������������������������������������22:48 Andrea Pettit ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 27:41

September 30 » Louisville, Ky. E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park (5k)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

8.

Team Standings (37 teams) Points Boise State ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 78 Wisconsin �������������������������������������������������������������������������������105 Furman ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 127 Minnesota �����������������������������������������������������������������������������129 Northern Arizona ������������������������������������������������������������������ 178 West Virginia ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 269

21.

29.

63.

80.

84.

132.

173.

213.

289.

WVU Finishers Time Maggie Drazba �������������������������������������������������������������� 17:09.52 Amy Cashin ������������������������������������������������������������������ 17:17.16 Sarah Wills ���������������������������������������������������������������������17:38.17 Hayley Jackson ������������������������������������������������������������ 17:46.45 Candace Jones ������������������������������������������������������������ 17:47.87 Olivia Hill �����������������������������������������������������������������������18:11.36 Bree Warren ������������������������������������������������������������������ 18:31.16 Antigone Archer �������������������������������������������������������������18:46.96 Rebecca Wendt ������������������������������������������������������������ 19:30.11

CANDACE JONES

48

PENN STATE NATIONAL OPEN October 13 » University Park, Pa. Blue-White Golf Course (6k)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

8.

Team Standings (17 teams) Points Penn State ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 44 Villanova ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 62 Dartmouth �����������������������������������������������������������������������������122 Princeton �������������������������������������������������������������������������������125 Cornell �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������162 West Virginia ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 211

11.

20.

49.

65.

66.

72.

78.

110.

144.

178.

WVU Finishers (Place) Time Amy Cashin ������������������������������������������������������������������������20:43 Maggie Drazba ��������������������������������������������������������������������20:57 Hayley Jackson ������������������������������������������������������������������21:28 Olivia Hill ����������������������������������������������������������������������������21:46 Candace Jones ������������������������������������������������������������������21:47 Sarah Wills ��������������������������������������������������������������������������21:59 Bree Warren ������������������������������������������������������������������������22:05 Antigone Archer ������������������������������������������������������������������22:24 Rebecca Wendt ������������������������������������������������������������������23:06 Andrea Pettit ����������������������������������������������������������������������26:27 2017 MOUNTAINEERS

BIG 12 CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP October 28 » Round Rock, Texas Old Settlers Park (6k)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Team Standings Points Iowa State ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 49 Oklahoma State ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 89 Texas �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 90 West Virginia ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 115 Baylor ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 117 Kansas ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 147 Oklahoma ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 179 Texas Tech �����������������������������������������������������������������������������196 Kansas State �������������������������������������������������������������������������206 TCU ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������238

6.

13.

25.

35.

36.

40.

54.

57.

61.

WVU Finishers (Place) Time Maggie Drazba ���������������������������������������������������������������� 20:19.1 Amy Cashin �������������������������������������������������������������������� 20:44.0 Hayley Jackson �������������������������������������������������������������� 21:07.1 Olivia Hill ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 21:26.3 Candace Jones �������������������������������������������������������������� 21:29.3 Sarah Wills ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 21:33.7 Bree Warren �������������������������������������������������������������������� 22:02.1 Rebecca Wendt �������������������������������������������������������������� 22:11.7 Antigone Archer ���������������������������������������������������������������22:17.3

NCAA MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL November 10 » Bethlehem, Pa. Goodman Campus Course (6k)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Team Standings (28 teams) Points Penn State ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 31 Villanova ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 60 Georgetown ���������������������������������������������������������������������������109 Princeton �������������������������������������������������������������������������������162 Pitt �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������162 Penn ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������188 West Virginia ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 214

18.

19.

55.

58.

64.

65.

75.

