Table of ContentsIn the Spotlight………………… .………….2A Championship Program ........................ 3All-Americans ........................................... 4Big 12 Conference .................................... 6Athletic Training ........................................ 8Strength and Conditioning ..................... 10Community Service ................................ 11Student- Athlete Support ....................... 12Campus Life ........................................... 14Mountaineer Excellence ......................... 18

Coaching StaffSean Cleary ............................................ 23Erin O’Reilly ............................................ 26Support Staff .......................................... 26

Mountaineer Profile2015 Rosters .......................................... 28Savanna Plombon .................................. 29Sydney Scott .......................................... 30Kelly Williams ......................................... 31 Jillian Forsey ........................................... 32

Peyton Hampson .................................... 33Brianna Kerekes ..................................... 34Paige Szabat .......................................... 35Megan Yuan ........................................... 36Amy Cashin ............................................ 37Alyssa Diehl ............................................ 38Maggie Drazba ....................................... 39Rachel Faulds ......................................... 40 Brynn Harshbarger ................................. 41Corinne Kule ........................................... 42Renee Maisonneuve ............................... 43Millie Paladino ........................................ 44Rebecca Wendt ...................................... 45Anna French ........................................... 46Olivia Hill ................................................. 46Candace Jones ...................................... 46Peyton Panger ........................................ 46Andrea Pettit ........................................... 46

2015 PreviewA look at 2015 ........................................ 48Q&A With Coach Cleary ......................... 50Schedule and Host Information .............. 52

2014 ReviewA Look Back at 2014 .............................. 542014 Results ........................................... 55Meet-by-Meet Breakdown ..................... 56Individual Times ...................................... 58Accolades ............................................... 58

Record BookNCAA Honors ......................................... 60Conference Honors ................................ 60All-Americans ......................................... 61

West Virginia UniversityWVU President E. Gordon Gee .............66WVU Director of Athletics Shane Lyons .... 67Senior Staff/Head Coaches .................... 68Media Information .................................. 69Athletic Facilities .................................... 70

West Virginia University is on probation until February 17, 2017, for violations involving impermissible telephone and text communications that occurred in a number of our athletics programs. Level II violations occurred in the following sports programs: women’s gym-nastics, football, women’s basketball and women’s soccer. On a smaller scale, 10 other sport program West Virginia University is on probation until February 17, 2017, for violations involving impermissible telephone and text communications that occurred in a number of our athletics programs. Level II violations occurred in the following sports programs: women’s gymnastics, football, women’s basketball and women’s soccer. On a smaller scale, 10 other sport programs, including baseball, men’s basketball, women’s diving, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, men’s swimming, women’s tennis, women’s track and field, women’s volleyball, and men’s wrestling and programs, also engaged in impermissible text and telephone-related activity. The penalties prescribed in this case, which included recruiting communication restrictions, off-campus recruiting restrictions and the loss of a scholarship in the sport of football, were served in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years. Additional information can be found at the following link: http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/West%20Virginia%20Public%20Inf%20Decision.pdf s, including baseball, men’s basketball, women’s diving, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, men’s swimming, women’s tennis, women’s track and field, women’s volleyball, and men’s wrestling and programs, also engaged in impermissible text and telephone-related activity. The penalties prescribed in this case, which included recruiting communication restrictions, off-campus recruiting restrictions and the loss of a scholarship in the sport of football, were served in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years. Additional information can be found at the following link: http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/West%20Virginia%20Public%20Inf%20Decision.pdf

Managing Editor: Joe Swan // Editor/Writer: Samantha Strejeck // Page Layout/Design: Kristin ColdsnowContributors: Lisa Ammons, John Antonik, Nick Arthur, Ashley Bailey, Nick Davidson, Grant Dovey, Michael Fragale, Charlie Healy, DJ Jamiel, Troy Lewis, Kaitlyn Lopez, Russell Luna, Shannon McNamara, Bryan Messerly, Mike Montoro, Amy Prunty, Amy Salvatore, Katie Ursitti and Cheryl Wire. Contributing Photographers: All-Pro Photography by Dale Sparks, Nick Arthur, M.G. Ellis, Dan Friend, Erin Irwin, E.J. Linger, Brian Pers-inger, Steve Prunty, Megan Raymond, Niesha Shafer, Samantha Strejeck, Raymond Thompson, WVU Athletic Communications Archives and WVU Photo Services.

© 2015 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.

2015Cross Country

Choosing to become a Mountaineer student-athlete is special.

Without a professional sports team in the state, folks across the state and 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. Your interaction with these groups is also part of your educational process.

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

SpotlightIN THE

2

A CHAMPIONSHIPProgramIn nine seasons as the

women’s cross country head coach Sean Cleary has

led WVU to unprecedented national success and was named

Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year three times.

During Cleary’s first season in 2007, the Mountaineers’ became the fourth program

in school history to capture a Big East Championship title with Marie-Louise Asselin

taking second overall. WVU would go on to finish ninth at the NCAA Championship - the first top 10

finish in program history.

The 2008 season saw WVU place a school-best fourth place at the NCAA Championships, first at the Mid-Atlantic Regional

and Asselin became the first 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 after placing

in 31st and 34th place, respectively.

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

In 2014, the Mountaineers’ recorded an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championship, where they earned two All-Americans (Jillian Forsey and Katie Gillespie), and an NCAA Elite 89 Award Winner (Kelly Williams). Gillespie now joins Asselin and Bland in being a

three-time All-American as she placed 26th overall at the national championship. Cleary has produced 15 All-America titles and several all-conference runners.

In all, WVU has appeared in its ninth NCAA Championship, six under Cleary as head coach. This marks the Mountaineers fifth NCAA top-10 finish since 2007. In the 2015 USTFCCCA preseason

national rankings, WVU cross country ranked at No. 10. It marks the eighth straight season WVU ranked inside the preseason poll

3

MarieLOUISE-ASSELIN

KeriBLAND

CharityWACHERA

MeganMETCALFE

ClaraiGRANDT

KateHARRISON

4

AmericansALL-

West Virginia has produced 15 All-Americans from eight

individuals, including at least one All-American performer in five of the last seven seasons. Each year Sean

Cleary’s roster is filled with talent, looking for the next All-American for WVU.

KaitlynGILLESPIE

JillianFORSEY

5

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.

Since 2000, the Big 12 has had five individual champions in cross country.

The conference office is headquartered in Irving, Texas.

In 2014 WVU marked its second straight year of finishing in second place at the Big 12 Championship in Lawrence, Kansas.

Jillian Forsey, Maggie Drazba and Katie Gillespie earned Big 12 All-Conference honors, for finishing in the top 15 overall.

6

ConferenceBIG 12

7

TrainingATHLETIC

8

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 encompass various domains

including injury recognition, treatment, rehabilitation, prevention, education and

counseling that will enable the athlete to maintain an optimal quality of life beyond the span of athletic

competition.

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

equipment.

The athletic training staff works in conjunction with the team physicians and athletic administration to insure the student-athletes

receive quality care throughout their careers at WVU.

9

ConditioningSTRENGTHAND

WVU’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, West Virginia offers a variety of training areas and an array of strength programs designed to increase performance.

All student-athletes will also 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 that they are in good hands when it comes to their athletic capacity.

With cross country, special attention is paid to certain strengths and weaknesses that a distance runner has.

The 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.

10

CommunityINTHE

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 which is

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 donors.

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

The team also regularly donates its time and knowledge by hosting and teaching local youth track clubs the fundamentals of the sport. Along with

strengthening the youngsters’ skills, they also teach the participants the importance of good sportsmanship, courage, determination and hard work.

Coach Cleary’s student-athletes can also be found reading to children at local elementary schools in the “Read Aloud” program. During their visits, the student-

athletes read to students in several classrooms and encourage them to apply themselves to their studies.

Mountaineer coaches and players also take part in Relay for Life of Monongalia County, the American Cancer Society’s signature activity, which offers everyone in the community an

opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer.

11

DevelopmentSTUDENT-ATHLETE

12

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 adultsWhile many of the headlines center of the

Mountaineers’ accomplishments on the playing field, West Virginia athletes have also made some noteworthy

strides in the classroom. Some of those strides include of 11 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 488 student-athletes were represented in 2014-15 on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, of which 43 of them registered a 4.0 GPA. Additionally,

seven student-athletes were named recipients of the fifth annual Dr. Gerald Large Academic Achievement Award, which is the Big 12 Conference’s highest academic

honor. Over 500 student-athletes were honored on WVU’s Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll. Implemented in 1989, the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll was created to recognize

students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.0 or better. Since the program began in 1989, nearly 4,000 student-athletes have earned a place on the honor roll. Ford retired in 2011 after

44 years of service with the WVU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.

2014-15Elite 89 Award Winner- Kelly Williams | 1 Dr. Gerald Large Academic Achievement Award

6 named to 2015 Spring Big-12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll | 10 Academic All-Big 12 First Team1 - COSIDA Academic All- District | 2014 Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year | 5 student-athletes with 4.0 GPA

1 2015 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team | 6 USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors

13

LifeCAMPUS

14

CharacterPublic, land-grant institution, founded in 1867.

Research ClassificationResearch University (High Research Activity) as classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Research FundingWVU faculty generate more than $127 million annually in sponsored contracts and research grants.

WVU System Operating BudgetMore than $1 billion.

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

GovernanceThe WVU Board of Governors is the governing body of WVU. 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.

LocationMorgantown, W.Va., population 30,293, rated “No. 1 Small City in America” by BizJournals.com for its exceptional quality of life. Within easy traveling distance of Washington, D.C., to the east, Pittsburgh, Pa., to the north, and Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, to the northwest. Other recent rankings: 20th of “50 Best College Towns in America” by Best College Reviews; 24th of “50 Best College Towns to Live in Forever” by CollegeRanker; a “Top Campus Worth Traveling For” by FlipKey.com; and one of “25 Best Places to Retire to in the U.S.” by Forbes. morgantownwv.gov/about/awards Student ProfileFall 2014 enrollment, on WVU campuses statewide, was 31,976; 29,175 in Morgantown.

That included: • 14,205 West Virginia residents, 14,970 nonresidents • 22,563 undergraduates • 5,001 graduate and 1,611 professional students

Academic ExcellenceWVU ranks nationally for prestigious scholarships: 24 Rhodes Scholars, 22 Truman Scholars, 40 Goldwater Scholars, two British Marshall Scholars, 4 Morris K. Udall Scholars, 5 USA Today All-USA College Academic First Team Members (and 11 academic team honorees), 12 Boren Scholars, 14 Gilman Scholars, 43 Fulbright Scholars, 3 Department of Homeland Security Scholars, and 22 Critical Language Scholars.

Degrees GrantedIn 2013-14, WVU awarded 5,997 degrees; 1,533 graduate and 196 professional.

Faculty and Staff ProfileExcellent faculty—18 of whom have been named Carnegie Foundation Professors of the Year—guide and mentor students. • instructional faculty: 2,464 • graduate assistants: 1,707 • total main campus employees: 8,179 • total WVU System employees: 8,669

15

Academics15 colleges and schools offering 193 bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degree programs 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; plus the WVU Honors College, University College and programs at Potomac State College and WVU Institute of Technology. wvu.edu/Academics/

Student Living ExperienceThe First-Year Experience helps students navigate their first year at WVU. Elements include residential colleges and Adventure West Virginia, an outdoor freshman orientation program. All WVU students benefit from a vibrant array of student life programs, including a Festival of Ideas lecture series, bringing the world’s top minds to campus to share their experiences and knowledge; WVUp All Night, a weekend package of safe, fun and healthy activities; an award-winning Student Recreation Center; and the Mountaineer Parents Club, helping families stay connected with their students’ education and life at WVU. Living and Learning Communities are student communities in certain residence halls formed around a theme or specific field of study. Students can live with others who share their academic and social interests. studentlife.wvu.edu

Freshman Class Profile2014 average ACT of 24, SAT (combined math and critical reading) 1052, and high school GPA of 3.42.

