Contributors: Lisa Ammons, Natalie Andreyev, John Antonik, Lindsay Auld, Reghan Bailey, Unique Beaver, Tanner Cain, Kristin Coldsnow, Chase D’Hont, Michael Fragale, John Keehan, Emma Magruder, Bryan Messerly, Joe Mitchin, Mike Montoro, Taylor Peterson, Amy Prunty, Tyler Schefelbein, Olivia Sneed, and Jaret Dyer.
Contributing Photographers: All-Pro Photography by Dale Sparks, Megan Crain, M.G. Ellis, Dan Friend, Erin Irwin, Alex King, E.J. Linger, Katie MacCroy, Tyson Murray, Brian Persinger, Ben Powell, Steve Prunty, Megan Raymond, Seth Seebaugh, Niesha Shafer, Jenny Shephard, Parker Sheppard, Duncan Slade, Erin Slinde, Hunter Tankersley, Raymond Thompson, WVU Athletic Communications Archives and WVU Photo Services.
West Virginia 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.
In The Spotlight
Choosing to become a Mountaineer studentathlete 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.
A CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM
In 19 seasons as the track and field head coach, Sean Cleary has led WVU to unprecedented national success and has been named Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year seven times.
During Cleary’s first season in 2007, the Mountaineers became the fourth athletic 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 top-10 finish in program history.
The 2008 season saw WVU earn a fourth-place finish 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 All-Americans 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.
Kate Harrison crossed the line at the 2011 NCAA Championships in eighth place and helped lead the team to an eighth-place finish as well.
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 All-Americans, as she placed 26th overall at the National Championship.
Since then, Cleary has led five individuals – Millie Paladino (2015), Jillian Forsey (2016) and Maggie Drazba (2016), Ceili McCabe (2021, 2022) – to the NCAA Championships.
In 2024, West Virginia cliched the runner up spot at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, marking the first time in program history.
The Mountaineers earned three All-Americans (Joy Naukot, Ceili McCabe and Sarah Tait). McCabe joined Gillespie, Asselin and Bland in becoming a three-time All-American, as she placed sixth overall at the national championships. Additionally, the Mountaineers won the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships for the first time since 2008 with a program record score of 41 points.
Cleary has produced 15 of the program’s 18 All-America titles and numerous all-conference runners.
In total, WVU has appeared in 14 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 seven times since 2007.
MOUNTAINEER
West Virginia has produced 17 All-America Track and Field selections
CLARA GRANDT
ALL-AMERICANS
from 11 individuals, including 17 during the Sean Cleary head-coaching era.
Each
the Mountaineers’ roster is
BIG 12 CONFERENCE
The Big 12 Conference is comprised of 16 institutions and many of them share traditional rivalries throughout their histories. Member universities include Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah 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.
The conference office is headquartered in Irving, Texas.
ATHLETIC TRAINING
The West Virginia University athletic training program aims to get its student-athletes back on the field in a timely manner, all while providing quality health care for its student-athletes and coaches.
The scope of athletic training services encompasses various domains, including injury recognition, treatment, rehabilitation, prevention, education and counseling. These services enable student-athletes to maintain an optimal quality of life beyond the span of athletic competition.
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
West Virginia’s strength and conditioning staff ensures all student-athletes are on year-long programs designed to continue improving the fitness capabilities needed in their sports.
To keep athletes in peak physical condition, WVU offers a variety of training areas and an array of strength programs designed to increase performance. All student-athletes at WVU also will have their own program individually calculated and updated throughout the year.
Equipped with excellent amenities and staffed by some of the finest strength coaches in the nation, athletes who come to West Virginia know they are in good hands when it comes to their athletic capacity.
For cross country and track & field athletes, the entire year is carefully planned and tailored to the indoor and outdoor seasons to prepare for optimal performance during the campaign and peaking at championship meets.
IN THE COMMUNITY
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 also are frequent visitors to WVU Medicine Children’s and the Ronald McDonald House and help several different local community service projects.
The team also regularly donates its time and knowledge by hosting and teaching local youth 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 student-athletes 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.
STUDENT-ATHLETE ACADEMIC SERVICES
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 the accolades include 20 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 48 student-athletes were represented on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in the fall of 2024, including nine members of the cross country team. Additionally, 24 student-athletes were named recipients of the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, the Big 12 Conference’s highest academic honor.
More than 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, over 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.
CHARACTER
Public, land-grant institution, founded in 1867. Across the three campuses of the WVU System in Morgantown, Keyser, and Beckley, WVU is changing lives and helping to create a brighter future. Our purpose remains to bring education, healthcare, and prosperity to our state. WVU is one of only a few flagship, R1, land-grant, community-engaged universities in the nation.
RESEARCH CLASSIFICATION
R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Possible category, as described by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
ACCREDITATION
WVU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Many programs hold specialized accreditation.
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. Michael Benson is WVU’s 27th president.
CAMPUS LOCATIONS AND FACILITIES
The WVU System is a family of distinctive campuses united by a single mission. From the groundbreaking research of our flagship in Morgantown 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 creating a better future for West Virginia and the world.
The WVU Institute of Technology offers 30+ majors, including undergraduate engineering programs that have consistently ranked among the top in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report.
WVU Potomac State College offers 60+ majors and combines the personal attention of a small college with the affordable benefits of a major university.
The WVU System also includes Health Sciences locations in Charleston and Martinsburg; School of Nursing campuses in Morgantown, Charleston, Keyser, Bridgeport and Beckley; farms and forests throughout the state; and WVU Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Camp.
The WVU Morgantown campus is in a town that was named the “No. 1 Small City in America” by BizJournals.com for its exceptional quality of life. Morgantown was also rated the ninth best college town in America by Business Insider.
STUDENT PROFILE
Fall 2024 WVU System enrollment was 25,000+
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
WVU recipients of prestigious scholarships include 25 Rhodes Scholars, 142 Gilman Scholars, 82 Fulbright Scholars, 53 Goldwater Scholars, 44 Critical Language Scholars, 30 Boren Scholars, 27 Truman Scholars, 6 Morris K. Udall Scholars, 5 USA Today All-USA College Academic First Team Members (and 11 academic team honorees), 3 Department of Homeland Security Scholars, 4 George C. Marshall (British) Scholars, 39 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, one Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholar and one Schwarzman Scholar.
R1 RESEARCH INSTITUTION HIGHLIGHTS
WVU is one of only 187 colleges and universities to attain a ranking of R1, or the highest possible research category, alongside such institutions as Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Johns Hopkins.
WVU researchers are exploring the frontier in neuroscience research at the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, doing groundbreaking work on Alzheimer’s disease and addiction treatment using focused ultrasound to safely open the blood-brain barrier (reported by “60 Minutes,” the New York Times, New England Journal of Medicine, the Washington Post and more).
WVU researchers are exploring the farthest reaches of the universe: dozens helped uncover evidence of ripples in space-time. mWVU is one of two or three universities that serve as a major hub for all branches of science contributing to NANOGrav – a galaxy-sized detector that is beginning to detect the gravitational universe.
Maura McLaughlin, Eberly Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, an internationally renowned WVU astrophysicist was selected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors in the scientific world.