WVU Finishers (Place) Time Amy Cashin �������������������������������������������������������������������� 20:32.2 Maggie Drazba ���������������������������������������������������������������� 20:35.1 Bree Warren ���������������������������������������������������������������������21:24.5 Hayley Jackson �������������������������������������������������������������� 21:26.6 Olivia Hill ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 21:33.6 Sarah Wills ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 21:34.7 Candace Jones ���������������������������������������������������������������21:41.7

WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCross Country

49

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

2017 INDIVIDUAL AMY CASHIN (R-SR.) Event

Lehigh Spiked Shoe Louisville PSU National Big 12 Mid-Atlantic

TIMES

WVU Overall Finish Finish

1st 6th 8th 8th 4th 7th

2nd 21:25.1 12th 21:49 29th 17:17.16 11th 20:43 13th 20:44.0 18th 20:32.2

REBECCA WENDT (R-SR.) Event

Louisville PSU National Big 12

WVU Overall Finish Finish

Lehigh Louisville PSU National Big 12 Mid-Atlantic

Time

8th 289th 19:30.11 8th 144th 23:06 4th 57th 22:11.7

CANDACE JONES (R-SO.) Event

Time

WVU Overall Finish Finish

1st 8th 8th 4th 7th

Time

4th 21:55.0 84th 17:47.87 66th 21:47 36th 21:29.3 75th 21:41.7

SARAH WILLS (R-FR.) Event

Lehigh Spiked Shoe Louisville PSU National Big 12 Mid-Atlantic

WVU Overall Finish Finish

1st 6th 8th 8th 4th 7th

3rd 21:34.4 26th 22:22 63rd 17:38.17 72nd 21:59 40th 21:33.7 65th 21:34.7

Event

WVU Overall Finish Finish

8th 8th 4th 7th

MAGGIE DRAZBA (R-SR.) Event

Lehigh Louisville PSU National Big 12 Mid-Atlantic

OLIVIA HILL (R-SO.) Event

Spiked Shoe Louisville PSU National Big 12 Mid-Atlantic

WVU Overall Finish Finish

Time

80th 17:46.45 49th 21:28 25th 21:07.1 58th 21:26.6

WVU Overall Finish Finish

Event

Spiked Shoe PSU National

Time

1st 1st 20:58.6 8th 21st 17:09.52 8th 20th 20:57 4th 6th 20:19.1 7th 19th 20:35.1

WVU Overall Finish Finish

6th 8th

85th 178th

ANTIGONE ARCHER (R-FR.) Event

Lehigh Spiked Shoe Louisville PSU National Big 12

WVU Overall Finish Finish

Louisville PSU National Big 12 Mid-Atlantic

Time

27:41 26:27 Time

1st 11th 22:33.4 6th 38th 22:48 8th 213th 18:46.96 8th 110th 22:24 4th 61st 22:17.3

BREE WARREN (FR.) Event

Time

6th 24th 22:17 8th 132nd 18:11.36 8th 65th 21:46 4th 35th 21:26.3 7th 64th 21:33.6

ANDREA PETTIT (R-SO.)

HAYLEY JACKSON (FR.) Louisville PSU National Big 12 Mid-Atlantic

Time

WVU Overall Finish Finish

Time

8th 173rd 18:31.16 8th 78th 22:05 4th 54th 22:02.1 7th 55th 21:24.5

2017-18 SEASON ALL–BIG 12 Amy Cashin Maggie Drazba

ACCOLADES

ALL-MID-ATLANTIC REGION Amy Cashin Maggie Drazba BIG 12 WOMEN’S RUNNER OF THE WEEK Amy Cashin (Sept. 12) ACADEMIC ALL-BIG 12 FIRST TEAM Antigone Archer Amy Cashin Allie Diehl Maggie Drazba Jillian Forsey Brynn Harshbarger Olivia Hill Andrea Pettit Rebecca Wendt Sarah Wills

50

GOOGLE CLOUD 2018 TRACK AND FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA (COSIDA) Amy Cashin (First Team)

DR. GERALD LAGE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Allie Diehl Andrea Pettit

GOOGLE CLOUD 2018 TRACK AND FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT (COSIDA) Amy Cashin

WVU FOUNDATION OUTSTANDING SENIOR AWARD Allie Diehl

2017 USTFCCCA CROSS COUNTRY ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM Amy Cashin Maggie Drazba

RECORD

BOOK

Hall of Fame ������������������������������������������������������������ 52 NCAA Honors ����������������������������������������������������������� 52 Conference Honors �������������������������������������������������� 52 Other Honors ���������������������������������������������������������� 53 All-Americans ���������������������������������������������������������� 53

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

HALL OF

FAME

Megan (Metcalfe) Wright ������������������������(2015)