TransportationUniversity buses operate free on a year-round basis as does the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system—a computer-directed system that glides along 8.7 miles of guideway between Downtown, Evansdale and Health Sciences Center campuses. In addition, Morgantown’s Mountain Line bus service offers free rides to students and employees. WVU ID is required for all services. transportation.wvu.edu

SafetyWVU offers 24-hour campus security protection. Students can download LiveSafe, a free app that is an on-the-go way to connect with authorities. The University also sends urgent news through WVU Alert text messages. emergency.wvu.edu/alert

Student OrganizationsStudents can choose from more than 475 student organizations, and participate in an active intramural program and many club sports. studentactivities.wvu.edu

Study AbroadLast year, 706 WVU students traveled to over 60 nations around the world in University-led study abroad programs and international exchanges. Best College Reviews ranked WVU as having a top-50 study abroad program. internationalprograms.wvu.edu

Academic InnovationHundreds of distance education classes are available. elearn.wvu.edu

Civic EngagementThe Center for Service and Learning develops and organizes service learning and volunteer opportunities for students and faculty and consults with academic units on incorporating

16

civic engagement into the curriculum. WVU has earned the Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement Classification, putting WVU in the 6% of higher education institutions that Carnegie recognizes for engagement. service.wvu.edu

Scholarships and AidEach year, WVU awards more than $34 million in scholarships to more than 7,100 students from West Virginia and around the nation. There are many different types of scholarships available based on academic record, financial need, group affiliation or some combination of these factors. In 2013-14, over $394 million in financial aid was given out. The average financial package was $16,291. West Virginia residents may be eligible for the PROMISE scholarship in addition to WVU awards. A new campaign is under way to raise $50 million for student scholarships.

Honors CollegeThe 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. Students may participate as Presidential Honors Scholars or Dean’s Honors Scholars; both options provide enhanced experiences. honors.wvu.edu

University CollegeThe University College is a home base for exploratory students, general studies students, nontraditional students, McNair Scholars, academic success initiatives and undergraduate research opportunities. It focuses on academic and career advising, with the goal of guiding students to a major by their sophomore year. universitycollege.wvu.edu

InternshipsWVU offers hundreds of ways to gain valuable on-the-job experience and networking contacts. careerservices.wvu.edu

Parents ClubThe Mountaineer Parents Club, with more than 22,000 members in clubs across the state and nation, fosters success by connecting parents and family members with the student experience. The organization sponsors events on and off-campus, has a newsletter, a toll-free helpline (1-800-WVU-0096), parent electronic news and a Parent Perks program. Membership is free. parentsclub.wvu.edu

AthleticsA member of the NCAA, WVU competes at the Division I level in 18 varsity sports, 17 of which are members of the Big 12 Conference. Teams make regular postseason bowl appearances in football, including winning the 2012 Discover Orange Bowl, and NCAA tournament appearances in men’s and women’s basketball, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2015; women’s soccer won its second consecutive Big 12 tournament championship and made its 15th straight NCAA appearance in in 2014; women’s basketball was the Big 12 champion regular season champ in 2014 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The WVU rifle team won its 17th national title in 2015, and in 2014 became the first WVU athletic team to visit the White House on NCAA Champions Day. wvusports.com

FacilitiesWVU’s mix of historic and modern facilities includes 460 buildings on 13,481 acres. Eleven main campus buildings are located on the National Register of Historic Places, and WVU operates eight experimental farms and four forests throughout the state, in addition to WVU Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Camp near Weston. jacksonsmill.ext.wvu.edu/

LibrariesFive library facilities—Downtown Library Complex, Evansdale Library, Health Sciences Library, Law Library, and West Virginia and Regional History Center—contain over 2.4 million books, electronic access to 365 databases, over 500,000 eBooks and 47,300 online electronic journals. Library staff offer in-person and online assistance. libraries.wvu.edu

Admission and Application TimelineAdmission is based on a combination of high school GPA and ACT or SAT scores. Applications are processed beginning September 15 for admission the following fall. March 1 is the deadline for West Virginia residents to submit PROMISE Scholarship applications. WVU has a rolling admissions policy, and while there is no official application deadline, applicants who apply later in the year may be deferred to the spring semester. admissions.wvu.edu

Visitors CenterLocated on the Morgantown Waterfront, the Visitors Center features unique, cutting-edge displays and traditional West Virginia hospitality. Operating hours: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Saturday (closed Sundays and most University holidays). Guided tours with friendly, knowledgeable student guides Monday-Friday at 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., except home football Saturdays. Phone: 304-293-3489. visit.wvu.edu

AlumniChartered in 1873, the WVU Alumni Association is made up of more than 190,000 graduates worldwide in some 60 nations. alumni.wvu.edu

Private SupportChartered in 1954, the West Virginia University Foundation is a private nonprofit corporation that generates, administers, invests and disburses contributed funds and properties given by individuals, corporations and philanthropic foundations in support of WVU and its nonprofit affiliates. Last year alone, donors contributed nearly $100 million in cash and in-kind donations. www.wvuf.org

ExtensionThroughout the year in West Virginia’s 55 counties, WVU Extension Service faculty and volunteers work with more than 624,000 West Virginians, many of whom participate in 4-H, agriculture, home gardening, health, firefighter training and community development to improve lives and communities; 4-H alone reaches one in four West Virginia youths. ext.wvu.edu

Divisional CampusesPotomac State College of WVU – Keyser, W.Va.; 800-262-7332; potomacstatecollege.eduWest Virginia University Institute of Technology – Montgomery, W.Va.; wvutech.eduRobert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center – Charleston, W.Va.; hsc.wvu.edu/charlestonRobert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center East – Martinsburg, W.Va.; hsc.wvu.edu/easternWVU Beckley – Beckley, W.Va.

17

MOUNTAINEERExcellence

18

2014-15 West Virginia Athletics In ReviewNCAA TEAM CHAMPIONSRifle

INDIVIDUAL NCAA CHAMPIONSMaren Prediger, Air Rifle

TEAM CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSRifle, GARC Regular Season & Postseason ChampionsWomen’s Soccer, Big 12 Regular Season & Big 12 Tournament Champions

INDIVIDUAL INTERNATIONAL TEAM HONORSMichaela Abam, Women’s Soccer, United States Under-20 National TeamMichael Bamsey, Rifle, Great Britain National TeamPierce Bradshaw, Swimming and Diving, USA National Junior Open Water TeamKadeisha Buchanan, Women’s Soccer, Full Canadian National Team;

Competed in 2015 World CupBria Holmes, Women’s Basketball, USA Basketball Team TrialsMeelis Kiisk, Rifle, Estonian National TeamZiva Dvorsak, Rifle, Slovenia National TeamElizabeth Gratz, Rifle, USA National Junior TeamJon Hammond, Rifle, Great Britain National TeamDan Hermsmeier, Rifle, USA National Development Team Ashley Lawrence, Women’s Soccer, Full Canadian National Team; Com-

peted in 2015 World CupNick Marable, Wrestling, USA National TeamAmandine Pierre-Louis, Women’s Soccer, Canadian Under-20 National TeamMaren Prediger, Rifle, German National TeamGarrett Spurgeon, Rifle, USA National Junior Team

NCAA TEAM QUALIFIERSCross Country GymnasticsMen’s Basketball RifleWomen’s Soccer

NCAA INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERSKaitlyn Gillespie, Outdoor Track and Field and FieldAndrew Marsh, Men’s Swimming and DivingZeke Moisey, WrestlingMichael Morales, WrestlingBubba Scheffel, WrestlingJake A. Smith, WrestlingTim Squires, Men’s Swimming and Diving

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDSGarret Spurgeon, Rifle, NCAA Rifle Top Performer Award

PROFESSIONAL DRAFT PICKSMario Alford, Football, Cincinnati Bengals (NFL), seventh round (238th overall)Andy Bevin, Men’s Soccer, Seattle Sounders (MLS), fourth round (80th overall)Mark Glowinski, Football, Seattle Seahawks (NFL), fourth round (134th overall)Taylor Munden, Baseball, Miami Marlins (MLB), 27th round (806th overall)Shaquille Riddick, Football, Arizona Cardinals (NFL), fifth round (158th overall)Blake Smith, Baseball, Washington Nationals (MLB), 24th round (734th overall)Kevin White, Football, Chicago Bears (NFL), first round (7th overall)

COACHING AWARDS & HONORSJon Hammond, Rifle, Rifle Winter 2015 CaptainU Coach of the YearSammie Henson, Wrestling, Amateur Wrestling News Rookie Coach of the YearDana Holgorsen, Football, Coaches’ Coach of the YearBob Huggins, Men’s Basketball, Big 12 Coach of the Year; Jim Phelan National

Coach of the Year; West Virginia State Sports Writers Coach of the Year; NABC UPS Division I District 8 Coach of the Year

Nikki Izzo-Brown, Women’s Soccer, Big 12 Coach of the Year; NSCAA All-Cen-tral Region Coach of the Year

19

Marlon LeBlanc, Men’s Soccer, MAC Coach of the Year

Bob Huggins, Men’s BasketballNikki Izzo-Brown, Women’s Soccer

CONFERENCE MAJOR AWARDSMichaela Abam, Women’s Soccer, Big 12

Newcomer of the YearAndy Bevin, Men’s Soccer, MAC Player of

the YearKadeisha Buchanan, Women’s Soccer, Big

12 Defensive Player of the Year; Big 12 Tournament Defensive MVP

Ziva Dvorsak, Rifle, GARC Shooter of the Year; GARC Senior of the Year

Elizabeth Gratz, Rifle, GARC Rookie of the Year; WVU GARC Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Ashley Lawrence, Women’s Soccer, Big 12 Tournament Offensive MVP

Joey Piatczyc, Men’s Soccer, MAC Freshman of the Year

Shaq Riddick, Football, Coaches’ Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year

NATIONAL AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONAndy Bevin, Men’s Soccer, Senior CLASS

Award FinalistKadeisha Buchanan, Women’s Soccer, Mis-

souri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Semifinal-ist; Canada U20 Player of the Year; Hyundai Young Player Award of FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015

Sammie Henson, Wrestling, National Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

Averee Fields, Women’s Basketball, Hair Achievement Award for February 2015

Josh Lambert, Football, Palm Beach County Sports Commission Lou Groza Award Finalist

Nick Marable, Wrestling, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Professional Athlete of the Year

Kate Schwindel, Women’s Soccer, Senior CLASS Award Finalist

Juwan Staten, Men’s Basketball, Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Finalist; Senior CLASS Award Finalist

Clint Trickett, Football, Davey O’Brien Semi-finalist

Kevin White, Football, Tallahassee Quar-terback Club Foundation Biletnikoff Award Finalist; Maxwell Award Semifinalist

Kelly Williams, Cross Country, NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country Elite 89 Award

Academic All-AmericansFirst TeamAndy Bevin, Men’s Soccer, Capital One Aca-

demic All-America; NSCAA Scholar All-Amer-ica

David Palley, Swimming and Diving, Capital One Academic All-America

Kelly Williams, Track and Field/Cross Country, Capital One Academic All-America

SECOND TEAMCarly Black, Women’s Soccer, Capital One

Academic All-AmericaAveree Fields, Women’s Basketball, Capital

One Academic All-America

Kaitlyn Gillespie, Track and Field/Cross Coun-try/ Capital One Academic All-America

Thomas Kyanko, Rifle, Capital One Academic All-America

Maren Prediger, Rifle, Capital One Academic All-America

THIRD TEAMJack Elliott, Men’s Soccer, Capital One Aca-

demic All-AmericaJillian Forsey, Track and Field/Cross Country,

Capital One Academic All-AmericaJenelle Zee, Swimming and Diving

ACADEMIC TEAM AWARDSNSCAA Team Academic Award, Men’s Soccer

and Women’s Soccer

ACADEMIC AWARDSNikki Attea, volleyball, Big 12 Scholar-Athlete

of the YearAlex Basil, Rowing, Big 12 Conference’s Dr.