Duncan Lorimer, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, was selected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of London.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Twelve Morgantown colleges and schools offer 302 majors in agriculture and natural resources; applied and human sciences; arts and sciences; business and economics; creative arts and media; dentistry; engineering and mineral resources; law; medicine; nursing; pharmacy; and public health. Hundreds of distance education and online classes are available.
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Students can choose from more than 450 student organizations or participate in an active intramural program and 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 is one of only 75 schools recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for Community Engagement (recognized since 2010).
PARENTS CLUB
The Mountaineer Parents Club, with 20,000+ members, connects parents and families with the student experience.
ALUMNI
Chartered in 1873, the WVU Alumni Association is made up of more than 210,000+ graduates worldwide (in 135 nations).
LIBRARIES
The WVU Libraries encompass seven libraries statewide. Facilities in Morgantown include the Downtown Campus Library, Evansdale Library, Health Sciences Library, Law Library and the West Virginia and Regional History Center. Onsite collections include more than 936,000 books, 1.5+ million e-books and 700+ databases.
PRIVATE SUPPORT
The WVU Foundation recorded $282.6 million in gifts and pledges in fiscal year 2024. As of June 30, 2024, total Foundation assets stood at $3.04 billion, including long-term investments for the benefit of WVU and assets managed by the Foundation for other WVU-affiliated organizations.
EXTENSION
Throughout the year in West Virginia’s 55 counties, WVU Extension funds and delivers West Virginia’s 4-H program, which reaches more than 68,000 youth each year through county and state camps, special interest clubs, in-school activities and other programs.
ADMISSION AND APPLICATION TIMELINE
It’s painless to apply — no required essays or recommendations, students are automatically considered for scholarships and can be admitted with or without ACT or SAT scores. Test scores may be required for certain majors or scholarships. Apply directly to WVU or use the Common Application. WVU offers a rolling admission (there is no official application deadline). Applications are processed beginning in late August for admission the following fall. March 1 is the deadline for West Virginia residents to submit Promise Scholarship applications. Visit admissions.wvu.edu to learn more, including how to submit official transcripts and test scores. Graduate admission (for degree-seeking applicants) requires a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for regular admission. In addition, an applicant must meet the minimum admissions criteria determined by their program of interest.
VISITORS CENTER
The WVU Visitors Center is the front door to campus, providing the warm hospitality that Mountaineers are known for in a modern, welcoming space. Tours led by current students are offered Monday through Friday and select Saturdays. Details are available at visit.wvu.edu.
• Led West Virginia to a program best second place finish at the 2024 NCAA Championship in Madison, Wisconsin
HEAD COACH SEAN CLEARY
• The Mountaineers finished second at the 2024 Big 12 Championship in Waco, Texas
• Coached Ceili McCabe to another program first, winning her third Big 12 title in 2024
• McCabe was named the 2024 Big 12 Women’s Runner of the Year, her second time winning the award and named the Mid-Atlantic Region Women’s Athlete of the Year
• Joy Naukot was named Big 12 Women’s Newcomer of the Year under Cleary’s leadership
• Cleary coached the team to a NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship, a first since 2008
• Cleary was named the Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year
• In 2023 Cleary coached the team to a fourth place finish at the Big 12 Championship in Ames, Iowa and a fourth place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional
• West Virginia finished second at the 2022 Big 12 Championship in Lubbock, Texas
• Coached McCabe to become the first Mountaineer to win backto-back Big 12 titles in 2022
• McCabe was named the 2022 Big 12 Women’s Runner of the Year and the Mid-Atlantic Region Athlete of the Year
• WVU set a program bests with five Mountaineers earning All-Big 12 honors and the lowest point total in program history at the Big 12 Championships with 49 points
• 2021 NCAA Cross Country Championship 21st place finish
• Coached McCabe to a third place finish at the NCAA Championships to earn All-America honors
• 2021 Big 12 Championship third-place finish
• Coached McCabe to the programs first-ever first place finish at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships
• Three All-Big 12 selections in 2021 - Ceili McCabe, Sylvia Russell and Mikaela Lucki; the honor was the third for McCabe and first for Russell and Lucki
• Cleary was named the Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year
• 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championship 29th place finish
• 2020 Big 12 Championship third-place finish
• Three All-Big 12 selections in 2020Ceili McCabe, Katherine Dowie and Charlotte; the honor was the second for McCabe and first for Dowie and Wood
• Four All-Big 12 selections in 2019Hayley Jackson, Candace Archer, Olivia Hill and Ceili McCabe – the most in a single season in program history
• Three All-Mid-Atlantic Region honorees in 2019 – Hayley Jackson, Candace Archer and Ceili McCabe
• Two USTFCCCA All-Academic Athletes in 2019 – Candace Archer and Ceili McCabe
• One All-Big 12 selection in 2018 – Hayley Jackson
• 2018 and 2019 All-Academic Team (USTFCCCA)
• 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
• Two all-region honors in 2015 – Millie Paladino and Savanna Plombon
• 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championship eighth-place finish
• 2014 Big 12 Championship and MidAtlantic 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 Forsey and Kaitlyn Gillespie
• Jillian Forsey qualified for the World Cross Country team in 2014
At A Glance
West Virginia University, 1993-Present Head coach, 2007-Present
RunninG EXPERiEnCE
West Virginia University, 1991-92
Captain of 1991 Atlantic 10 title team
Earned all-conference honors in 1992
EDuCAtiOn
West Virginia University
Bachelor’s degree (physical education) 1992
PERSOnAL
Wife, Heather Son, Patrick Daughter, Irelynn Resides in Morgantown
At A Glance
• 19th season as head coach and 33rd overall
• Coached a total of 20 athletes who competed at the World Track and Field Championships, World Cross Country Championships, World University Games, Pan American Championships and the Olympics
• Coached 22 All-Big 12 cross country athletes
• Coached four cross country runners to three career All-America honors – Marie-Louise Asselin, Keri Bland, Katie Gillespie and Ceili McCabe
• Three Big 12 Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award winners – Sarah Martinelli, Kaitlyn Gillespie and Jillian Forsey
• 12 NCAA Cross Country Championships team appearances in the last 28 years
• Coached individuals to NCAA Championships in 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016
• Six NCAA top-10 team finishes since 2007
• Five-time Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year
• Three straight top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships from 2007-09
• 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
• Three all-region and one allconference 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 allconference 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 – MarieLouise 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
ASSISTANT COACH ERIN O’REILLY
ERIN O'REILLY BEGINS her thirteenth 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 student-athletes as the programs continue to excel. O’Reilly has been a part of multiple individual NCAA cross country appearances with the Mountaineers, along with the team’s runner up finish at the 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championships. She also works primarily with the long-distance sprinters and middle-distance runners for the track and field team.
Additionally, she aided in the team’s eighthplace finish at the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championships.
The 2024 cross country season was highlighted by a runner up finish at the NCAA
Cross Country Championships and a first place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional meet.
The WVU squad added five All-Mid Atlantic Region honors, three first team All-America honors and three All-Big 12 honors.