Charity Wachera ������������������������������������(2016)

NCAA

HONORS

ALL-AMERICANS Jillian Forsey Kaitlyn Gillespie Kate Harrison Clara Grandt Marie-Louise Asselin Keri Bland Megan Metcalfe Charity Wachera

2014 2010, 2011, 2014 2011 2009 2007, 2008, 2009 2007, 2008, 2009 2002, 2004 1997

DIVISION I DISTRICT II COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR Martin Pushkin/Sean Cleary 1995, 1997, 2000 MID-ATLANTIC REGION COACH OF THE YEAR Sean Cleary 2004, 2007, 2008 NCAA MID-ATLANTIC TEAM CHAMPIONS 2004, 2008 NCAA ALL-MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPION Megan Metcalfe

2002

NCAA ALL-MID-ATLANTIC REGION 2016, 2017 Amy Cashin Millie Paladino 2015 Savanna Plombon 2015 2014, 2016, 2017 Maggie Drazba Brynn Harshbarger 2014 Jillian Forsey 2013, 2014, 2016 Sarah Martinelli 2013 Sydney Scott 2012, 2014 Kelly Williams 2012. 2013

Kaitlyn Gillespie Sarah-Anne Brault Ahna Lewis Kate Harrison Kaylyn Christopher Clara Grandt Marie-Louise Asselin Keri Bland Susan Davis Jennifer Davis Tara Struyk Megan Metcalfe Merissa Sexsmith Rebecca Stallwood Karin Lockhart Kate Vermeulen Charity Wachera Nancy Knapp Francine Darroch

2010, 2011, 2014 2010, 2011, 2012 2008, 2011 2008, 2009, 2011 2008, 2009, 2011 2007, 2008, 2009 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 2004, 2005 2004 2002, 2003, 2004 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 1999, 2000 1999, 2000 1998, 2000 1998 1998 1998 1998

NCAA TEAM QUALIFIERS 1997, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014 INDIVIDUAL NCAA QUALIFIERS Jillian Forsey Maggie Drazba Millie Paladino Kaitlyn Gillespie Sarah-Anne Brault Susan Davis

2016 2016 2015 2010 2010, 2012 2005

Megan Metcalfe Tara Struyk Merissa Sexsmith Rebecca Stallwood Kate Vermeulen Charity Wachera Vicki Stum

2002, 2003 2003 1999 1999 1998 1995, 1997 1990

NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR Rebecca Stallwood

2001

NCAA ELITE 89 AWARD Kelly Williams Ahna Lewis

2014 2011

WVU AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS 1997 20th (485 points) 2000 21st (491 points) 2002 Metcalfe (9th) Metcalfe (32nd), Davis (70th) 2003 2004 15th (388 points) Davis (74th) 2005 2007 9th (375 points) 2008 4th (198 points) 2009 6th (259 points) 2010 Gillespie (34th), Brault (71st) 2011 8th (297 points) 2012 Brault (76th) 2013 24th (621 points) 8th (277 points) 2014 2015 Paladino (77th) Drazba (58th), Forsey (97th) 2016

CONFERENCE

HONORS

ALL-BIG 12 Amy Cashin Jillian Forsey Maggie Drazba Kaitlyn Gillespie Sarah Martinelli Sarah-Anne Brault

BIG 12 WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Jillian Forsey Kaitlyn Gillespie Sarah Martinelli

2017 2014, 2016 2014, 2017 2014 2013 2012

2016 2014 2013

BIG 12 WOMEN’S RUNNER OF THE WEEK Amy Cashin 2017 (Sept. 12) Jillian Forsey 2016 (Sept. 13) Sarah Martinelli 2013 (Oct. 8) BIG EAST TEAM CHAMPIONS 2007 BIG EAST FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Megan Metcalfe

52

2000

BIG EAST WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION Marie-Louise Asselin

2008

BIG EAST TEAM ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD 2011 BIG EAST INSTITUTIONAL FEMALE SCHOLARATHLETE OF THE YEAR Charity Wachera 1997 Ahna Lewis 2011 ALL-BIG EAST Sarah-Anne Brault Kate Harrison Kaitlyn Gillespie Marie-Louise Asselin Keri Bland Clara Grandt Susan Davis Tara Struyk Megan Metcalfe Rebecca Stallwood