Gerald Lage Academic Achievement AwardAndy Bevin, Men’s Soccer, Capital One Aca-

demic All-American of the YearAli Connelly, Women’s Soccer, Big 12 Confer-

ence’s Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achieve-ment Award; WVU Foundation Outstanding Senior Award

Averee Fields, Women’s Basketball, Big 12 Conference’s Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award; Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Kaitlyn Gillespie, Cross Country, Big 12 Schol-ar-Athlete of the Year

Elizabeth Gulick, Volleyball, WVU Foundation Outstanding Senior Award & 2015 Order of Augusta

Jaida Lawrence, Gymnastics, Big 12 Schol-ar-Athlete of the Year

David Palley, Men’s Swimming and Diving, Big 12 Conference’s Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award; Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year; WVU Foundation Outstanding Senior Award ; Big 12 Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgradu-ate Scholarship

Maren Prediger, Rifle, Big 12 Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship, WVU Foun-dation Outstanding Senior Award

Haley VandePool, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Big 12 Conference’s Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award; Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year; WVU Foundation Outstanding Senior Award & 2015 Order of Augusta

Kelly Williams, Cross Country, Big 12 Confer-ence’s Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achieve-ment Award; WVU Foundation Outstanding Senior Award

Jenelle Zee, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Big 12 Conference’s Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award

ALL-AMERICANSFirst Team Mario Alford, Football, FWAA, Phil SteeleMichael Bamsey, Rifle, NRA Air Rifle, NRA

SmallboreKadeisha Buchanan, Women’s Soccer,

NSCAA/Continental Tire; Soccer America MVP

Kyle Davis, Baseball, NCBWA and Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America

Ziva Dvorsak, Rifle, NRA Air Rifle; CRCA Jillian Forsey, Cross Country, USTFCCCAKaitlyn Gillespie, Cross Country, USTFCCCAElizabeth Gratz, Rifle, NRA Air Rifle Dravon Henry, Football, ESPN True Freshman Thomas Kyanko, Rifle, NRA Smallbore Jean-Pierre Lucas, Rifle, NRA Smallbore BJ Myers, Baseball, Louisville Slugger Fresh-

man All-AmericaMaren Prediger, Rifle, NRA Air Rifle Zeke Moisey, Wrestling, NCAA Garrett Spurgeon, Rifle, NRA Air Rifle; NRA

Smallbore; CRCA Juwan Staten, Men’s Basketball, Lute OlsonKevin White, Football, AFCA; Athlon Sports;

CBS Sports; NFL Network; SB Nation; Scout; Sports On Earth; Sporting News

Second TeamMichael Bamsey, Rifle, CRCA Andy Bevin, Men’s Soccer, Senior CLASSZiva Dvorsak, Rifle, NRA Smallbore Kaitlyn Gillespie, Outdoor TrackElizabeth Gratz, Rifle, CRCA; NRA SmallboreThomas Kyanko, Rifle, NRA Air Rifle; CRCA Josh Lambert, Football, CBS Sports Maren Prediger, Rifle, CRCA Kate Schwindel, Women’s Soccer, Senior

CLASSJuwan Staten, Men’s Basketball, Senior

CLASSPatrick Sunderman, Rifle, NRA Air Rifle; NRA

Smallbore; CRCAKevin White, Football, Associated Press;

College Sports Madness; Fox Sports; FWAAl; Phil Steele; SI.com; USA TODAY; Walter Camp Football Foundation

Third TeamMario Alford, Football, College Sports Madness Josh Lambert, Football, Associated Press; SB Nation Jean-Pierre Lucas, Rifle, CRCA

Fourth TeamJosh Lambert, Football, Athlon Sports; Phil

Steele

Honorable MentionMario Alford, Football, SI.com Jordan Anderson, Volleyball, AVCA Nikki Attea, Volleyball, AVCA Bria Holmes, Women’s Basketball, WBCA Josh Lambert, Football, NFL Network; SI.comJean-Pierre Lucas, Rifle, NRA Air Rifle

33 First Team and 41 Second Team All-Confer-ence Selections

124 Academic All-Conference Selections488 Student-Athletes were named to the 2014-

15 Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll517 Total Student-Athletes were named to the

Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

20

Sean Cleary ............................................... 23

Erin O’Reilly ............................................... 26

Support Staff ............................................. 26

Review2014

22

SEANClearyHEAD COACH

Coaching ExperienceWEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY, 1993-PRESENT• Head coach, 2007-Present• Ninth season as head coach and 23rd overall• Coached a total of 49 NCAA All-Mid-Atlantic titles,

22 individual runners• 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 five All-Big 12 athletes• Coached three cross country runners to three career

All-America honors – Marie-Louise Asselin, Keri Bland and Katie Gillespie

• 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championship eighth-place finish

• Five Top-10 NCAA finishes from 2007-2014• NCAA Elite 89 Award winner - Kelly Williams• 2014 - Two All-American honors- Jillian Forsey and

Kaitlyn Gillespie• 2014- b13 Big 12 Championship second-place

finishes• 2013 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional fourth-place finish• Six out of the seven recorded their best times ever at

Mid-Atlantic Regionals• 2012 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region fifth-place finish • 2011 NCAA Cross Country Championship eighth-

place finish• 2010 All-American Kaitlyn Gillespie• 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championship sixth-

place finish• 2008 NCAA Cross Country Championship fourth-

place finish • 2007 NCAA Cross Country Championship ninth-

place finish• 13 All-America selections from seven individuals• At least one All-American selection in five of the last

seven seasons• 24 NCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors from 10

runners• 13 All-Big East honors from six runners• Two CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in cross

country• 1,000 NCAA APR score four consecutive years• Coached 2011 NCAA Elite 89 Award winner Ahna

Lewis• Saw highest ever school ranking at No. 3 - Oct. 6,

2009 • Coached 2008 Big East Individual Champion – Ma-

rie-Louise Asselin• Three Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year honors (2004,

2007, 2008)• NCAA Mid-Atlantic team champions (2004, 2008)• 2007 Big East Champions• 2007 Big East Coaching Staff of the Year• No. 5 on the 2010 Terry Crawford Program of the

Year Award list in 2010

Running ExperienceWEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY, 1991-92• Captain of 1991 Atlantic 10 title team• Earned all-conference honors in 1992

EducationWEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY• Bachelor’s degree (physical education) - 1992

23

Sean Cleary, one of the sport’s most talented coaches, enters his ninth season at the helm of the West Virginia University cross country and track and field teams, and he has been associated with both programs for more than 20 years. With his expertise in mentoring, training, conditioning and recruiting distance runners, the Georgetown, Ontario, native, has built West Virginia’s cross country program into a national powerhouse, producing 15 All-America titles and numerous all-conference runners. With the guidance from Cleary, the 2014 season demonstrated true athleticism and dedication from these young athletes. In the fall, he led the Mountaineers to a second-place finish at the Big 12 Championship for the second straight year. Jillian Forsey finished 12th, earning Big 12 All-Conference honors, along with Kaitlyn Gillespie and Maggie Drazba. The Mountaineers appeared in their ninth NCAA Championship, six under WVU head coach Cleary. In the 2014 season, he oversaw a top-8 finish, two All-Americans and an Elite 89 Award winner. The team earned its fifth NCAA top-10 finish since 2007. Kaitlyn Gillepse was honored All-America in her final race as a Mountaineer, finishing 26th, along with Jillian Forsey as she finished 14th overall. Kelly Williams earned the Elite 89 Award for having the highest cumulative grade point average out of all participants at the NCAA Championship. 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 is currently finishing up his last couple of weeks as president and will have been with the association for a total of two years. Cleary guided the Mountaineers to their sixth NCAA appearance in seven seasons under his direction in 2013. 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 they competed in the Big 12 for the first time in 2012. Cleary used this 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 Championship. On the way, Brault garnered all-conference honors for the second time in her career, all-region honors for the third time and finished her career by becoming the 13th runner in program history to individually qualify for the NCAA Championship.

The Mountaineers finished No. 8 in the country in 2011 at the NCAA Championship – their fourth top-10 national finish in five years. His team finished in fourth place at the Big East Championship and followed it with a third-place mark at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional. He then led his team to its eighth-place finish at nationals where Kate Harrison and Kaitlyn Gillespie became All-Americans, with Harrison finishing in eighth place, an all-time WVU best individual finish for the event. In 2010, Cleary sent Gillespie and Brault to the NCAA Championship, where Gillespie became Cleary’s sixth All-American with a 34th-place finish in 20:46 and Brault arrived in 71st place overall. During indoor track season, three athletes were named All-Americans and all seven athletes who qualified for the outdoor NCAA Championship achieved All-America status. For the achievements, Cleary was named the NCAA’s Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year for track and field. The 2009-10 season was equally successful as the team achieved sixth place at the NCAA Championship, its third straight top-10 finish, and Clara Grandt, Keri Bland and Marie-Louise Asselin earned All-America status. Asselin and Bland achieved the honor for the third time in their WVU careers, while Grandt earned her first. Ranked in the top 10 all year, the team received its highest-ever ranking as a program at No. 3 midway through the season. Between indoor and outdoor track that year, 11 All-America honors were distributed, while Bland, Grandt and Asselin became the first Mountaineers to achieve the status in three sports in the same year. Overall, 17 All-American honors were given to WVU athletes between cross country, indoor and outdoor track during the year. 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 Championship over three seasons.In 2008, the team had its best-ever finish at the NCAA Championship, arriving in fourth after being ranked No. 5 most of the year. WVU won its second NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region championship and Cleary was named Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year. Asselin became the first in school history to win an individual Big East title and the team finished in second.In Cleary’s first season as head coach in 2007, he was named Big East Coach of the Year. The team also became Big East champions for the first time in school history and a then-school record. Three runners were named All-Big East as the team entered the top 25 for the first time in three years. For the fourth year in a row, the Mountaineers were named an All-Academic Team by the USTFCCCA. The group was ranked 17th in the nation in terms of overall grade point average (GPA) and had the second-highest GPA in the Big East with a 3.61 average. 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 From 1998 to 2004, WVU’s distance medley relay team qualified for nationals for seven consecutive years, the second-longest streak in the nation, under Cleary’s watch. Cleary has coached 17 athletes who have competed at the World Track and Field, World Cross Country, World University Games and Pan American Championship. Cleary worked closely with former head coach Martin Pushkin in building the women’s cross country team into a national contender. Cleary was responsible for the recruitment and mentoring of NCAA mile champion Kate Vermeulen as well as All-Americans Rebecca Stallwood, Merissa Sexsmith and Megan Metcalfe. Under his guidance, Cleary’s coaching has produced several men’s All-America runners, including four-time All-American Bob Donker, NCAA cross country All-Americans Wynston Alberts, Mike Dudley and Steve Bohan, two-time NCAA qualifiers Jeff Metcaff and Bohan, NCAA qualifier Ian Collings and 5,000-meter All-American Mark Vilardo. Cleary, who holds a USATF Level I Certification, is the primary recruiter for the cross country squad, attracting the best in-state, out-of-state and international athletes. He also is responsible for scheduling all meets and serves as the director for home meets. He was a member of the Mountaineer team in 1991 and 1992, helping the 1991 squad capture the Atlantic 10 cross country title and earning all-conference honors his last season.Cleary attended Central Oregon Community College, where he helped lead the team to the National Junior College Athletic Association title. He received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from WVU in 1992. He resides in Morgantown with his wife, Heather. They have one son, Patrick Nolan Cleary, who was born on April 30, 2014.