In 2023, West Virginia finished in fourth place at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships as well as the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals. The Mountaineers collected three All-Mid Atlantic Region honors, as Katherine Dowie, Alexis Lamb and Sarah Tait earned the accolade.
O'Reilly assisted the Mountaineers to a program record five All-Big 12 honors at the 2022 Big 12 Conference Cross Country Championship. The success continued at the 2022 NCAA Cross Country National Championship, as McCabe earned All-American and the team secured 27th.
The Mountaineers earned an automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Cross Country Championships after placing second at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional. The Mountaineers finished in 21st place at the NCAA Championships, where Ceili McCabe placed third to earn All-America honors.
West Virginia’s successful season was also highlighted by a third place 2021 Big 12 Championship finish. Clearly led three Mountaineers to earn All- Big 12 honors, including McCabe, Sylvia Russell and Mikaela Lucki.
The Mountaineer cross country team endured a shortened, but successful 2020 campaign due to COVID-19. The team placed third at the 2021 Big 12 Cross Country Championship and were selected for the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships as a team for the first time since 2014. The Mountaineers finished 29th
overall. Ceili McCabe, Dowie and Charlotte Wood collected All-Big 12 honors, finishing inside the top-15 at the conference meet. In 2019, the squad placed third at the Big 12 Championship in Waco, Texas, and fifth at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Four Mountaineers – Candace Archer, Olivia Hill, Hayley Jackson and Ceili McCabe – earned All-Big 12 honors, while Archer, Jackson and McCabe went on to earn All-Mid-Atlantic Region accolades.
O’Reilly helped lead WVU to fourth-place finishes at the 2017 and 2018 Big 12 Cross Country Championships in Round Rock, Texas, and Ames, Iowa, respectively. In 2017, Maggie Drazba and Amy Cashin registered All-Big 12 and All-Mid-Atlantic Region performances, while Hayley Jackson earned All-Big 12 status in 2018.
A total of 17 Mountaineers were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Cross Country Team in 2017 and 2018. Cashin was selected to the 2017-18 Google Cloud Track and Field/Cross Country Academic All-America First Team by CoSIDA, while Olivia Hill and Andrea Pettit were named to the Google Cloud Co-SIDA Academic All-District Track and Field/Cross
Country Team in 2018-19. Petit went on to being named to the 2018-19 Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team. Three Mountaineers – Allie Diehl, Pettit and Hill – have earned the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, the Big 12 Conference’s highest academic honor, in the last two years.
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.
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.
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-Mid-Atlantic 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 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 All-America 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 19942002. 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.
ASSISTANT COACH CLARA GRANDT SANTUCCI
Clara Grandt Santucci is in her sixth season as the director of operations for the track and field and cross country programs.
She has 15 years of experience in various aspects track and field as a professionally sponsored distance runner for Mizuno and Saucony, winning the Pittsburgh Marathon twice in 2014-15; she was the first American finisher at the 2013 Chicago Marathon (placing fifth overall) and qualified for three U.S. Olympic Trials in the women’s marathon in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
In the meantime, Santucci worked in aquatic therapy at Healthworks Rehab and Fitness in Morgantown while also volunteering as a Mountaineer coach.
Clara served as the graduate assistant director of operations for the WVU cross country and track and field teams while earning two master’s degrees, one in sport management and the other in sport education.
The West Union native completed her undergraduate degree in exercise physiology at West Virginia University in 2010, where she was a four-time All-American performer in track and cross country for the Mountaineers. She became just the third female runner in school history to earn three All-America honors in three sports in the same season in 2010.
In 2009, Grandt was named to the USA Cross Country team and captured first-place honors at the NACAC Cross Country Championships. She also took eighth place at the 2008 United States World Cross Country Trials with a time of 28:22.
Santucci was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.
She currently resides in Lawrence, Pennsylvania with her husband, Jason, and two children, Jaysie and Althea.
SUPPORT STAFF
nAtASHA OAKES Sport Administrator
SAnDy COLE-DEMEnt Student-Athlete Development
JAKE GuRtiS Strength and Conditioning
ROSTER
Name Class Hometown/Previous School
Emily Bryce r-Sr.
Anastasia Chepkorir Jr.
Mary Delaney r-So.
Paisley, Ontario / Saugeen District Senior School
Kericho, Kenya / Tulwap Kipsingis / Texas Tech
Frostburg, Md. / Mountain Ridge
Aislinn Frazer Fr. Seaford, N.Y. / Friends Academy
Audrey Hall Jr. Hurricane, W.Va. / Hurricane High School
Naomi Kemboi Fr. Eldoret, Kenya / Kimwogo Mixed Day Secondary School
Mercy Kinyanjui r-So. Kiambu, Kenya / Gathima Secondary School / Toledo
Alexis Lamb Jr. Salem, W.Va. / Doddridge County High School
Tecla Lokrale Jr. Kapenguria, Kenya / St. Mathias Mulumba High School
Claudia Moore r-So. Clarksburg, W.Va. / Robert C. Byrd
Tatiana Moura R-Sr.
Joy Naukot So.
Libson, Portugal / Escola Secundária Professor José Augusto Lucas
Kapenguria, Kenya / AIC Biribiriet Secondary School
Jennifer O’Palko So. Morgantown, W. Va. / Morgantown High School
Eva Rinker Jr. Waynesville, N.C. / Tuscola High School
Kishay Rowe r-So. Warsop, Trelawny / Alphansus Davis High School
Alyssa Sauro Fr. Williamstown, W. Va. / Williamstown High School
Ella White r-Fr. Terra Alta, W. Va. / Preston High School
STAFF
Head Coach: Sean Cleary
Assistant Coach: Erin O’Reilly
Assistant Coach: Clara Santucci
Communications:
Jaret Dyer
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Tecla Lokrale Tech-lah LOCK-rail
Anastasia Chepkorir CHEP-courier
Tatiana Moura More-ah
Mercy Kinyanjui .
Kin-yan-joo-ee
Joy Naukot NOW-cot
MEET THE MOUNTAINEERS
Ella White
r-Freshman • 5’4”
Terra Alta, W Va Preston High School
2024 (FR.)
• Did not compete
HIGH SCHOOL
• Ran for coaches Rachel Arbogast, Matt Bright, Paul Martin, Jason Saurino at Preston High School
• Competed for the NOTSERP track club under coach Matt Bright
• Named West Virginia AAA All-State Track all four years of high school
• Named West Virginia All-State Cross Country in 2020 and 2024
• Claimed gold in the 400 meters at the West Virginia AAA State Championship
• Holds the Preston High School record in the 400-meter race
• Earned track all-conference and all-region honors from 2022-24
• Named cross country all-conference in 2024
• Crowned the Region 1 AAA Championship in the 400 meters in 2023 and 2024
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Amanda and William White
• Has one sister
• Birthday is August 22
• Majoring in nursing
Jennifer O’Palko
r-Freshman • 5’6”
Morgantown, W Va Morgantown High School
2024 (FR.)