2011 2011 2010, 2011 2007, 2008, 2009 2007, 2008, 2009 2007, 2008, 2009 2005 2002, 2003 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 1999, 2000

Merissa Sexsmith Charity Wachera

1999 1997

ATLANTIC 10 TEAM CHAMPIONS 1994 ATLANTIC 10 INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS Vicki Stum

1991

ATLANTIC 10 FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Charity Wachera Heather Bury

1994 1993

ALL-ATLANTIC 10 Charity Wachera Carisa Brown Heather Bury Kerryn Davidson Erin O’Reilly Vicki Stum

1994 1994 1993, 1994 1992, 1993, 1994 1991 1990, 1991

OTHER

HONORS

COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA

Amy Cashin Amy Cashin Jillian Forsey Kelly Williams Kelly Williams Kaitlyn Gillespie Jillian Forsey Sarah-Anne Brault Kaitlyn Gillespie Katie Harrison Kaylyn Christopher Ahna Lewis Sarah-Anne Brault Keri Bland April Rotilio Marie-Louise Asselin Kaylyn Christopher Marie-Louise Asselin Megan Metcalfe

First Team Second Team Second Team First Team First Team Second Team Third Team Second Team First Team First Team Third Team Third Team Second Team Third Team Third Team Second Team Third Team Third Team Third Team

COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT

Amy Cashin Amy Cashin Jillian Forsey Amy Cashin Kelly Williams Jillian Forsey Kaitlyn Gillespie Kelly Williams Kelly Williams Sarah-Anne Brault Sarah-Anne Brault Kaylyn Christopher

First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team

2018 2017 2017 2016 2015 2015 2015 2013 2012 2012 2012 2012 2011 2011 2011 2010 2010 2009 2005 2018 2017 2017 2016 2016 2015 2015 2015 2014 2013 2012 2012

Kaitlyn Gillespie Kate Harrison Ahna Lewis Keri Bland Sarah-Anne Brault April Rotilio Marie-Anne Asselin Kaylyn Christopher Marie-Louise Asselin Marie-Louise Asselin Jessica Czaikowski Alison Spiker Abbie Stechschulte Megan Metcalfe Devon Plesuk Tara Struyk

First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team First Team

2012 2012 2012 2011 2011 2011 2010 2010 2009 2008 2007 2007 2007 2005 2005 2005

USTFCCCA CROSS COUNTRY ALL-AMERICA

Jillian Forsey Kaitlyn Gillespie Katie Harrison Kaitlyn Gillespie Kaitlyn Gillespie Marie-Louise Asselin Keri Bland Clara Grandt Marie-Louise Asselin Keri Bland Marie-Louise Asselin Keri Bland Megan Metcalfe Megan Metcalfe Steve Bohan (men’s)

2014 2014 2011 2011 2010 2009 2009 2009 2008 2008 2007 2007 2004 2002 2000

ALL-

AMERICANS

USTFCCCA CROSS COUNTRY ALL-ACADEMIC

Amy Cashin 2017 Maggie Drazba 2017 Jillian Forsey 2016 Amy Cashin 2016 2016 Maggie Drazba Jillian Forsey 2015 Kaitlyn Gillespie 2015 Brynn Harshbarger 2014 Sydney Scott 2014 2014 Maggie Drazba Kaitlyn Gillespie 2014 Jillian Forsey 2014 Kelly Williams 2013 Kelly Williams 2012 Sarah-Anne Brault 2012 Sarah-Anne Brault 2011 2011 Kaitlyn Gillespie 2011 Kate Harrison Ahna Lewis 2011 Sarah-Anne Brault 2010 2010 Kaitlyn Gillespie Marie-Louise Asselin 2009 Keri Bland 2009 Clara Grandt 2009 Kate Harrison 2009 Marie-Louise Asselin 2008 Keri Bland 2008 2008 Kaylyn Christopher Ahna Lewis 2008 2007 Marie-Louise Asselin Keri Bland 2007 Bold/Italic indicate current runners

CHARITY WACHERA 1997

Charity Wachera was one of WVU’s best distance runners during her career. For her efforts and accomplishments, she was inducted into the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. The Nairobi, Kenya, native earned All-America honors in the 10,000 meters with a sixth-place finish (34:29.64) at the 1998 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She also set two school records during her tenure at WVU. 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. Her mark in the 10,000m still stands today, while her mark in the 5,000 meter was broken by fellow All-American Rebecca Stallwood in 2001. In 1997, Wachera finished 11th at the NCAA Championships with a time of 17:00 to become WVU’s first female cross country All-American.