24

Cross Country• Nine NCAA appearances - siz under Cleary’s head coaching tenure• Five NCAA top-10 finishes since 2007• 2014 Two All-Americans - Jillian Forsey and Kaitlyn Gillespie• Placed eighth at the 2014 NCAA Championship • 2014 Elite 89 Award Winner Kelly Williams • 2014 Jillian Forsey qualified for the World Cross Country team• 2014 Big 12 Championship and Mid-Atlantic Regional second-place finish• Three all-region and one all-conference runner in 2013• 2011 NCAA Championship eighth-place finish• 2011Two All-Americans - Kate Harrison & Kaitlyn Gillespie• Five all-region and three all-conference runners in 2011• 2011 Elite 89 Award winner Ahna Lewis

RECENT MAJORACCOMPLISHMENTS

UNDERCleary

2007MOUNTAINEERS

• 2010 Kaitlyn Gillespie named All-American• 2009 NCAA Championship sixth-place finish• 2007-09 Three straight top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championship • 2009 Highest weekly national ranking – No. 3 on Oct. 6, 2009• 2009 Three All-Americans – Asselin, Bland, Grandt• 2009 Two Academic All-Americans – Asselin, Christopher • 2009 Five All-Mid-Atlantic Region runners• 2009 1,000 NCAA APR Score• 2009 Three All-Big East runners – Asselin, Bland, Grandt• 2008 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Champion• 2008 Big East Championship runner-up• 2008 Big East Champion- Asselin• 2007 Big East Champions• 2007, 2008 Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year• 2007 Big East Coaching Staff of the Year

25

KellyWILLIAMS

Kaitlyn Gillespie• 2015 Big 12 Champion in the 10k• Three-time All-American (2010-11, 2014)• USTFCCCA All-Academic honors• 2014 Academic-All American• 2014 Big 12 Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year• 26th place at 2014 NCAA Championship • 2014 Big 12 All-Conference honors for finishing in the top 15• 27th place at 2011 NCAA Championship• 2011 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team• 34th place at 2010 NCAA Championship• Two-time All-Big East (2010-11)• Two-time All-Mid-Atlantic Region (2010-11)

Kate Harrison• 2011 All-American• Eighth place at 2011 NCAA Championship, best individual finish at nationals in

school history, beating Megan Metcalfe’s 2002 record of ninth place• Four-time NCAA Championship participant• 2011 All-Big East Team• Three-time All-Mid-Atlantic region (2008, 09, 11)• Named to 2011 USTFCCCA All-Academic team

Marie-Louise Asselin• 10-time All-American in three sports (Cross County, Indoor and Outdoor Track)• 2010- second place finish at the Indoor and Outdoor NCAA Championship• 2009 Cross Country All-American• 2009 All-Big East Team• 2009 All-Mid-Atlantic Team• 2009 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team• 2008 Cross Country All-American• 2008 Big East individual cross country champion• 2008 All-Big East Team• 2008 All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team• 2008 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team• 2007 Seventh place in the 3,000-meter race at NCAA Track and Field Championship• 2007 3,000-meter Big East indoor track and field champion• 2007 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American Third Team

Keri Bland• 2011 All-American (indoor, outdoor 1,500 meters)• 2011 Academic All-American Third Team• 2007-08 and 2009-11 All-American in all three sports• 2009 Cross Country All-American• 2009 All-Big East team• 2009 All-Mid-Atlantic Team• 2009 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team• 2009 Big East Indoor Championship Most Outstanding Performer• Set school and Big East Championship meet records in mile event at 2009 indoor

championship• First WVU female to become All-American in three sports in same year (2008)• 2008 Olympic trial qualifier in the 1500m• 2008 Cross Country All-American• 2008 All-Big East Team• 2008 All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team• 2008 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team• 2008 1,000-meter Big East indoor track and field champion• 2008 10th in the 1,500-meter race at the NCAA Outdoor Championship

Clara Grandt• 2014-15 Pittsburgh Marathon winner• 2009 Cross Country All-American • 2009 All-Big East Team• 2009 All-Mid-Atlantic Team• 2009 USTFCCCA all-Academic Team• Big East Cross Country Runner of the Week (9/24/09)• 2009 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Track Athlete of the Year• 10,000-meter ECAC outdoor meet record• NCAA outdoor qualifier in 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter• 2008 Team USA Cross Country team member• NCAC Champion• 2008 All-Big East Team• 2008 All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team

KaitlynGILLESPIE

26

ERINO’ReillyASSISTANT COACH

THIRD SEASON

Erin O’Reilly is in her third season as an assistant coach at West Virginia University after joining the staff in August 2013.

Her familiarity with WVU has been beneficial to the program along with the student-athletes as the program continues to excel. O’Reilly was a part of four individual NCAA appearances with the Mountaineers, along with the team’s eighth-place finish at the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championship.

She works primarily with the long-distance sprinters and middle-distance runners for the track and field and cross country teams. She helped three Mountaineers to All-Mid-Atlantic Region distinctions, three All-Big 12 recognitions and two All-America honors in the 2014 season.

O’Reilly was a member of the Mountaineer team in the early 1990’s and graduated from WVU in 1993 with a degree in physical education.

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 Atlantic-10 All-Conference Team. O’Reilly also was the conference champion in the mile and 3k that same day. She was the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) champion and a NCAA provisional qualifier in the 1,000 meters her senior year. She held seven school records in cross country and track by the end of her career.

The Canton, Ohio, native served as a member of the West Virginia staff from 1994-2002. During that time, the Mountaineers registered 22 All-America 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. O’Reilly was an instrumental part in developing several prodigies, who captured school records in the 400, 1,500 and 1,000-meter events. She assisted the distance medley relay team to earn 11th in the country. While on staff, she helped guide the Golden Eagles to multiple ECAC titles and numerous appearances at the NCAA Championship.

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

ChrisDUNAWAYStrength Coach

AmyHILEAthletic Trainer

SamanthaSTREJECKAthletic Communications Graduate Assistant

BubbaSCHMIDTEquipment Manager

SandyCOLE-DEMENTAssistant Director of Student-Athlete Development

Dr. MattLIVELYMedical Director

CindySMITHAdministrative Assistant

Staff

2015 Rosters ............................................. 28

Savanna Plombon ..................................... 29

Sydney Scott ............................................. 30

Kelly Williams ............................................ 31

Jillian Forsey .............................................. 32

Peyton Hampson ....................................... 33

Brianna Kerekes ........................................ 34

Paige Szabat ............................................. 35

Megan Yuan .............................................. 36

Amy Cashin ............................................... 37

Alyssa Diehl ............................................... 38

Maggie Drazba .......................................... 39

Rachel Faulds ............................................ 40

Brynn Harshbarger .................................... 41

Corinne Kule .............................................. 42

Renee Maisonneuve .................................. 43

Millie Paladino ........................................... 44

Rebecca Wendt ......................................... 45

Anna French .............................................. 46

Olivia Hill .................................................... 46

Candace Jones ......................................... 46

Peyton Panger ........................................... 46

Andrea Pettit .............................................. 46

Bios.RUNNER

28

2015RosterName Height Class Hometown/Last School Amy Cashin 5-5 So. Werribee, Austrailia/Werribee Secondary College Allie Diehl 5-4 So. Chardon, Ohio/Chardon Maggie Drazba 5-1 So. St. Marys, W.Va./St. MarysRachel Faulds 5-3 So. Frankford, Ohio/TrentonJillian Forsey 5-4 Jr. Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador/StephenvilleAnna French 5-4 Fr. Plymouth, Minn./WayzataPeyton Hampson 5-8 Jr. Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central Brynn Harshbarger 5-2 So. Morgantown, W.Va./MorgantownOlivia Hill 5-5 Fr. Scott Depot, W.Va./Teays Valley ChristianCandace Jones 5-5 Fr. Bristow, Va./PatriotBrianna Kerekes 5-5 Jr. Morgantown, W.Va./Trinity ChristianCorinne Kule 5-4 So. Chardon, Ohio/ChardonRenee Maisonneuve 5-3 So. Timmins, Ontario/Ecole Secondaire Catholique TheriaultMillie Paladino 5-0 So. Morgantown, W.Va./University Peyton Panger 5-4 Fr. Charleston, W.Va./CapitalAndrea Pettit 5-4 Fr. Morgantown, W.Va./MorgantownSavanna Plombon 5-8 Sr. Frederick, Md./LehighSydney Scott 5-3 Sr. Denver, Colo./SouthPaige Szabat 5-3 Jr. Wadsworth, Ohio/WadsworthRebecca Wendt 5-10 So. Whitby, Ontario/Henry StreetKelly Williams 5-9 Sr. Chesterland, Ohio/West GeaugaMegan Yuan 5-8 Jr. Thunder Bay, Ontario/St. Ignatius

By Country/State/ProvinceAustralia ................................... 1Colorado ..........................................1Maryland ..........................................1Minnesota ......................................1Newfoundland and Labrador...........1Ohio .................................................4Ontario ...................................... 4Pennsylvania ........................... 1Virginia ..................................... 1West Virginia ............................ 7

By ClassFreshmen ................................. 5Sophomores ............................ 9Juniors ..................................... 5Seniors .................................... 3

2015MOUNTAINEERS

29

At West Virginia in 2014•Did not compete

•Finished in 26th place overall at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional meet with a person-al-best time of 20:54, missing out on the all-region team by one spot

•Sixth WVU runner to cross the line (22:12.6) in the 6k at the NCAA Championship

At West Virginia in 2012•ThefirstWVUrunneracrossthelineatthePennStateSpikedShoeInvitationalbyfinish-ing 14th with a 6k time of 22:07

•Came in 10th place in the Blue Race at the Greater Louisville Classic with a 5k time of 18:05.27

•Ran a season-best 6k time of 21:34 at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional for a 27th-place finish

At Lehigh in 2011 •Placed second at the Lehigh Invitational (6k)

with a time of 22:05.50 and in a dual meet versus Lafayette with a time of 22:11.6

•Finished 84th at the Paul Short Run (6k) with a personal best time of 22:02

•Came in 54th at the Penn State National Invita-tional with a 6k time of 22:58

•Named Patriot League Cross Country Rookie of the Week on Sept. 26 and Oct. 3

•Named to the 2012 All-Patriot League second team in the 3,000-meter run

•Holds the Lehigh school record in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 9:49.36

•Member of the 2012 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll

Prep •Ran for coach Nicholas Snyder at Thomas

Johnson High •2011 MPSSAA Maryland Indoor State Champi-

on in the 800-meter run•2010 Frederick County and 4A North Regional

Individual Cross Country Champion•Member of the 2010 Frederick County and MarylandStateCrossCountryfirstteams

•Asajunior,finishedsecondatthe2009Frederick County Championship, The Maryland 4A North Regional and the Maryland State Championship

•Competed in the 5,000-meter 2009 Nike Cross National Southeast Regional Cross Country Championshipandfinished36thwithaseasonbest time of 18:55

Personal •Daughter of Daniel and Tama Plombon •Has one brother•Birthday is June 18 •Majoring in biology•Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll•Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

At West Virginia in 2013•Academic All-Big 12 First Team•Recordeda90th-placefinishinseasondebut

at Paul Short Run, with a 6k time of 21:44•Fifth overall runner across the line at the PSU

National, with a time of 21:47•Second Mountaineer across the 6k line (21:25.5)attheBig12Championship,finishingin 21st place overall

SAVANNAPlombonSr. | 5-8 | Frederick, Md.