• Did not compete
HIGH SCHOOL
• Ran for coach Mike Ryan at Morgantown High School
• Named cross country all-state in 2020, 2021 and 2023
• Aided in Morgantown High’s 2020-23 AAA WV State Cross Country Championships
• Part of the relay team that holds the West Virginia high school record in the 4x800 meter relay
• Was a part of Morgantown High’s 2022 and 2023 AAA WV State Track Championship team
• Crowned the West Virginia state championship in the 4x800 meter relay in 2021
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Dee and Andy O’Palko
• Has one sister
• Birthday is May 15
• Majoring in engineering
2024 (SO.)
Tecla Lokrale
Junior • 5’6”
Kapenguria, Kenya
St Mathias Mulumba High School
• Competed in three meets including the Louisville Classic, the Big 12 Cross Country Championships and the NCAA MidAtlantic Regional Cross Country Championships
• Bosted a career best time of 17:36.6 in the women’s 5k at the Louisville Classic and finished in 29th place on Oct. 5
• Anchored her team at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships with a personal best time of 21:22.2 on Nov. 1 in the women’s 6k
• Finished with a time of 21:30.4 at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Cross Country Championships on Nov. 15
PRIOR TO WEST VIRGINIA
• Ran at St. Mathias Mulumba High School
• Holds a personal best time of 32:32.00 in the 10k run
• Finished with a personal best time of 1:12:51 in the half marathon
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Regina and Lomuto Lokrale
• Has one brother and four sisters
• Birthday is March 4
• Majoring in sports management
Joy Naukot
Sophomore • 5’6”
Kapenguria, Kenya AIC Biribiriet Secondary School
2024 (FR.)
• First Team All-American
• Big 12 Women’s Newcomer of the Year
• All-Mid Atlantic Region honors
• All-Big 12 honors
• Competed in five meets including the Louisville Classic, Wisconsin Pre-Nationals, the Big 12 Cross Country Championships, the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Cross Country Championships and the NCAA Cross Country Championships
• Aided in her team’s runner up finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships by capturing a 17th place finish with a time of 19:50.3 on Nov. 23
• Was the fastest freshman to cross the finish line at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Cross Country Championships on Nov. 15, boasting a time of 19:49.4 to claim 6th place
• Finished with a personal best time of 19:18.1 in the women’s 6k at the conference championship, taking third place and becoming the fastest freshman in program history on Nov. 1
• Registered a career best time of 16:25.9 in the women’s 5k at the Louisville Classic on Oct. 5, taking fourth place
PRIOR TO WEST VIRGINIA
• Ran for coach Bonface Siren at AIC Biribiriet Secondary School
• Was the winner of the Gutenberg Half Marathon with a time of 1:09:26
• Finished second in the 10k run at the Würzburg Residence Run with a time of 32:28.00
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Margret Akuwam and William Naukot
• Has three brothers and three sisters
• Birthday is September 7
• Majoring in sports management
2024 (R-JR.)
Emily Bryce
r-Senior • 5’7” Paisley, Ontario Saugeen District Senior School
• All-Mid Atlantic Region honors
• U.S.T.F.C.C.A. All-Academic Athlete
• Competed in five meets including the Louisville Classic, Wisconsin PreNationals, the Big 12 Cross Country Championships, NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Cross Country and the NCAA Cross Country Championships
• Earned a career best time of 17:04.7 in the women’s 5k at the Louisville Classic on Oct. 5
• Finished in 11th place at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships with a personal best time of 20:05.6 in the women’s 6k on Nov. 15
• Aided in her team’s runner up finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships after finishing in 69th place with a time of 20:22.7 on Nov. 23
2023 (R-SO.)
• Competed at the Lehigh Invitational on Sept. 1
• Finished 11th overall with a time of 22:22.50 at the Lehigh Invitational
2022 (SO.)
• Competed in two meets
• Completed the Penn State National Open in 23:25.1
• Ran in the Big 12 Conference Championships and earned a time of 23:31.0
2021 (FR.)
• Did not compete HIGH SCHOOL
• Ran at Saugeen District Senior School for coach Joe Chappel
• Also ran for Saugeen Track and Field Club for coach Brian Hilbers
• Gold OFSAA 3000m 2018
• Gold OFSAA XC and 3000m 2019
• Saugeen District Senior School record holder in 3000m and 1500m
• Part of the Ontario team in 2019 for nationals and won a gold medal in the mixed relay as the 800m leg with a time of 2:15
• Provincial Legion champion in 3000m from 2018-2020
• Athletics Ontario Champion for 3000m in 2018-2020 indoor and outdoor.
• Saugeen Track and Field Club record holder for the 3000m
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Wayne and Lori Bryce
• Has one sister
• Birthday is June 15
• Majoring in sports management
• Academic All-Big 12 Team
• Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll
Mary Delaney
r-Sophomore • 5’9”
Frostburg, Maryland
Mountain Ridge
2024 (R-FR.)
• Competed in four meets
• Finished fourth in the women’s 5k at the CMU Invitational with a personal best time of 18:36.7 on Oct. 12
• Earned a personal best time of 22:04.7 in the women’s 6k at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships on Nov. 1
2023 (FR.)
• Redshirted
HIGH SCHOOL
• Ran at Mountain Ridge for coach Doug Baker
• Maryland 1A Indoor Track State Champion 800 and 1600 (2022)
• Maryland 1A Outdoor Track State Champion 1600 (2022)
• Maryland 1A Cross Country State Champion (2022)
• Maryland 1A Indoor Track State Champion 800 and 1600 (2023)
• Maryland 1A Outdoor 800, 1600, and 3200 State Champion (2023)
• Maryland 1A Indoor Track 800 state record holder
• Maryland 1A Outdoor Track 800, 1600, 3200 state record holder
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Eric and Jennifer Delaney
• Has one brother and one sister
• Birthday is April 19
• Majoring in journalism
• Academic All-Big 12 Team
Audrey Hall
r-Sophomore • 5’6” Hurricane, WV Hurricane High School
2024 (SO.)
• Did not compete
2023 (FR.)
• Competed in three meets
• Earned a career best time of 21:22.5 at the Big 12 Cross Country Championship
• Finished second overall at the Robert Morris Invitational with a time of 17:31.15 in the women’s 5k
HIGH SCHOOL
• Ran at Hurricane High School for coaches Eric Cooper, Jimmy Cunningham, Dru Bora
• Cross Country All-State (2019,2020, 2022)
• Cross Country All-Conference (2019,2020,2021,2022)
Junior • 5”5’ Salem, WV Doddridge County High School
2024 (SO.)
• Competed in three meets including the Big 12 Cross Country Championships, the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Cross Country Championships and the NCAA Cross Country Championships
• Earned a season best time of 21:04.6 in the women’s 6k at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Cross Country Championships on Nov. 15, claiming 41st place
• Finished with a time of 21:26.2 at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, anchoring the squad to earn a runner up finish on Nov. 23
2023 (FR.)