CHARITY WACHERA WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCrossCountry

@WVUCross Country

53

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

MEGAN METCALFE 2002, 2004

Megan Metcalfe, a nine-time All-American, is the most prolific distance runner in Mountaineer women’s cross country and track and field history and was inducted into the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. She was the first women’s cross country runner, and the third women’s track and field athlete to be inducted. Metcalfe is also the first Mountaineer to achieve two All-America honors in cross country. 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 at the NCAA Track & Field Championships. Metcalfe’s second All-America award, and first individual, came with a third-place finish in the 3,000-meter race at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championship 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-meters at the indoor championship and wa s a part of the school-record-setting distance medley relay team in that same meet. Her sixth and seventh awards came in March 2004, when she was fifth in the 3,000-meters at the NCAA Finals and again was a member of the DMR team. Metcalfe’s school-record setting eighth All-America honor came at the 2004 NCAA Cross Country Championship 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. She also competed at the World Cross Country Championship twice during her tenure at WVU and competed at the World University Games in Turkey. In 2008, Metcalfe reached the top, as she ran in the 5,000-meter race for Canada in the Beijing Olympics.

MEGAN METCALFE

MARIE-LOUISE ASSELIN 2007, 2008, 2009

MARIE-LOUISE ASSELIN

54

Marie-Louise Asselin capped off her cross country career as one of the most decorated runners in WVU history. The 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 Championships. The Mountaineers went on to finish sixth, marking the third-consecutive year that WVU finished in the top 10 at the national championship. 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 secondplace finish in the 5,000m 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 Cross Country Championships, first at the NCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Regionals and second at the Big East Championship. Asselin became WVU’s 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 Championships 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 Championships. 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 place. At the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional race that year, 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 track 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

2007, 2008, 2009 Keri Bland, a seven-time All-American, continued to leave her name in the WVU record books as 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 Marie-Louise Asselin, became the only Mountaineers in school history to earn All-America honors for three seasons in cross county, as she finished 34th at the national meet (20:45). The Fairview, West Virginia, 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. competitors in the 1,500-meter race, marking the second time she earned honors in all three seasons. Bland was an essential part of the Mountaineers cross country team in 2008, when she led WVU to its most successful season in school history as the squad placed fourth at the NCAA Championships, first at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals and second at the Big East Championship. She was the first Mountaineer to finish at the NCAA Championships, 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 AllAmericans in the same year. Bland earned All-Big 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 AllAmerica honors in the 1,500-meters to become the first female in WVU history to earn All-America honors in three sports in the same year.

KERI BLAND

CLARA GRANDT 2009

CLARA GRANDT

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 as a senior in 2009. The West Union, West Virginia, native led the team to a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, the first Mountaineer to cross the line in 13th-place overall. Grandt also earned all-region and All-Big East honors and was named the 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 fourth-place showing in the 10,000-meter race at the outdoor championship, giving her four total All-America honors. Grandt became WVU’s 24th track and field AllAmerican as she earned the honors with a fourth-place showing in the 10,000-meter finals at the NCAA Championships 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. Since graduating from WVU, Grandt has gone one to win the Pittsburgh Marathon twice (2014, 2015), finish first among Americans at the 2013 Chicago Marathon and fifth overall in 2014. The two-time Olympic trial qualifier has also experienced success at the Boston Marathon and was a member of the U.S. Half-Marathon Championships team in 2014. Currently, Grandt serves as a graduate assistant for coach Sean Cleary’s cross country and track and field teams.