30

At West Virginia in 2014•USTFCCCA All-Academic honors•Academic All-Big 12 First Team•Earned NCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors

for the second time in three seasons, placing 15th overall in 21:01

•Competed at the NCAA Championship for the firsttimeinhercareer,finishing129thoverallandfifthamongWVUrunners(21:25.3)

At West Virginia in 2013 •Did not compete

At West Virginia in 2012 •TooktophonorsinherfirstraceasaMountain-eerbyfinishingtheWVUAlumniOpenwitha4ktime of 15:09

•Topped her 4k time with a 14:00.4 performance at the Toledo Inter-Regional Bubble Buster

•Finished the NCAA Pre-Nationals Black Race with a 6k time of 24:03.2

•Came in 26th at the Big 12 Championship with a 6k time of 21:42.6

•Earned NCAA All-Mid Atlantic Region honors afterfinishing24thwithaseason-best6ktimeof 21:21

•Member of Team USA for the World Junior Cross Country Championship, where she placed 38th with a 6k time 20:19

•2012 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team

Prep •Attended the Denver School of Arts and ran

under the guidance of John Gregorio at Denver South

•Finished second and third in the 3200-meter and 1600-meter runs, respectively, at the 2011 and 2012 Colorado State High School Track and Field Championship

•Cameinfirstatthe20115kColorado4ARe-gion 3 Championship

•State Champion at the 4A Colorado State Cross Country Championship (5k)

•Placed sixth with a time of 18:17.2 at the 2011 Footlocker Midwest Regional Championship

•QualifiedfortheFootlockerNationalHighSchool Cross Country Championship and finished26thwithatimeof18:17.2

•Two-time winner of the Denver Public Schools League Meet in 2010 and 2011

•Finished eighth at the 2010 Nike Cross National Southwest Regional Cross Country Champi-onship

•As a junior, placed second at the 2010 4A Colo-rado State Cross Country Championship (5k)

•Placed 12th in the 1,600-meter and 19th in the 3,200-meter runs at the 2010 New Balance High School Nationals

•Competed at the 2010 USATF Junior Olympic Track and Field Championship and placed second in the intermediate (15-16) 3,000-meter run and fourth in the 1,500-meter run

Personal •Daughter of Andy and Martha Scott and Cathy

Scott •Has one sister•Birthday is July 21 •Majoring in music performance•Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll•Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

•Placed second overall (21:36.56) in the 6k at the Lehigh Invitational

•Finished 24th overall (17:36.68) in the 5k at the GreaterLouisvilleClassic,andfifthamongWVUrunners

•Fourth Mountaineer to cross the 6k line and 75th overall (20:59) at the Wisconsin Adidas Invite

•Crossed the line in 17th overall, with a 6k time of 21:00.9 at the Big 12 Championship

SIDNEYScottSr. | 5-3 | Denver, Colo.

31

At West Virginia in 2014•Capital One Academic All-America honors•USTFCCCA All-America honors•Earned the Elite 89 Award at the NCAA Champi-

onship, placing 152nd (21:35.4) in the 6k event•Academic All-Big 12 First Team, while maintain-

ing a 4.0 GPA•Finished 132nd (6k) at the Wisconsin Adidas

Invitational (21:32)•Placed 21st in 21:09.8 (6k) at the Big 12 Cham-

pionship

KELLYWilliamsSr. | 5-9 | Chesterland, Ohio

•Finished sixth among West Virginia runners, with a 6k time of 21:31 at the NCAA Mid-Atlan-tic Regional

•Made season debut at Greater Louisville Classic,finishingsixth(5k)amongMountaineercompetitors in 17:54.21

At West Virginia in 2013•Academic All-Big 12 First Team•Named to All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team follow-inga21st-placefinishattheNCAARegionalMeet, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

•Recordeda75th-placefinishatthePaulShortRun, with a time of 21:37

•First Mountaineer and second runner overall (21:22) to cross the line at the PSU National, helpingWestVirginiatoafirst-placefinish

•Came in 24th (21:32.7) at the Big 12 Champi-onship

•First WVU runner to cross the line at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, posting a personal-best time of 20:49

•Second Mountaineer to complete course at the NCAA Cross Country Championship in Terre Haute, Indiana

At West Virginia in 2012 •First year running cross country•Competed in every meet for the Mountaineers,

starting with the WVU Alumni Open where she finishedfourthoverallwitha4ktimeof15:27

•Came in 28th at the Penn State Spiked Shoe Invitational with a 6k time of 22:29

•OneofonlyfiverunnersforWVUattheToledoInter-Regional Bubble Buster where she posted a personal-best 4k time of 14:20.3

•Finished 12th in the Blue Race at the Greater Louisville Classic with a personal-best 5k time of 18:14.79

•Ran a 22:10.2 6k at the NCAA Pre-Nationals•Second runner across the line for WVU at the Big12Championshipwhereshefinished19thoverall with a 6k time of 21:37.9

•Earned NCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors witha22nd-placefinishandapersonal-best6ktime of 21:20

•2012 USTFCCCA Division I Women’s Cross Country All-Academic

•2012 Academic All-Big 12 Cross Country First Team

Prep: •Coached by Mike Taurasi at West Geauga High •Earned all-state in the 800-meter her senior

year •Achieved all-state in the 4x400 her sophomore

year •Graduated with a 4.1 GPA •Was a member of the National Honor Society •Student Council Secretary •Also competed in gymnastics

Personal: •Daughter of Wayne and Beth Williams •Older sister, Katelyn, is a former All-America

high jumper at WVU •Has two brothers and one sister•Birthday is August 7 •Majoring in strategic communications•Dr. Gerald Large Academic Achievement Award•Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll•Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll•Dean’s List

32

At West Virginia in 2014 •Academic All-Big 12 First Team, while maintain-

ing a 4.0 GPA•USTFCCCA All-American•Capital One Academic All-America Third Team •Competed at the 2014 IAAF World Junior Track &FieldChampionship,withatop-10finish

•Varsity Sports Report Athlete of the Week (11/17)

•First WVU runner to cross the line at four competitions

At West Virginia in 2013 •Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team•Named to All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team follow-inga25th-placefinishattheNCAAMid-AtlanticRegional

•Ran a personal-best time of 20:53 at the region-al meet, while being the third Mountaineer to cross the line

•Finishedin25thplace(21:34)infirstappear-ance of her career at the Big 12 Championship in Waco, Texas

•Competed at the NCAA Cross Country Champi-onship, coming in 145th, with a time of 21:37.5

•Claimed Silver medal while representing the Canadian National Team at the 2014 North American, Central and Caribbean (NACAC) Cross Country Championship in Trinidad and Tobago

Prep •Ran at Stephenville High for coach Ray Will•Newfoundland Provincial Champion in the

800-meter run, 1,500-meter run and 3,000-me-ter 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

•Finishedfirstatthe2012CanadianCrossCoun-try Championship with a 5k time of 17:21

•Won the Athletics Ontario Cross Country Cham-pionship with a 5k time of 17:45

•Finished second at the Maine Cross Country Festival of Champions

•Named Newfoundland and Labrador Female Athlete of the Year in 2012

•Won the 800-meter run and 1,500-meter run at the 2012 Nike High School Grand Prix

•RanforTeamCanadaandfinished13thattheNACAC Cross Country Championship

•Won the gold medal in the 3,000-meter event at the Athletics Ontario Championship in 2012

•Finished 14th at the 2011 Canadian Cross Country Championship

•Placedfifthinthe3,000-meterrunandseventhin 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 Cana-dian 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

•Placed 14th (20:17.9) overall in the 6k at the NCAA Cross Country Championship, where she earned her All-America status

•Finished second overall, with a time of 20:18 (6k) at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, earning All-Mid-Atlantic 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 AdidasInvitational,helpingWVUknockoff17ranked teams

•Crossedthelineinfifthoverall,witha5ktimeof16:58.69 at the Greater Louisville Classic

JILLIANForseyJr. | 5-4 | Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador

33

At West Virginia in 2014•Did not compete

At West Virginia in 2013•Academic All-Big 12 First Team•Finished in 32nd place (24:31) in the season

opener at the Lehigh Invitational•Posteda27th-placefinish(23:51)atthePSU

Spiked Shoe Invitational•Sixth Mountaineer across the line at the PSU National,whilerecordinga31stoverallfinishwith a personal-best time of 22:52

Prep •RanforcoachesDuaneBowersandJeffCross

at Waynesburg Central•Placed third in 800 meters at the 2012 PIAA

Track and Field State Championship with a personal best time of 2:11.52

•RankedfifthontheRegionalAll-Timeslistfor800 meters

•Finishedfirstin800metersattheRegionalChampionship in 2012 and recorded the fastest AA time in regional history

•Placedfifthin800metersatthe2011PIAATrack and Field State Championship

•Holds the school records in the 400-meter and 800-meter runs, as well as the 4x400 relay

Personal •Daughter of Ron and Debby Hampson •Has one brother and one sister•Birthday is January 4•Majoring in human nutrition and foods•Valedictorian of graduating class with a 4.0 GPA•Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll•Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

PEYTONHampsonJr. | 5-8 | Waynesburg, Pa.

34

BRIANNA KerekesJr. | 5-5 | Morgantown, W.Va.

At West Virginia in 2014•Academic All-Big 12 First Team•Placed 11th overall with a time 23:04.53 at the

Lehigh Invitational •FinishedfifthamongWVUrunnersand44thover-

all at the PSU Spiked Shoe•Crossed the line in 24th overall in the B Division

race of the Greater Louisville Classic •Finished 44th overall with a time of 23:06 at PSU

Nationals

At West Virginia in 2013•Finished 117th in the season opener at the Lehigh

Invitational in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania•Also competed in the PSU Spiked Shoe Invita-

tional, coming in 28th place overall with a person-al-best time of 24:45

Prep •Ran for coaches Lori and Tyler DeVault at Trinity

Christian•Named All-State First Team after placing second

in the 200-meter and 400-meter runs and fourth in the 100-meter dash

•AttheOVACfinals,placedsixthinthe400meterandfifthinthe200meterand100meter

•Holds the school records in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter runs and the 4x400 relay

•Also played in basketball, volleyball and softball

Personal •Daughter of Brian and Susan Kerekes •Has one brother•Birthday is April 26 •Majoring in occupational therapy•Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll•Dean’s List•Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

35

At West Virginia in 2014•Placed 49th overall (21:57.0) in the 6k at the Big 12Championship,finishingninthamongWVUcompetitors

•Crossed the line in seventh in the 5k (18:20.58) among WVU runners, placing 100th

•Competed in the B division race at the Wisconsin AdidasInvite,finishingsecondamongWestVirginia runners and 43rd overall (22:09)

At West Virginia in 2013•Academic All-Big 12 First Team•Only Mountaineer runner to compete in each

meet•Throughout the season made improvements of

2:07 to her 6k time•First Mountaineer to cross the line in season openeratLehighInvitational,finishingin10thplace with a time of 23:41

•FirstWVUrunnertofinishtheraceatPSUSpikedShoe Invitational, completing the course in 22:44

•Recordeda166thplacefinish(22:23)atthePaulShort Run in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

•Finished in 14th place overall at the PSU Nation-al, with a time of 22:19

•Fifth Mountaineer and 27th runner overall to cross the line at the Big 12 Championship, with a time of 21:35.5

•Posteda61st-placefinishattheNCAAMid-At-lantic Regional, completing the course with a personal-best time of 21:34

•Competed at the NCAA Cross Country Champi-onship, coming in 202nd, with a time of 22:05.5

At West Virginia in 2012 •Competed at the WVU Alumni Open where she

came in eighth, with a 4k time of 15:51

Prep •Ran for coach Michelle Farr at Wadsworth High

and was captain•Rantoatop-15finishinthe3,200-meterrunherfinalthreeyearsattheOHSAAStateTrackandField Championship

•Won the 3,200-meter run at the Akron Suburban League Track and Field Championship from 2010-12

•Received All-Ohio honors at the OHSAA State Cross Country Championship in 2008, 2009 and 2011

•All-Suburban League in cross country and track•Placed 65th at the 2009 Footlocker Midwest