• All Mid-Atlantic Region honors
• Competed in four meets
• Led the squad at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals with a time of 20:11.1, finishing fourteenth overall
• Set a career best time of 21:03.0 at the Big 12 Cross Country Championship
• Finished first at the Robert Morris Invitational after running a time of 17:27.40 in the women’s 5k
HIGH SCHOOL
• Ran at Doddridge County High School for coach Josh Weekley
• Class A Cross Country Champion (2022)
• State runner up in the 800m, 1600m and 3200m (2021, 2022)
• Little Kanawha Conference Champion (2021, 2022)
• 4th place at the North Carolina Adidas Cross Country Challenge
• Silver medal in the 4x400m relay (2022)
PERSONAL
• Daughter of John and Angie Lamb
• Has one brother and three sisters
• Birthday is December 29th
• Majoring in sports management
• Academic All-Big 12 Team
2021 (SO.)
• All-American
Claudia Moore
r-Sophomore • 5’6”
Clarksburg, WV
Robert C Byrd
2024 (R-FR.)
• Did not compete
2023 (FR.)
• Redshirted
HIGH SCHOOL
• Ran at Robert C. Byrd for coaches Chad Feathers, Sarah Fazzini
• Cross Country Regional Champion (2021)
• Cross Country Regional Silver Medal (2022)
• 3200m Regional Champion (2023)
• 1600m Regional Runner Up (2023)
• 3200m State Runner Up (2023)
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Brian and Danielle Moore
• Has one sister
• Birthday is September 21
• Majoring in human nutrition and foods
• Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll
Tatiana Moura
r-Junior • 5’5”
Lisbon, Portugal
Escola Secundária Professor José Augusto Lucas
2024 (R-SR.)
• Did not compete
2023 (R-JR.)
• Competed at the Big 12 Cross Country Championship
• Finished with a time of 21:52.2 at the conference championship
PRIOR TO WEST VIRGINIA
• Ran at Escola Secundária Professor José Augusto Lucas for coach Paulo Dias
• Silver medal 3000m indoor National Champion
• Bronze medal 4km cross country National Championship
• Personal
• Daughter of Jaylton Pereira and Vanessa Adamo Moura
• Has one sister
• Birthday is January 3
• Majoring in human nutrition and foods
Eva Rinker
Junior • 5’7” Waynesville, NC Tuscola High School
2024 (SO.)
• Competed in five meets
• Earned a personal best time of 18:53.2 in the women’s 5k at the Louisville Classic on Oct. 5
• Finished with a career best time of 22:37.1 at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships in the women’s 6k on Nov. 1
2023 (FR.)
• Competed in three meets
• Ran for a season best time of 24:05.2 at the Lehigh Invitational
• Finished with a time of 20:04.34 in the women’s 5k at the Robert Morris Invitational
HIGH SCHOOL
• Ran at Tuscola High School for coach Kevin Fitzgerald
• Three-year cross country and outdoor track captain
• Two-year indoor track captain
• All-Conference Cross Country (2020, 2021, 2022)
• All-Region Cross Country (2021, 2022)
• Cross Country State Qualifier (2020, 2021, 2022)
• All-WNC First Team (2021)
• All-WNC Second Team (2022)
• Cross Country MVP (2020, 2021, 2022)
• All-State Indoor Track (2023)
• Third place state medalist in the indoor 1600m (2023)
• All-Conference Outdoor Track (2022, 2023)
• All-Region Outdoor Track (2022, 2023)
• Conference Outdoor Track Most Valuable Runner (2023)
• Outdoor Track State Qualifier (2021, 2022, 2023)
• Third place State medalist in the outdoor 800m (2022, 2023)
• Outdoor 1600m State Champion (2023)
• Outdoor track MVP (2022, 2023)
• All-WNC outdoor track First-Team (2023)
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Jerimy and Joanne Rinker
• Has one sister
• Birthday is May 12
• Majoring in exercise physiology
• Academic All-Big 12 Team
• Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll
Kishay Rowe
r-Sophomore • 5’4” Warsop, Trelawny Alpansus Davis High School
2024 (R-FR.)
• Did not compete
2023 (FR.)
• Redshirted
HIGH SCHOOL
• Ran at Alpansus Davis High School for coaches Megan Wilson-Copeland
• Represented Jamaica nationally three times
• Back-to-back medalist at the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championship
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Desmond Rowe and Janet Fearon
• Has three brothers and five sisters
• Birthday is May 9
• Major is physical education and kinesiology
• Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll
Chiara Judis
Sophomore * 5’4”
Berlin, Germany
Melanchthon Gymnasium • University of the Incarnate Word
PRIOR TO WEST VIRGINIA
• Spent her freshman season at University of the Incarnate Word
• Finished second in the women’s 5k with a personal best time of 17:57.5 at the UIW Invitational on Sept. 13
• Ran for a career best time of 13:56.1 in the women’s 4k at the UIW Twilight, claiming second place on Aug. 30
• Garnished a personal best time of 20:28.3 in the women’s 6k at the Arturo Barrios Invitational
• Competed at the Southland Conference Cross Country Championships
HIGH SCHOOL
• Ran for coach Hans Stephan at Melanchthon Gymnasium
• Finished with a time of 35:04 in the women’s 10k at the 2024 Adidas Runners City Night
• Earned a personal best time of 1:19.02 in the women’s half marathon at the Dreams Mitja Marató Barcelona by Brooks in Barcelona
• Ran a personal best time of 10:02.72 in the women’s 3,000 meters at the Norddeutsche Meisterschaften Jugend U20
• Crossed the finish line in 17:35.45 in the women’s 5,000 meters at the Norddeutsche Meisterschaften U18/ Männer/Frauen, good enough for a personal best
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Carmen-Anisia and Christian Judis
• Has one sister
• Birthday is February 10th
• Majoring in Kinesiology and Physical Education
Naomi Kemboi
Redshirt Freshman • 5’3” Eldoret, Kenya Kimwogo Mixed Day Secondary School
2024 (FR.)
• Redshirted
PRIOR TO WEST VIRGINIA
• Ran a personal best time of 15:58.03 in the women’s 5,000 meters at the 2024 Track Night Vienna
• Earned a career best time of 34:48 in the women’s 10k at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Maureen Chelagat Chemoi and Samuel Kiplagat
• Has two brothers and five sisters
• Birthday is September 17
• Majoring in Sports Management
•
NEWCOMERS
Aislinn Frazer
Freshman • 5’8” Seaford, New york Friends Academy
HIGH SCHOOL
• Ran for coaches Franklin Thompson, Dave Frazer, Louisa Garry at Friends Academy.
• 21-time Nassau County/Section VIII Champion in Cross Country and Track.
• Four-time Long Island Champion 1000, 4x400.
• Named nine-time All-State Athlete.
• Named four-time All-Federation Athlete.
• Named 2024 Nike 3rd Team All-Region in Cross Country.
• Three-time Nassau County Runner of the Year.
• Two-time Newsday Runner of the Year
• Awarded the 2025 Ferziger Award.
• Rewarded with the 2025 Friends Academy Outstanding Senior Athlete Award.
• 2024 Marine Corps Semper Fidelis Award Recipient.
• 2025 Colbert Britt Spirit of the Sport Award Recipient.
PERSONAL
• Daughter of David and Kristin Frazer
• Has one brother and one sister
• Birthday is January 8
• Majoring in Forensic Chemistry
Alyssa Sauro
Freshman • 5’1” Williamstown, W Va Williamstown High School
HIGH SCHOOL
• Ran for coach Mike Taylor at Williamstown High School.