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MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY KAITLYN GILLESPIE 2010, 2011, 2014

KAITLYN GILLESPIE

Kaitlyn Gillespie finished her Mountaineer career with three All-American honors. As a junior, she placed seventh at the Big East Championship in 20:14 and followed it with a seventh-place mark in 21:46 at the NCAA MidAtlantic Regional. To earn All-America status, she came in 27th place at the NCAA Championships with a 6k time of 20:17, improving in placement and time from her 2010 NCAA finish. Gillespie was also named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic team following the 2011 season. In her first season at WVU after one year at Cedarville University, Gillespie quickly made the successful jump to Division I competition in 2010 by earning All-America, all-region and all-conference accolades. The Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, native became an All-American for the first time following her 34th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, where she finished the 6k course in 20:46. To earn All-MidAtlantic Region and All-Big East honors, Gillespie came in 10th place at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional and the Big East Championship, widely regarded as the most difficult regional and conference events in the nation. Before a 17th-place finish at the 2010 Penn State National, she had two first-place finishes at the Big East Preview and Notre Dame Invitational. Gillespie’s final season in Morgantown saw her obtain All-America status for the third time.

She garnered All-Big 12, All-Mid-Atlantic Region and All-America honors throughout the 2014 campaign. Gillespie was the first Mountaineer to cross the line at the Big 12 Championship, finishing in fifth-place overall in the conference. She finished third in the Mid-Atlantic Region race and followed that up with a 26th-place finish at the 2014 NCAA Championships.

KATE HARRISON 2011

A native of Toronto, Ontario, Kate Harrison ended a stellar WVU cross country career with one of the most impressive single-season resumes in school history.

A four-time NCAA participant, Harrison recorded the all-time program-best finish at the NCAA Championships with an eighth-place mark, breaking Megan Metcalfe’s ninth-place finish in 2002 at the event. She also finished the race with a career-best 6k time of 19:50 as she earned All-America for the first time in cross country. During the 2011 season, she was twice named the WVU Athlete of the Week and also earned All-Big East and All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors.

To earn all-conference, the senior placed third in 19:52 at the conference meet, before recording a fifth-place finish in 21:38 at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional to earn all-region marks. She also excelled in academics as she was named to the 2011 USTFCCCA All-Academic team.

KATE HARRISON

JILLIAN FORSEY 2014

JILLIAN FORSEY

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As a sophomore, Jillian Forsey made her mark as a Mountaineer, earning All-America status for the first time, doing so with a 14th-place finish (20:17.9) at the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, native raced to a second-place finish overall, with a time of 20:18 at the Mid-Atlantic Region to earn All-MidAtlantic Region recognition. She also received All-Big 12 distinctions after placing 12th in 20:54.9 at the 2014 Big 12 Cross Country Championship in Lawrence, Kansas.

Forsey has received Academic All-America honors and Academic All-Big 12 accolades, while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. In 2016, Forsey qualified individually to the NCAA Championships, where she earned a 97th-place finish.

She was also named the Big 12 Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2016. She returns to Morgantown for her senior season this fall.

GENERAL

INFORMATION President E. Gordon Gee ���������������������������������� 58 Director of Athletics Shane Lyons ���������������������� 59 Intercollegiate Athletics Staff ���������������������������� 60 Head Coaches ������������������������������������������������� 61 Athletic Facilities �������������������������������������������� 62 Media Information �������������������������������������������� 63 Contact Information ���������������������������������������� 64

MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

PRESIDENT » WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY E. GORDON GEE J.D., ED.D.

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 West Virginia University 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 one of his latest addresses 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 is past chair of the American Council on Education’s Commission on Higher Education Attainment and formerly 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 currently serving as chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors Executive Committee and is a member of Forward 50, an initiative working toward student equity, success and outcomes.

Last summer, working with Department of Commerce and Marshall University officials, he was instrumental in establishing the West Virginia Forward initiative to bring together state and local leaders in providing a blueprint for alignment and focus on solutions for a united and prosperous West Virginia. It quickly developed into a larger effort with policymakers, experts and government officials working together to formulate results-driven policy to help strengthen and diversify all regions of the state.

Active in many national professional and service organizations, he is on the executive committee of the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees as well as on the Board of Trustees of the Royal University for Women in Bahrain, with which West Virginia University 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.

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.

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Gee has received many honorary degrees, awards, fellowships and recognitions over the years. 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 over a dozen books, including his two most recent, “Leading Colleges and Universities” and “Land-Grant Universities for the Future.” He has also authored many papers and articles on law and education.