Regional Cross Country Championship with a time of 19:39

Personal •Daughter of Raymond and Carol Szabat•Birthday is December 10•Majoring in biochemistry•Dad played soccer at Akron (1980-83)•Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll•Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

PAIGE SzabatJr. | 5-3 | Wadsworth, Ohio

36

MEGAN YuanJr. | 5-8 |Thunder Bay, Ontario

At West Virginia in 2014 •Did not compete

At West Virginia in 2013 •Finished 53rd (22:22.4) at the Big 12 Champi-onshipinherfirstappearanceoftheseason

•Cut1:16offhertimeinhernextouting,comingin 30th (21:06) at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional

•Competed at the NCAA Cross Country Cham-pionship,finishingin233rdplaceoverallwithatime of 22:28.8

At West Virginia in 2012 •Came in seventh at the WVU Alumni Open with

a 4k time of 15:48•Competed at the Greater Louisville Classic whereshefinished58thintheBlueRaceswitha 5k time of 18:54.66

•Finished 115th in the Black Race at the NCAA Pre-Nationals with a 6k time of 23:06.4

•2012 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team

Prep •Ran at St. Ignatius High•Placed 10th at the 2011 Junior Division Cana-

dian Cross Country Championship•Sixth at the 2011 OFSAA Senior Division Cross

Country Championship •2011 Canadian Youth Division 3,000-meter

Champion•Finished second at the 2009 Junior Division

OFSAA Cross Country Championship •2009 Canadian Midget Division 3,000-meter

Champion •Placed third at the 2009 Canadian Midget

Division 1,500-meter run•Finished third in the 2011 AO Youth Cross

Country Championship in the 1,500-meter run

Personal •Daughter of Mike and Sue Yuan •Has two brothers•Birthday is February 9•Majoring in sports psychology•Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll•Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

37

At West Virginia in 2014 •Did not compete

At West Virginia in 2013 •Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team•Sixth Mountaineer to cross the line (6k), placing

in 40th overall, with a time of 21:51.3 in her firstappearanceoftheseasonattheBig12Championship

•Came in 63rd, with a personal-best time of 21:35 (6k) at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional,

•Fourth Mountaineer to cross the line, with a 6k time of 22:03.8 at the NCAA Cross Country Championship

Prep •Captain at Werribee Secondary College for

coach Peter Burke•Member of Team Australia for the World Junior

Cross Country Championship, where she placed 50th with a 6k time of 20:48

•2013 Victoria State U-20 champion in the 1,500-meter run

•Silver medalist at the 6k U-20 Australia Cross Country Championship

•Part of Team Victoria for cross country and track &fieldfrom2007-13

•2012 U-20 Cross Country Champion in Victoria•Bronze medalist at the 4k U-18 Australia Cross

Country Championship in 2010•Silver medalist at the 4k U-16 Australia Cross

Country Championship in 2009•Champion in the U-16 3,000-meter run at the

2009 Australia Track & Field Championship

Personal •Daughter of Peter and Brenda Cashin •Has one brother and one sister•Birthday is July 28•Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll•Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll •Majoring in sport and exercise psychology

AMYCashinSo. | 5-5 | Werribee, Australia

38

ALYSSA DiehlSo. | 5-4 | Chardon, Ohio

At West Virginia in 2014•Competed at four meets•Academic All-Big 12 First Team, while main-

taining a 4.0 GPA•Finished 21st overall at the Lehigh Invitational

to open the season, with a 6k time of 23:31.76•Placed 52nd overall in the 6k event (23:39) at

the PSU Spiked Shoe•Third WVU runner to cross the line (6k) at PSU Nationalsand26thcompetitortofinishoverallin 24:08

•Placed 114th in the B Division 5k race at the Greater Louisville Classic

•

At West Virginia in 2013•Did not compete

Prep•Ran for coach Mike Combs at Chardon High•Named Valedictorian of senior class•Four-year varsity letterwinner in cross country

and track•First-team All-PAC Conference•Four-timeregionalqualifier•Recipient of the Chardon High School Schol-

ar-Athlete Award•OHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award

Personal•Daughter of Robert and Rachel Diehl•Has two brothers and one sister•Birthday is September 29•Majoring in industrial engineering major•Cousin ran track at Arkansas•Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

39

At West Virginia in 2014 •NCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region•USTFCCCA All-Academic honors •All-Big 12 Conference honors•Academic All-Big 12 First Team, while maintaining a 4.0 GPA•Third WVU runner to cross the line at the 2014 NCAA Cross CountryChampionship,finishingthe6kcoursein91stoverall(21:09.2)

•Placed 13th overall at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional in 20:58 •Finished eighth overall (20:40.1) in the 6k course at the 2014 Big

12 Championship•Placed 15th overall and third among WVU competitors at the

Greater Louisville Classic, completing the 5k course in 17:20.56•Racedtoa127th-placefinish(6k)attheWisconsinAdidasInvite

in 21:31•

At West Virginia in 2013 •Did not compete

Prep •Four-year letterwinner at St. Marys High•2011 and 2012 Gatorade West Virginia Girls Cross Country

Athlete of the Year•2013 Gatorade West Virginia Girls Track & Field Athlete of the

Year•2009, 2011 and 2012 West Virginia AAA State Cross Country

Champion•Placed third at the Footlocker Southwest Regional with a time of

17:10 to qualify for the 2012 Foot Locker Cross Country Cham-pionship, where she placed 22nd overall

•Second place at the 2012 USATF Cross Country Junior Cham-pionship

•Helped lead Team USA to the championship at the 2012 NACAC, where she placed fourth individually

•Holds the West Virginia State Meet record for cross country with a time of 17:17

•Took top honors at the 2012 Great American Cross Country Festival

•Part of a St. Marys squad that won the 2009 AA-A West Virginia Cross Country Championship

•Undefeated in Little Kanawha Cross Country Conference Cham-pionship competition all four years

•WestVirginiaoutdoortrackandfieldrecordholderinthemile(4:53), 1,600-meter run (4:51), 3,000-meter run (9:37), 3,200-me-ter run (10:27) and two mile run (10:37)

•WestVirginiaindoortrackandfieldrecordholderinthe3,200(10:41), two-mile run (10:29) and the 5,000-meter run (17:40)

•Finished second at the 2013 Penn Relays in the 3,000-meter run•Four-timeWestVirginiatrackandfieldstatechampioninclassA

in the 800-meter run (2010-13) and the 1,600-meter run (2010-13)•Three-timeWestVirginiatrackandfieldstatechampioninclass

A in the 3,200-meter run (2011-13)•Part of the 4x800-meter relay team that captured the state title

in 2012•Holds the West Virginia Class A state meet record in the 800-meter

run (2:18), 3,200-meter run (10:31) and the 4x800-meter relay (9:48)

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

MAGGIEDrazbaSo. | 5-1 | St. Marys, W.Va.

40

RACHEL FauldsSo. | 5-3 | Frankford, Ontario

At West Virginia in 2014 •Competed at six meets•PlacedfifthoverallattheLehighInvitational

(22:22.94) to open the season •Finished 30th overall at the PSU Spiked Shoe

with a time of 22:26•First WVU competitor to cross the line in the B

Division race at the Greater Louisville Classic and the Wisconsin Adidas Invite

•Placed 48th overall at the Big 12 Champion-ship with a time of 21:55.7

At West Virginia in 2013 •Did not compete

Prep •Rancrosscountryandtrack&fieldatTrenton

High and was coached by her father, Allan and Sue Tripp

•Bronze medalist in the Senior Girls 5k at the 2012 OFSAA Cross Country Championship

•Silver medalist in the Junior Division at the 2011 OFSAA Cross Country Championship

•Silver medalist in the Junior Division at the 2012 OFSAA Track & Field Championship in the 3,000-meter run

•Won the Bronze medal at the Canadian Junior National Championship in the 3,000-meter run in 2011

•Won the Silver medal at the Canadian Youth National Championship in the 3,000-meter run

•Bronze medalist her sophomore year at the OFSAA Championship in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:17, while also placing sixth in the 1,500-meter run

•Also was a competitive swimmer for seven years

Personal •Daughter of Allan and Stephanie Faulds •Has one sister•Birthday is October 25•Majoring in exercise physiology•Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll•Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

41

At West Virginia in 2014•USTFCCCA All-Academic honors •Academic All-Big 12 First Team•Finished 103rd (21:13.5) overall at the NCAA

Championship •Placed ninth overall at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic

Regional, earning all-region •Crossed the line in 16th overall at the Big 12

Championship•Placed third overall at the Lehigh Invitational to

open the season•First Mountaineer to cross the line at the PSU SpikedShoe,finishinginsixthplaceoverallwith a time of 21:25

•Finished 90th (21:07) overall at the Wisconsin Adidas Invite

At West Virginia in 2013•Did not compete

Prep •Ran at Morgantown High for coach Mike Ryan•Placedsecondinthe1,600-meterrunandfifth

in the 3,200-meter run at the 2013 West Virginia State Track & Field Championship

•Part of the winning 4x800-meter relay team at the 2013 West Virginia State Track & Field Championship

•Ledteamtoathird-placefinishattheNXNSoutheast Regional Cross Country Champion-ship, while also individually placing 15th

•Runner-up at the 2012 West Virginia State Cross Country Championship, which helped herteamtoafirst-placefinish

•Placed 10th at the Great American Cross Country Festival with a personal-best 5k time of 18:02

•Won the 3,200-meter run at the 2012 West Virginia State Track & Field Championship and placed third in the 1,600-meter run and second in the 4x800-meter relay

•Finished eighth individually at the 2012 West Virginia State Cross Country meet and led her teamtoafirst-placefinish

•Member of the 4x800-meter relay team that finishedthirdatthe2011WestVirginiaStateTrack & Field Championship

Personal •Daughter of Dave and Colleen Harshbarger •Has one brother•Birthday is December 1•Majoring in biology•Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll•Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

BRYNN HarshbargerSo. | 5-2 | Morgantown, W.Va

42

CORINNEKuleSo. | 5-4 | Chardon, Ohio

At West Virginia in 2014•Did not compete

At West Virginia in 2013•Did not compete

Prep •Ran at Chardon High for coach Mike Combs•Four-time Premier Athletic Conference Cross

Country Champion (2009-12)•Threetimestatequalifier(2010-12)•Named All-Ohio after placing 11th at the 2012

Division I Ohio State Cross Country Champi-onship

•Selected to represent Ohio at the 2012 Mid-East Cross Country Championship

•Scored for Ohio at the Footlocker Midwest Regional by placing 34th

•School record holder in the 5,000-meter run and a four time MVP

•Three-time Premier Athletic Conference Cham-pion in the 1,600-meter run (2010-12) and also won the 3,200-meter run and 800-meter run

•2012statequalifierinthe3,200-meterrunandplayed 14th at the Ohio Division 1 State Track & Field Championship

•Four-time MVP for school track team•Three-time All-Ohio Academic Award•Four-time All-PAC Academic Award for cross countryandtrack&field

Personal •Daughter of Karl and Joanne Kule •Birthday is December 9•Majoring in speech pathology•Dadrancrosscountryandtrack&fieldatWVU•Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll•Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

43

At West Virginia in 2014•Placed fourth overall at the Lehigh Invitational with a

time of 22:10.12•Academic All-Big 12 First Team, while maintaining

a 4.0 GPA•Finished in 18th place at the PSU Spiked Shoe in 21.57•Placed 124th at the Greater Louisville Classic•Raceda62nd-placefinishwithatimeof22:22.2at

the Big 12 Championship

At West Virginia in 2013•Did not compete

Prep •Ran at Ecole Secondaire Catholique Theriault for

coach Joel Ruel•Recipient of the trophy for best individual and best

team performance at the 2012-13 OFSAA Cross Country Championship

•Canadian Interscholastic record holder in the 1,500-meter steeplechase (4:57.06)

•School record holder in the 1,500-meter run (4:52), 800-meter run (2:17), 3,000-meter run (10:43) and 1,500-meter steeplechase (4:57.06)

•Gold medalist in the 1,500-meter steeplechase at the 2013 OFSAA Track & Field Championship

•2013 Regional Track & Field champion in the 800-meter run, 3,000-meter run and 1,500-meter steeplechase

•Setanewregionaltrack&fieldmeetrecordinthe800-meter run and 1,500-meter steeplechase

•Helped her team to a Silver medal at the 2012 OFSAA Cross Country Championship

•2012 regional cross country champion•Silver medalist in the 1,500-meter steeplechase at

the 2012 OFSAA Track & Field Championship•2012 Regional Track & Field Champion in the

3,000-meter run and the 1,500-meter steeplechase•Broke the course record on her way to winning the

2011 Regional Cross Country Championship•MemberofTeamOntarioandfinishedfifthindividually

at the National Legion Track and Field Championship•2011 Provincial Champion in the 2,000-meter

steeplechase at the Legion Provincial Track & Field Championship

•2011 Regional Track & Field champion in the 800-me-ter run, 3,000-meter run and 1,500-meter steeplechase

•2010 Regional Cross Country Champion•2010 Regional Track and Field champion in the

800-meter run, 400-meter run and 1,500-meter steeplechase

•U-15 Provincial record holder in the 1,500-meter steeplechase

•2010 bronze medalist at the National Legion Track & Field Championship

Personal •Daughter of Luc and Julie Maisonneuve•Has two brothers and one sister•Birthday is October 1•Majoring in international studies•Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll•Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

RENEEMaisonneuveSo. | 5-3 | Timmins, Ontario

44

MILLIEPaladinoSo. | 5-0 | Morgantown, W.Va.