• Named two-time Gatorade Player of the Year.
• 14-time state champion in 4x800, 800, 1600, 3200.
• Six-time team state champion in Cross Country and Track
• Crowned first place while running for Team USA in the U-18 International Mountain Running Cup
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Scott and Michelle Sauro
• Has one sister
• Birthday is July 4
Mercy Kinyanjui
r-Sophomore • 5’7” Kiambu, Kenya Gathima Secondary School • Toledo
PRIOR TO WEST VIRGINIA
• Spent one season at the University of Toledo
• Won the 2024 Individual MAC Championship
• Named First Team All-MAC
• Placed first at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship with a time of 19:29.7
HIGH SCHOOL
• Ran for coach Willy Bitok at Gathima Secondary School and at TownHall Athletics
• Was named team captain for the track team in high school school
• Awarded with the National Secondary Athletic Competition Certificate
PERSONAL
• Daughter of John Kinyanjui and Grace Njoroge
• Birthday is September 25
• Has two brothers and one sister
• Majoring in Social Work
Anastaisa Chepkorir
Junior • 5’2” Kericho, Kenya Tulwap Kipsingis • Texas Tech
PRIOR TO WEST VIRGINIA
• Spent two seasons at Texas Tech
• Ran a personal best 5k time of 16:32.8 at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational
• Finished with a career best 6k time of 19:41.8 at the Arturo Barrios Invitational
HIGH SCHOOL
• Ran at Tulwap Kipsingis
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Wilson and Anjelina Koskei
• Birthday is August 5
• Has four brothers and two sisters
• Majoring in Pre Nursing
2024 SEASON REVIEW
• West Virginia saw action in six regular season meets, followed by the Big 12 Championship, NCAA-Mid Atlantic Regional Championships and the NCAA Championship in the postseason
• The Mountaineers finished second out of 16 teams at the Big 12 Championship on Nov. 1 in Waco, Texas
• Graduate student Ceili McCabe took first place at the Big 12 Championship after posting a personal and program record time of 19:02.60, followed by freshman Joy Naukot in third place with a time of 19:18.09
• McCabe, Naukot and graduate student Sarah Tait all earned AllBig 12 conference honors
• In addition to their conference honors, McCabe was named the Big 12 Women’s Runner of the Year while Naukot earned the Women’s Newcomer of the Year title
• West Virginia went on to finish first out of 30 teams at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships on Nov. 15,
this marked the team’s first regional championship win since 2008
• Additionally at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships, WVU posted its lowest score at a regional championship with 41 total points
• McCabe won the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship meet for the third time in her career, with a course record time of 19:11.2
• McCabe, Naukot, Tait, redshirt junior Emily Bryce and graduate student Madison Trippett all earned All-Mid Atlantic Region honors after finishing in the top 25 at the NCAA MidAtlantic Regional Championships
• After the successful regional meet, McCabe was named the Mid-Atlantic Region Women’s Athlete of the Year while head coach Sean Cleary was named the regional Coach of the Year
• The Mountaineers concluded the season as runners-up at the NCAA
Championship on Nov. 23, the highest finish in program history
• McCabe finished sixth at the NCAA Championship, with a time of 19:41.2. With the finish, McCabe garnished First Team All-America honors and marked the second time she has earned a top 10 finish at the championship meet
• Additionally, Naukot and Tait earned First Team All-American honors at the NCAA Championships
• Bryce, McCabe, Tait and Trippett were named All-Academic Athletes by the U.S.T.F.C.C.A.
• Emily Bryce, Aubrie Custer, Mary Delaney, Alexis Lamb, Ceili McCabe, Eva Rinker, Sarah Tait, Kase Torchia and Zara Zervos were all named to the Fall Academic All-Big 12 First Team
• The Mountaineer earned the U.S.T.F.C.C.A 2024 NCAA D1 Women’s XC All-Academic Team Award
BIG 12 WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Jillian Forsey
Kaitlyn Gillespie
Sarah Martinelli
BIG 12 WOMEN’S RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Ceili
Megan
Ceili
Hayley
Charlotte
Olivia
Amy
Jillian
Sarah Martinelli
BIG EAST TEAM CHAMPIONS
(Oct 4)
(Oct 11)
(Oct. 25)
(Oct 5/Oct 19)
(Sept. 24)
(Sept. 4)
(Sept. 25)
(Sept. 12)
(Sept. 13)
(Oct. 8)
BIG EAST FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Megan Metcalfe 2000
BIG EAST WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION
Marie-Louise Asselin 2008
Big East Team Academic Excellence Award 2011
BIG EAST INSTITUTIONAL FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Charity Wachera 1997
Ahna Lewis 2011
ALL-BIG EAST
Sarah-Anne Brault 2011
Kate Harrison 2011
Kaitlyn Gillespie 2010, 2011
Marie-Louise Asselin 2007, 2008, 2009
Keri Bland 2007, 2008, 2009
Clara Grandt 2007, 2008, 2009
Susan Davis 2005
Tara Struyk 2002, 2003
Megan Metcalfe 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004
Rebecca Stallwood 1999, 2000
Merissa Sexsmith 1999
Charity Wachera 1997
ATLANTIC 10 TEAM CHAMPIONS 1994
ATLANTIC 10
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS
Vicki Stum 1991
ATLANTIC 10
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Charity Wachera 1994
Heather Bury 1993
All-Atlantic 10
Charity Wachera 1994
Carisa Brown 1994
Heather Bury 1993, 1994
Kerryn Davidson 1992, 1993, 1994
Erin O’Reilly 1991
Vicki Stum 1990, 1991
OTHER
CSC ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA
Andrea Pettit Third Team 2019
Amy Cashin First Team 2018
Amy Cashin Second Team 2017
Jillian Forsey Second Team 2017
Kelly Williams First Team 2016
Kelly Williams First Team 2015
Kaitlyn Gillespie Second Team 2015
Jillian Forsey Third Team 2015
Sarah-Anne Brault Second Team 2013
Kaitlyn Gillespie First Team 2012
Katie Harrison First Team 2012
Kaylyn Christopher Third Team 2012
Ahna Lewis Third Team 2012
Sarah-Anne Brault Second Team 2011
Keri Bland Third Team 2011
April Rotilio Third Team 2011
Marie-Louise Asselin Second Team 2010
Kaylyn Christopher Third Team 2010
Marie-Louise Asselin Third Team 2009
Megan Metcalfe Third Team 2005
CSC ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Kishay Rowe First Team 2024
Sarah Tait First Team 2023, 2024
Madison Trippett First Team 2024
Katherine Dowie First Team 2022
Mikaela Lucki First Team 2022
Ceili McCabe First team 2022, 2023, 2024
Charlotte Wood First Team 2022
Marianne Abdalah First Team 2020
Olivia Hill First Team 2020
Olivia Hill First Team 2019
Olivia Hill First Team 2019
Andrea Pettit First Team 2019
Amy Cashin First Team 2018
Amy Cashin First Team 2017
Jillian Forsey First Team 2017
Amy Cashin First Team 2016
Kelly Williams First Team 2016
Jillian Forsey First Team 2015
Kaitlyn Gillespie First Team 2015
Kelly Williams First Team 2015
Kelly Williams First Team 2014
Sarah-Anne Brault First Team 2013
Sarah-Anne Brault First Team 2012
Kaylyn Christopher First Team 2012
Kaitlyn Gillespie First Team 2012
Kate Harrison First Team 2012
Ahna Lewis First Team 2012
Keri Bland First Team 2011
Sarah-Anne Brault First Team 2011
April Rotilio First Team 2011
Marie-Anne Asselin First Team 2010
Kaylyn Christopher First Team 2010
Marie-Louise Asselin First Team 2009
Marie-Louise Asselin First Team 2008
Jessica Czaikowski First Team 2007
Alison Spiker First Team 2007
Abbie Stechschulte First Team 2007
Megan Metcalfe First Team 2005
Devon Plesuk First Team 2005
Tara Struyk First Team 2005
USTFCCCA CROSS COUNTRY ALL-AMERICA
Jillian Forsey 2014 Kaitlyn Gillespie 2014
Harrison 2011
Kaitlyn Gillespie 2011
Kaitlyn Gillespie
WVU CROSS COUNTRY ALL-AMERICANS
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.