Gee is engaged 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.

THE GEE FAMILY

Front from left: Nathan, Elly and Ben Patrón.

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

E. Gordon GEE and fiancée Laurie ERICKSON

DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS SHANE LYONS ASSOCIATE VICE-PRESIDENT

I

In his fourth year as the director of athletics at West Virginia University, Shane Lyons has a clear vision for his athletic program. It’s a vision that focuses on the betterment of more than 500 student-athletes and the day-to-day needs that will help them succeed in the classroom and in competition.

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 entire department.

Whether it’s regularly scheduled meetings with the student-athletes or his open-door office policy, Lyons has his finger on the pulse of his student-athletes, coaches and staff.

His endless energy is devoted to his facilities master plan that will keep West Virginia a strong Power 5 institution and position his department for growth and continued success. Lyons’ facilities master plan isn’t about keeping up with the Joneses, it’s about taking what his department has, improving it and making it complete for the student-athlete. From training, nutrition, medical and competitiveness, Lyons’ vision is for future success, building winning programs and enhancing the overall WVU student-athlete experience. Lyons is about results, and he has already left a great deal of accomplishments in his rear view mirror.

He spearheaded and finished more than $100 million in fan enhancements to Milan Puskar Stadium and the WVU Coliseum, broke ground on a $45 million aquatic and track center in Morgantown, completed phase two of Coliseum renovations, bringing the arena up to current ADA seating code, and for the first-time ever, introduced a second video board to Milan Puskar Stadium to provide information and improve fan entertainment.

Overseeing 18 varsity sports, a self-sustaining department budget of more than $93 million and 250 employees, Lyons’ leadership has also guided WVU to unparalleled success in the classroom as the department recorded an impressive overall 3.2 GPA in 2018. And, with the student-athlete in mind, he has implemented a Clinical and Sport Psychology unit with a full-time director and professional interns, added specialized learning assistants to the Student-Athlete Development unit and entered into a partnership with WVU Medicine’s Neuroscience Department to assist in the training and recovery of student-athletes, all emphasizing his overall commitment to the well-being and performance student-athletes.

Ask him and he’ll tell you it’s not his department, but West Virginia’s department, and he can tell you his vision to improve it not only for the coming year, but for three, five, seven and 10 years down the road. He cares and the proof lies in what he has already accomplished in three years.

Additionally, 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. In 2018, he chaired the overall athletic directors committee for the Big 12, was named again to the NCAA Division I Council and will serve as chair of the NCAA Division I Football Oversite Committee. He is also on the board of directors for Mylan Park in Morgantown.

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 rules and interpretations for the 25 membership service representatives and was the staff liaison to various NCAA standing committees.

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. Cameron is a member of Terry Bowden’s football team at Akron and Brooke plays volleyball at Morgantown High School.

SHANE LYONS 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) 2011-15 Alabama (Deputy Director of Athletics/Chief Operating Officer) 2015-present West Virginia (Director of Athletics and Associate Vice President) SHANE LYONS’ NATIONAL COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS 2000-01 Division I Satisfactory Progress Waivers Committee 2004-06 Division I Academics/Eligibility Compliance Cabinet 2004-06 Recruiting Subcommittee (Chair 1 year) 2004-08 Division I Interpretations Committee (Chair 2 years) 2005-07 Legislative Review Committee (Chair 2 years) 2006-08 Division I Management Council 2008-11 Division I Legislative Council (Chair 1 year) 2010-11 Division I Communications and Coordination Committee 2015-18 Big 12 Administration, Finance and Budget Committee 2015-18 Big 12 Game Management and Officiating Subcommittee 2017-18 Big 12 Athletic Directors Council Chair 2018- Division I Council 2018- Division I Football Oversight Committee Chair

THE LYONS FAMILY CAMERON, SHANE, EMILY and BROOKE WVUCrossCountry

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MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY INTERCOLLEGIATE

ATHLETICS

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KELI ZINN

STEVE URYASZ

SIMON DOVER

MICHAEL FRAGALE

TERRI HOWES

BEN MURRAY

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

EXECUTIVE SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ BUSINESS OPERATIONS/CFO

SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ COMMUNICATIONS

SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ SPORT ADMINISTRATION/SWA

SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ MAC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MATT WELLS

GREG FEATHERSTON

APRIL MESSERLY

ERIC BUDA

BRANDON CUNNINGHAM

ZACH ECKERT

SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ GOVERNANCE & COMPLIANCE

ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ FACILITIES & OPERATIONS

ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ANNUAL GIVING

ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/MAJOR GIFTS AND CAPITAL PROJECTS

ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ FACILITIES & OPERATIONS

JAMIE HALL

SAM MORRONE

BRYAN MESSERLY

PRESTON WAGES

STEPHANIE WHITE

NATHANIEL ZINN

ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, DONOR RELATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION

ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ BUSINESS OPERATIONS

ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ COMMUNICATIONS

ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/COMPLIANCE

ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ STUDENT-ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT

ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/MARKETING

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

HEAD COACHES

JASON BUTTS GYMNASTICS

JON HAMMOND RIFLE

MARLON L e BLANC MEN’S SOCCER

MIKE CAREY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

DANA HOLGORSEN FOOTBALL

MIHA LISAC TENNIS

SEAN CLEARY

SEAN COVICH

CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK

BOB HUGGINS MEN’S BASKETBALL

RANDY MAZEY BASEBALL

GOLF

WRESTLING

NIKKI IZZO-BROWN WOMEN’S SOCCER

VIC RIGGS

JIMMY KING ROWING

REED SUNAHARA

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING

WVUCrossCountry

TIM FLYNN

@WVUCrossCountry

VOLLEYBALL

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MOUNTAINEER

CROSS COUNTRY

ATHLETIC

FACILITIES

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

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

MEDIA INFORMATION MEDIA SERVICES

RECEIVING INFORMATION

SOCIAL MEDIA

The West Virginia athletic communications office will be available through the entire 2018 cross country season to accommodate any media requests. The following are some guidelines that should make it easy for media members to cover the West Virginia cross country team. Any additional questions should be directed to the cross country contact Joe Mitchin.

Media members may receive cross country 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.

WVU Cross Country is active on various social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Visit facebook.com/ WVUCrossCountry to like the Facebook page. To follow the Mountaineers on Twitter, visit Twitter.com. To follow the team on Facebook, visit WVUXCTF. com. To follow the team on Instagram, visit Instagram.com/WVUXCTF.

DURING THE WEEK Any member of the media wishing to interview a runner or member of the coaching staff during the week should contact Joe Mitchin, via email (jmitchin@ mail.wvu.edu) or by phone (304-2932821), 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.

WVUSPORTS.COM WVUsports.com is the place for media and fans to browse for the latest on Mountaineer cross country.

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.

WVUCrossCountry

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CONTACT INFORMATION ATHLETIC COMMUNICATION INFORMATION The West Virginia University athletic communications office is located on the second floor of the Coliseum in Room 217.

MAILING ADDRESS Athletic Communications office West Virginia University PO Box 877 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 CROSS COUNTRY CONTACT JOE MITCHIN Graduate Assistant, Athletic Communications Office: 304-293-9916 Cell: 330-933-2084 E-mail: jmitchin@mail.wvu.edu

CROSS COUNTRY

WVU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS STAFF

MOUNTAINEER

ASHLEY BAILEY ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

AMY SALVATORE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

AMY PRUNTY PROGRAM ASSISTANT

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MICHAEL FRAGALE SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ COMMUNICATIONS

GRANT DOVEY DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA

KRISTIN COLDSNOW MULTIMEDIA SPECIALIST

SHANNON WOLFGANG ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

TANNER CAIN GRADUATE ASSISTANT

BRYAN MESSERLY ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/COMMUNICATIONS

MIKE MONTORO DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL COMMUNICATIONS

KAILYN COLE GRAPHIC DESIGNER

LISA AMMONS BUSINESS MANAGER

KATIE MacCRORY GRADUATE ASSISTANT

JOHN ANTONIK DIRECTOR OF ATHLETIC CONTENT

JOE SWAN DIRECTOR OF ATHLETIC PUBLICATIONS

CHARLIE HEALY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

CHERYL WIRE OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

JOE MITCHIN GRADUATE ASSISTANT

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