At West Virginia in 2014 •2015 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team•Participated in four events during her freshman

campaign•Made her career debut at the Greater Louisville

Classic, placing 21st overall and fourth among WVU competitors (17:34.54)

•Placed 47th (20:43) overall at the Wisconsin Adidas Invite

•Finished 25th at the Big 12 Championship with a time of 21:27.5

•Competed at the NCAA Cross Country Cham-pionship,finishing210thoverallin22:01.3

Prep•Ran for coach Ed Frohnapel at University High•Won mile at 2014 Penn Relays (4:45.34)•West Virginia state champion in the 3,200-me-

ter event (10:00.42)•2013-14 Gatorade West Virginia Girls’

Cross-Country Runner of the Year•2013 West Virginia Class AAA Cross Country

State Champion with a 5k time of 17:55.84•Competed at 2013 Foot Locker Girls Cross CountryChampionship,finishingin11thplace(17:45.22)

•Holds fastest mile time in West Virginia high school history (4:43.84)

•Maintained a 4.12 grade point average, while serving as a member of the National Honor Society

Personal•Daughter of Joseph and Janet Paladino•Birthday is October 18•Majoring in engineering•Twin brother, Andy, runs cross country at

Syracuse •Cousin, Tony Sapienza, placed fourth in the

1958 Boston Marathon•Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

45

At West Virginia in 2014•Did not compete

At West Virginia in 2013•Did not compete

Prep •Double 2013 OFSAA Bronze medalist in the

800-meter run and 1,500-meter run•Named Most Outstanding Varsity track athlete

in 2013 and 2012•Silver medalist at the 2012 Junior Provincials in

the 800-meter run and Bronze medalist in the 1,500-meter run

•2012 Youth National Champion in the 800-me-ter run and Silver medalist in the 1,500-meter run

•Finishedfifthatthe2011OFSAACrossCoun-try Championship

•2010 OFSAA Midget Champion in the 1,500 and 3,000-meter runs, while earning Bronze in the 800-meter run

•Broke four regional records on her way to be-ing named Most Outstanding Track and Cross Country Athlete

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

REBECCAWendtSo. | 5-10 | Whitby, Ontario

46

ANNAFrenchHigh School•Ran at Wayzata High for coaches

Dave Emmans and Addy Hallen•Earned the Athena Award for the

school’s most outstanding female athlete (2014-15)

•Conference and section champion forcrosscountryandtrack&field(2011-2013)

•Earned All-America distinctions in 2012-13

•Three-time all-state honoree in 2011-14

•Captain of the 2014 cross country team

•Placed seventh at the Class 2A cross country meet

•Placedfifthinthe5k,withaperson-al-best time of 17:38

OLIVIA HillHigh School•Ran at Teays Valley Christian School

for coach Aubrey Morris•Winner of Hurricane Cross Country

Invitational in 2014

•Was named Teays Valley Christian School 2015 Female Athlete of the Year

•Earned the Team High Point Award for track

• Participated in basketball and volleyball

Fr. | 5-4Plymouth, Minn.

Fr. | 5-5Scott Depot, W.Va.

CANDACE JonesHigh School•Ran at Patriot High for coach Adam

Daniels •Seven-time all-state •2015 Indoor State Champion in the

1000-meters (2:54.24) her senior year

•At the 2015 VHSL Group 6A Conference Championship, she ran a personal-best of 5:00.05 in the 1600m

•Ran a personal-best of 2:11.08 in the 800-meter event at the 2014 VHSL Group 5A/6A State Outdoor Championship

Fr. | 5-5Bristow, Va.

PEYTONPangerHigh School•Ran at Capital High•Four-time WV All-State Cross Coun-

try team•Was named 2014 WV Gatorade

Cross Country Athlete of the Year•Four-time WV Region 3 Cross Coun-

try Champion

•Three-time WV All-State Track team (3x3200m, 3x1600m, 1x800m)

•Three-time Mountain State Athletic Conference Cross Country Champion

•Mountain State Athletic Conference Track Champion multiple times

•Finished in 16th at the North Carolina Great American Cross Country Festi-val Race of Champions

•2014firstteamall-stateselection

Fr. | 5-4Charleston, W.Va.

ANDREAPettitHigh School•Ran for coaches Mike Ryan and

Jonathan Wright at Morgantown High

•2012 West Virginia Cross Country All-State Team

•National High School Coaches As-

sociation Academic All-American•Contributingmemberoffivestate

championship teams•Contributing member of four state

runner-up teams•First Morgantown High athlete to

be a 12-time letterwinner•2015 swim team captain

Fr. | 5-4Morgantown, W.Va.

•PlacedfifthatHeartlandRegionalin 2014

•Placed 34th at the Nike Cross Nation-als in 2014

•Received the top-10 award for having one of the top 10 GPAs in her class (4.0 unweighted)

•Alsoranonthetrackandfieldteam•Participated in Nordic skiing

Personal•Daughter of Craig and Jenny Hill•Has one brother •Birthday is November 25•Majoring in exercise physiology

•Ran in the 1000-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 Christopher and Jean

French•Has one sister•Birthday is August 17•Majoring in Biology•Her aunt, Cindy Seikkula Peterson,

participated in the 1976 Olympics for speed skating

Personal•Daughter of Robert and Margaret

Jones•Has one sister•Birthday is March 14•Majoring in animal and nutritional

science

•Took second at the Class AAA state meet with a time of 18:51.7

•Finished 52nd at the Foot Locker Couth Regional Championship (18:18)

•Recorded a personal best in the 5k with a time of 17:54

•Ran the 1600-meter event in 5:00 for a personal-record

•Marked a career-best in the 800meter with a time of 2:16

•Finished with a personal-best in the 3200m with a time of 10:51

•Maintained a 4.0 GPA

Personal•Daughter of Michael and Joanie

Panger•Has one brother •Birthday is January 22•Majoring in engineering •Third generation Mountaineer

Personal•Daughter of John and Denise Pettit•Has one sister, Alison, who ran

cross country and track at WVU •Birthday is June 12•Majoring in immunology and medi-

cal microbiology•Father swam at WVU

A look at 2015 ........................................... 48

Q&A With Coach Cleary ............................ 50

Schedule and Host Information ................. 52

Preview2015

48

Cleary’s GroundworkCoach Sean Cleary enters his ninth year as head coach for the cross country team and his 23rd season overall with the program. Cleary has experienced great success at the helm, guiding WVU to nine NCAA appearances, six of which have been during Cleary’s head coaching tenure. The Georgetown, Ontario, native coached West Virginia to a second-place finish at the 2014 Big 12 Cross Country Championship for its second straight season, as well as a second-place result at the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Regional. At the 2014 NCAA Championship WVU recorded its fifth NCAA top-10 finish since 2007, placing eighth overall. Cleary also served as President of the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

GoalsIn most sports, the goal of the season is to win conference meets, but not for Cleary. Cleary’s goal is to maximize the team’s potential. Last season, the Mountaineers boasted young talent who have grown on their experience this season. Cleary looks to build on that confident mindset and prepare his team for what matters most: the Big 12 Cham-pionship, the Mid-Atlantic Regional and the NCAA Championship.

“In the past, we truly concentrate on the last 10 percent of the season and are absolutely training for one moment at the end of the year,” said Cleary.

Replacing GillespieWest Virginia lost a vital aspect to its team. Katie Gillespie ran for WVU for five-and-a-half years. During her time as a Mountaineer, she faced an unfortunate injury which caused her to sit out two full seasons. After recovering, Gillespie competed at the 2014 NCAA Championship, plac-ing 26th overall and gaining another All-America title. She left WVU as a three-time All-American.

Although the team is facing this void, six out of the seven girls who competed at the 2014 nationals returned. Cleary sees a lot of potential with these uprising athletes.

“We have really good depth, and the offseason training went really well,” said Cleary.

SeniorsThe 2015 cross country roster gained a few more seniors: Savanna Plombon, Kelly Williams and Sydney Scott. Plombon competed in the 2013 National Championship where WVU placed 24th overall. Although she redshirted in 2014, she is determined to come out strong in her final season as a Mountaineer.

“Savanna has been a big part of our program over her career. We need a big season out of her. She can run with those girls in front of her,” said Cleary.

Williams had a successful season in 2014, mastering academics and athletics. Williams competed at the 2014 NCAA Championship, winning the Elite 89 Award. The award is given to one who has the highest cumulative GPA out of all participants. “The doors are wide open for Kelly. It’s interesting, if you surround your-self with that type of student, to me, it is motivational,” said Cleary.

Scott, a Denver native, also returns for the 2015 season. JuniorsWith a young squad last season, WVU has a lot of rising talent to unveil. Jillian Forsey, Paige Szabat and Megan Yuan are a few of the rising juniors this season. Forsey earned All-America honors at the 2014 NCAA Championship, where she placed 14th overall, improving on her 2013 finish by more than 100 spots. At the 2014 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, Forsey fin-ished second overall, earning all-region. Yuan competed at the 2013 NCAA Championship, crossing the line in 195th. Although she did participate last season, she’s ready to compete this season and expose her talents. Szabat has also been gaining experience along the way. At the 2014 Big 12 Championship, she placed 49th overall and ninth among all WVU competitors. Brianna Kerekes and Peyton Hampson return for the 2015 season, as well.

Sophomores Maggie Drazba, Brynn Harshbarger, Rachel Faulds, Millie Paladino, Amy Cashin and Allie Diehl are ready to emerge this season. Drazba came out strong as a freshman last year. She earned the 2014 NCAA All Mid-Atlantic Region title, along with Harshbarger. The two competed at the 2014 NCAA Championship together as freshmen. They are looking forward to the opportunities that this season will bring them. In her first year running cross country, Cashin competed in the 2013 NCAA Championship as WVU placed 24th overall. In 2014, Cashin did not compete, but she is expected to take over this season.

“We believe she has the ability to step in and disrupt the pecking order,” said Cleary.

NewcomersThere are five newcomers who are joining the 2015 team: Anna French, Olivia Hill, Candace Jones, Andrea Pettit and Peyton Panger.