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.
MARIE-LOUISE ASSELIN
2007 • 2008 • 2009
Marie-Louise Asselin capped 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 second-place 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 All-Americans 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 All-America 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.
CLARA GRANDT 2009
Clara Grandt saved the best for last as she posted the finest season of her career and earned her first All-America honor in cross country 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 All-American 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.
KAITLYN GILLESPIE
2010 • 2011 • 2014
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 Mid-Atlantic 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-Mid-Atlantic 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.
JILLIAN FORSEY
2014
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-Mid-Atlantic 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 97thplace finish. She was also named the Big 12 Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2016.
CEILI MCCABE
2021 • 2022 • 2024
As a freshman, Ceili McCabe bursted onto the scene to claim the Big 12 Conference Cross Country Women’s Newcomer of the year award. She also earned All-Big 12, All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors and was the second freshman to cross the finish line at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Championship with a 6k time of 20:47.
The Vancouver, British Columbia, native continued her dominance in 2021, as she garnered All-American honors and was named the Mid-Atlantic Athlete of the Year and the Big 12 Women’s Runner of the Year after winning the Big 12 and Mid-Atlantic Championship and finishing third at the NCAA Championship.
During the 2022 season, McCabe earned her second All-America honor after finishing 24th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Additionally, she won the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region and Big 12 Cross Country Championships earning All Mid-Atlantic Region and All-Big 12 honors.
In her final season as a Mountaineer, McCabe finished sixth overall the 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championships, earning her third cross country First Team All-American honor. With the placement, McCabe helped West Virginia secure its NCAA Championship runner up title, which marked the first in program history. The graduate student additionally earned her third All Mid-Atlantic and Big 12 accolades, after winning both the regional and conference championships. Additionally, McCabe was named the U.S.T.F.C.C.C.A. Mid-Atlantic Region Women’s Athlete of the Year and the Big 12 Women’s Runner of the Year. McCabe has been honored as a U.S.T.F.C.C.C.A. All-Academic Athlete and named to the CSC Academic All-District team. She also has earned academic honors every year she has competed at WVU.
SARAH TAIT 2024
Sarah Tait finished her career at West Virginia by earning First Team All-American honors at the 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championships. The graduate student finished 34th overall at the championships, with a time of 20:00.9.
Tait also earned All Mid-Atlantic Region honors after placing 10th at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships with a personal best time of 19:58.9. Additionally, she collected All-Big 12 accolades after finishing 12th overall at the conference championship.
The Edinburg, Scottland, native was named as a U.S.T.F.C.C.A. All Academic Athlete, and to the CSC Academic All-District Team. She also earned Academic All-Big 12 honors and was honored to the Big 12 Commissioners Honor Roll as well as the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll.
JOY NAUKOT 2024
As a freshman, Joy Naukot made her mark as a Mountaineer earning First Team All-America status at the 2024 NCAA Championships. She did so by finishing 17th overall, with a time of 19:50.3. The Kapenguria, Kenya, native was the fastest freshman to cross the finish line at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals, finishing in sixth place while earning All-Mid Atlantic Region honors. At the Big 12 Championship, Naukot finished with a bronze medal, earning a personal best time of 19:18.1. Additionally, she was named the Big 12 Women’s Newcomer of the Year.
WVU CROSS COUNTRY HALL OF FAME
WVU PRESIDENT MICHAEL T. BENSON
Michael T. Benson, a veteran higher education administrator, became the 27th president of West Virginia University on July 15, 2025. He brings three decades of academic and administrative experience in higher education to his role leading West Virginia’s flagship, land-grant, R1 institution into a new era.
WVU is Benson’s fifth presidency. Prior to his arrival at Coastal Carolina in 2021, Benson led Snow College, Southern Utah University, and Eastern Kentucky University. During his tenure at Coastal Carolina, Benson secured a $10 million gift, the largest in the school’s history. He worked closely with community partners and policymakers to advance initiatives there, including the successful renewal of a local option penny sales tax to support public and higher education through the year 2039, the only tax of its kind in all of South Carolina.
In 2024, under his leadership, Coastal Carolina enrolled its largest number of students ever - 11,225 - while also setting a record retention rate.
As the 14th president of Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, he helped raise more private money for the institution during his tenure than had been secured in the previous 115 years of the college’s history combined.
Appointed at age 36, Benson was the youngest college president in the history of the Utah System of Higher Education.
Benson has also held faculty appointments at the University of Utah, the University of Notre Dame, and Johns Hopkins University, and has taught at each institution where he served as president, including Coastal Carolina where he was a professor of history.
His scholarly work has focused on the development of the research university and its impact on society. Benson’s book, “Daniel Coit Gilman and the Birth of the American Research University,” was released by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2022. He was a visiting professor in the Department of the History of Science and Technology at Johns Hopkins in 2020. Benson’s biography of Gilman was named to the list of Best Higher
Education Books of 2023 by Forbes magazine.
Benson is also the author of “Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel,” and, with co-author Hal Boyd, published “College for the Commonwealth: A Case for Higher Education in American Democracy” with the University Press of Kentucky. Nationally, Benson serves on the Council of Presidents of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. He also is the past board chair of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society and is the former chair of the NCAA Honors Committee.
Benson is sought after for public speeches and appearances. He was a featured contributor to the Huffington Post for 5 years; has written articles for The Jerusalem Post, Lexington Herald-Leader, Louisville Courier Journal, The Kansas City Star, Deseret News, and The Salt Lake Tribune, among others; and appeared on ESPN’s The Paul Finebaum Show. Born in Utah and raised in Texas and Indiana, Benson has worked and studied abroad for nearly 7 years in Italy, England, and Israel. He graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in political science and double minors in English and history from Brigham Young University in 1990. He completed his doctorate in modern history from the University of Oxford (St. Antony’s College) in 1995, where he was a Rotary Foundation Scholar and recipient of the Oxford Graduate Overseas Fellowship.
@MICHAELTBENSON
Founder’s Award. Benson graduated with a Master of Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University in August 2021 and was elected to the Honor Society of the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs.
An accomplished athlete, President Benson played basketball at BYU and Oxford, and his best marathon time – 2 hours and 41 minutes – won his age division in the St. George (Utah) Marathon. He also finished among the top 25% of all runners in the 1984 Boston Marathon, one of only 19 teenagers from around the world to compete in the race.
An avid traveler, he has visited all 50 states and five of the seven continents.
He also earned a master’s degree cum laude in nonprofit administration in 2011 from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business, where he was the recipient of the prestigious Father Theodore Hesburgh
He and his wife, Debi, are the parents of three children – Truman, Tatum, and Talmage. He also has two older children from a previous marriage. Emma is a TV reporter for KSL in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Samuel writes for Politico in Washington, D.C. Sam’s wife, Keylla, is in her first year at Georgetown Law School.
WVU VICE PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS WREN BAKER
Wren Baker has changed the face of West Virginia University Athletics. He has reenergized the department and set it up for long-term success in the ever-changing world of college athletics. Whether it’s coaching searches, facility master plans, revenue sharing or a modern, business-like approach to Name, Image and Likeness, Baker has faced every challenge head on and has never looked back. He has brought new thinking and confidence to WVU Athletics, and his reputation across the country is secondto-none.
Baker is a high-energy leader, and Mountaineer success has been contagious in competition and in the classroom. Conference championships, NCAA appearances and a national championship have been followed by strong academic achievement for Mountaineer student-athletes, eclipsing previous department GPA highs. Under Baker, WVU has also turned in record fundraising numbers as his forward thinking and strategic planning are geared to bringing future success and revenue stability to the state’s Land-Grant Institution.
Missouri, Memphis, Northwest Missouri and Rogers State, he brought more than 20 years of experience to WVU.
Baker was an instant hit with WVU fans. In his first year in Morgantown, he traveled the state to learn its culture, geography, and history. He has met and listened to Mountaineer fans from all over the world and immersed himself on what it means to be a proud West Virginian. The results of his approach and work ethic speak volumes as the West Virginia Mountaineers continue to be a national brand. Despite accomplishing so much in a short period of time, Baker’s plate is still full. Continued revenue generation, launching an NIL full-service business agency for student-athlete advancement and premium seating options in his two major sports venues are still on his radar for the coming year. His endless energy never stops moving WVU forward.
Then WVU President E. Gordon Gee named Baker as WVU’s vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics on Nov. 30, 2022. He has oversight of 18 varsity sports, a department budget of more than $90 million, approximately 250 employees and nearly 500 studentathletes.
Baker is WVU’s 13th director of athletics and came to Morgantown from the University of North Texas, where he had been the associate vice president and athletics director since 2016. With previous stops at
Wren BAKer THroUGH THe yeArS
2001-05 Oklahoma State University Basketball Operations Assistant
2005-06 Valliant Public Schools Director of Athletics/Principal
2006-10 Rogers State University Director of Athletics
2010-13 Northwest Missouri State Director of Athletics
2013-15 University of Memphis Deputy Director of Athletics
2015-16 University of Missouri Deputy Director of Athletics
2016-22 University of North Texas Vice President/Director of Athletics
2022- West Virginia University Vice President/Director of Athletics
At North Texas, seven Mean Green programs combined to win 17 conference or division championships during Baker’s tenure. UNT also reached new heights in the classroom under Baker’s leadership, posting its top APR scores and four consecutive department Graduation Success Rate (GSR) records. Baker led record fundraising years at North Texas, and the overall top five largest gifts ever at UNT came under Baker’s leadership.
Prior to North Texas, Baker was the deputy director of athletics at Missouri from 2015 to 2016, serving as the top advisor and chief of staff.
Before Missouri, he spent time at Memphis from 2013-15 as deputy athletics director.
From 2011-13, Baker was athletics director at NCAA Division II power Northwest Missouri State. From 2006-11, Baker served as the first athletics director at Rogers State in Claremore, Oklahoma, where he was also the school’s first men’s basketball coach. His team went 2011 in his only season at the helm, and during his tenure, he developed a full-scale, competitive collegiate athletics program. In 2005, he was the principal and athletics director for Valliant Public Schools, and at age 26, was the youngest principal in Oklahoma history.
Originally from Valliant, Oklahoma, Baker earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Southeastern Oklahoma State in 2001 where he was a member of the honors program. He went on to earn his master’s degree in education leadership from Oklahoma State in 2003.
While at Oklahoma State, Baker was a graduate assistant and basketball operations assistant for the Cowboys’ men’s basketball program under legendary head coach Eddie Sutton. During his time with OSU, the Cowboys posted a 102-30 record, reaching four NCAA tournaments with trips to the 2004 Final Four and the 2005 Sweet 16.
Baker and his wife, Heather, a Bokchito, Oklahoma, native, have two daughters, Addisyn and Reagan.
The Baker Family: Reagan, Addisyn, Heather and Wren
WVU INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
APrIL MeSSerLy Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director/Capital Projects, Facilities and Event Management
MATT WeLLS Deputy Athletics Director/ External Affairs
MICHAeL FrAGALe Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director,/ Communications
Jen Greeny Head Volleyball Coach
Jon HAMMonD Hayhurst Family Head Rifle Coach
roSS HoDGe Head Men's Basketball Coach
nIKKI IZZo-BroWn Head Women’s Soccer Coach
MArK KeLLoGG Hayhurst Family Head Women’s Basketball Coach
JIMMy KInG Head Rowing Coach
MIHA LISAC Head Tennis Coach
BrenT MAConDALD Head Swimming and Diving Coach
rICH roDrIGUeZ Head Football Coach
STeVe SABInS Head Baseball Coach
DAn STrATForD Head Men’s Soccer Coach
MEDIA INFORMATION
MEDIA SERVICES
The West Virginia University athletics communications office will be available throughout the entire 2025 cross country and 2025-26 track and field seasons to accommodate any media requests. The following are some guidelines that should make it easy for media members to cover the Mountaineers. Any additional questions should be directed to the cross country and track & field contact, Jaret Dyer.
DURING THE WEEK
Any member of the media wishing to interview a runner or a member of the coaching staff during the week should contact Jaret Dyer, via email (jaret.dyer@mail.wvu.edu) or phone (304-293-2821), at least 24 hours in advance.
Cell phone numbers will not be provided, and all WVU student-athletes have been instructed to not conduct interviews without prior approval from the athletics communications staff.
RECEIVING INFORMATION
Media members may receive WVU cross country press releases, notes and more via email. Please email Jaret Dyer (jaret.dyer@mail.wvu.edu) to be included on the distribution list.
WVUSPORTS.COM
WVUsports.com is the place for media and fans to go for the latest on Mountaineer cross country.
Player and coaching staff bios are available at the click of a 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 historical insights.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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 Instagram, visit Instagram.com/WVUXCTF
Morgantown, WV 26507-0877
MICHAeL FrAGALe
MIKe MonToro Assistant Athletics Director/ Football Communications