2015Preview

2015MOUNTAINEERS

49

“The most impressive high school resume is Minnesota native Anna French. Anna has the potential to have an immediate impact on the Mountaineer program,” said Cleary.

2015 scheduleThe schedule starts off slow, and then picks up its competition as the season progresses. Cleary decided to preview the national course instead of the regional course at Princeton, New Jersey. WVU will com-pete at the Greater Louisville Classic, on Oct. 3, in Louisville, Kentucky.

“It will be the first time in a while that the girls haven’t seen a regional championship course, but we’ve had success over there in the past and our coaching staff knows how to get ready for that day,” said Cleary.

West Virginia will travel to Madison, Wisconsin on Oct. 16, marking its second straight year of competition. WVU finished fifth in 2014.

“The Wisconsin meet is a way for us to earn at-large bids into nationals, and everything from now until then is simply practice and gaining experi-ence,” said Cleary.

WVU will then travel to University Park, Pennsylvania, to compete at the Penn State Open on Oct. 17.

The Big 12 Championship will be held in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Oct. 31. WVU placed second at the 2014 Big 12 Championship for its second straight season. The NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional will be held in Prince-ton, New Jersey, on Nov. 13. The Mountaineers finished in second place last year.

The 2015 NCAA Championship is set for Nov. 21, in Louisville, Kentucky. The team finished in eighth place in 2014. Additionally, Jillian Forsey and Katie Gillespie earned All-America honors, and Katie Williams earned the Elite 89 Award.

JillianFOISEY

50

How did you help create the team’s success for the 2014 season?I think it started in the fall of 2013. We had so many young girls on the team, and so many redshirt girls that arrived injured before they even stepped foot on campus. We were devastated by injury. I lost my team. We had so much depth that the other girls needed to step up. The team was definitely a national class program that year, but we understood that we needed to rebuild. We placed fourth at the 2013 regional meet, running the best of our season. After that was the national meet, and we snuck in. We were 24th in 2013. We knew we could make it, but we weren’t favored to. I know it’s a cliché in sports that if someone goes down, someone has to step up, but our sport is slightly different. If we were to lose one of our leaders, we would immediately drop in rankings.

In the summer of 2014 I sent an email out to the team. I said, ‘You belong to one of the premier teams in the country. At times it didn’t look like it, but I personally believe this year we have the ability to be top 10 in the country,’ and they embraced it. Suddenly, a new group emerged and carried the torch for a year.

You have to realize the obstacles that you’re going to face when building a team. It’s not always going to be successful, and sometimes you’ll have to go through some valleys. I think the girls fed off what was happening in 2013, and they really stepped up.

What did it feel like to finish eighth at the 2014 NCAA Championship, along with coaching two student-athletes, Katie Gillespie and Jillian Forsey, who earned All-America honors?

Q&A WITHCoach Cleary

SeanCLEARY

51

I was ecstatic when I heard eighth, but I was a touch disappointed. My instincts told me we were a little higher, but it just shows how many teams ran well that day. To be among the elite eight after handling so many issues from 2013 was amazing. It’s a great feeling. They’re both benchmark performances in the history of the athletic department.

Katie Gillespie had an amazing success story. She was at WVU for three cross country seasons, but she had to sit out for two of them due to injuries. She left here as a three-time All-American. Katie raced at the 2014 Greater Louisville Classic for the first time since 2012. Her third All-America title was earned at the 2014 NCAA Championship. For Katie to return back to the level that she did from her injuries is simply outstanding. Katie came in as a wonderful cross country runner. We were very lucky to have her.

Jillian Forsey came in as a young-talented runner. She worked really hard. I don’t know if the day she arrived I would have expected that performance that soon, but based on last summer’s track performances, she did what we thought she was capable of, which was wonderful.

We were second in the Big 12, second in the NCAA Region, behind Georgetown, and then eighth in the country. It was a dream.

What does it mean to you to have Kelly Williams earn the Elite 89 Award? How does your team balance its academic success with athletics?I was handing out the awards at the national championship, and the very first award they announced was the Elite 89 Award. To have Kelly Williams named called out and to have her stand in front of the entire country receiving that award was amazing. She made it through another year with a 4.0 GPA. This award is a team effort. Your team has to make it to the national meet for your student-athlete to receive the award.

Women’s cross country, stereotypically, has the highest GPA of all sports. It’s a stereotype, but it’s fairly accurate, and for Kelly to be honored with the Elite 89 Award in women’s cross country is a testament to herself, a testament to our academic support and to my coaching staff. When you’re a member of this program, we put school first. If you can’t make workouts or a practice because you have an exam at 7 p.m., I don’t make you come.

All these awards are motivating as a whole to these coaches and student-athletes. Our University’s academic performances are going up, and it’s pretty impressive. We used to never have a problem winning the award, but there are teams right behind us. I just want them to be successful. I’m very fortunate to work with some pretty impressive kids.

What’s your goal regarding practices?The goal of the season is to practice on grass more. The team practices on the rail trail. Three of the championship courses that we raced on last year - the Big 12 Championship, the Mid-Atlantic Regional and the NCAA Championship - were all on tough, hard, hilly courses, which really fell into our strengths. We’re good at that. This year’s championships are all on fast, flat courses. Our strength is strength, but we’re going to have to make sure our girls do a little more speed work this year to get ready for the speeds that they’ll have to encounter.

What do you think of the 2015 schedule? The Big 12 Conference is one of the premier conferences in the country. From top to bottom, it’s a strong league. At the front is Iowa State. They’re favored to win the championship this year. Oklahoma State was off last year. They had some crucial injuries at terrible times for themselves, so they’ll be much improved. Baylor was a top-20 team in the country. I see four teams in the league at the national finals. Oklahoma

University is up and coming, and they have a shot to make the national championship. We’re looking at about half the league at the national finals.

I see Penn State and Princeton being the most improved teams in the region. Villanova was slightly off last year, but I see them improving. Georgetown won the regionals in 2014, and they return with a team that’s capable of a top-three spot at the NCAAs. They’re the favorites going in. I like our chances, and our girls handled nationals really well last year. They are expecting to be up front.

What are you looking to accomplish overall as a team?My goal this season is to maximize our potential. I try to teach these girls that by maximizing our potential we’ll either win or put ourselves in a position to upset teams that we’re not expected to beat. The way we’ve done it in the past is just truly concentrating on the last 10 percent of the season, and that is to train for one moment at the end of the year. The two things that make us vulnerable are sicknesses and injuries. If you have a chest congestion in my sport, you can’t participate. Other sports you can kind of regroup and get back in, but not for cross country. We preach good decision making and recovery.

What’s one piece of motivational advice you tell your student-athletes?In a nutshell, there are only two things that stop the team from improving-sickness and injuries. These are what makes cross country brutal. The entire goal is to put yourself in the best position not to get sick or injured. That’s all you have to do. Most college athletes don’t do much on a Sunday morning, but mine run for 1-2 hours. It’s the little things that matter to me. My athletes have a purpose. They are here for a reason. Lastly, never stop believing in yourself.

52

Day Date Event Location Tuesday Sept. 1 WVU Alumni Open Morgantown, W.Va. Friday Sept. 11 PSU Spiked Shoe Invitational University Park, Pa. Saturday Oct. 3 Greater Louisville Classic Louisville, Ky.Friday Oct. 16 Wisconsin Adidas Invitational Madison, Wis. Saturday Oct. 17 Penn State Open University Park, Pa. Saturday Oct. 31 Big 12 Championship Stillwater, Okla. Friday Nov. 13 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Princeton, N.J. Saturday Nov. 21 NCAA Championship Louisville, Ky.

2015 CROSS COUNTRYScheduleMilliePALADINO

A Look Back at 2014 ................................. 54

2014 Results .............................................. 55

Meet-by-Meet Breakdown ........................ 56

Individual Times ......................................... 58

Accolades .................................................. 58

Review2014

54

2014SeasonReviewThe 2014 West Virginia University cross country team recorded one of its most successful seasons in recent years under the direction of ninth year head coach Sean Cleary. The Mountaineers posted their fifth top-10 NCAA Championship finish since 2007, with an eighth-place showing at the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championship, while adding two more All-Americans to the arsenal, Kaitlyn Gillespie and Jillian Forsey.

Continued National SuccessWest Virginia spent every week of 2014 ranked inside the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national ranking. Since 2009, the program has spent 19 weeks in the top 10. The Mountaineers raced to a second-place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Re-gional to earn their seventh championship qual-ification in eight seasons under coach Cleary. At the NCAA Championship, Cleary’s group raced to an eighth-place national finish.

More All-Americans West Virginia kept its strong reputation of producing All-American runners going into the fall of 2014. Two more Mountaineers, sopho-more Jillian Forsey and senior Kaitlyn Gillespie, inked their names in the program’s record books while earning All-America status. It marked the sixth time in the last eight seasons the program claimed at least one All-American. Forsey finished 14th at the NCAA Championship, com-pleting the 6k course in 20:17.9. Gillespie placed 26th nationally in 20:30.7.

Williams is Elite Kelly Williams earned perhaps the most pres-tigious academic honor in the sport when the junior runner took home the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country Elite 89 Award. The award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 89 champi-onship. Williams maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA while majoring in strategic communications. The Chesterland, Ohio, native has been named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team all three seasons as a Mountaineer. She also garnered 2012 and 2013 USTFCCCA Division I Women’s Cross Country All-Academic distinctions.

Big 12 Runner-UpFor a second consecutive season, the Moun-taineers raced to a runner-up finish in the Big 12 Conference, finishing second at the 2014 Big 12 Championship in Lawrence, Kansas. Three Mountaineers earned all-conference honors, led by Kaitlyn Gillespie’s fifth-place finish in the league. Freshman Maggie Drazba placed eighth overall and Jillian Forsey crossed the line in 12th. West Virginia knocked off No. 28 Baylor and No. 21 Oklahoma State on its way to a second-place result in the Big 12.

Surprise in Wisconsin West Virginia entered the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational in October as the No. 20-ranked program in the country. The Mountaineers shocked the country, knocking off 17 nationally ranked squads on their way to a fifth-place over-all finish. Twenty-two of the 30 nationally ranked teams competed in the event. Some notable schools who finished behind WVU included No. 6 Stanford, No. 9 Florida State, No. 10 Virginia and No. 11 New Mexico. Jillian Forsey led the way for the Mountaineers in 11th place, followed by Kaitlyn Gillespie in 22nd.

2014 NCAA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP

55

Date Event Top Finisher Results Aug. 29 Lehigh Invitational Sydney Scott 1stSept. 13 PSU Spiked Shoe Invitational Brynn Harshbarger 5th Oct. 4 Greater Louisville Classic Jillian Forsey 2nd Oct. 17 Wisconsin Adidas Invitational Jillian Forsey 5th Nov. 1 Big 12 Championship Kaitlyn Gillespie 2nd Nov. 14 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Jillian Forsey 2nd Nov. 22 NCAA Championship Jillian Forsey 8th

2014 WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRYResults

56

2014BreakdownMEET-BY-MEET

Lehigh Invitational, Aug. 29: Bethlehem, Pa. The No. 20-ranked West Virginia cross country team won the Lehigh Invitational in its 2014 season opener in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Mountaineers posted a team score of 25, besting second-place Lehigh by 24 points. West Virginia runners accounted for four of the first five overall finishers. Sydney Scott, a 2012 All-Mid Atlantic Region honoree, was the first Mountaineer to cross the line, finishing in second place overall in 21:36.56. Brynn Harshbarger (21:39.58), Renee Maisonneuve (22:10.12) and Rachel Faulds (22:22.94) posted third, fourth and fifth-place finish-es, respectively. Other notable West Virginia finishes include Brianna Kerekes who finished in 11th overall (23:04.53), Lydia Martinelli who placed 20th (23:29.36) and Allie Diehl who finished 21st overall (23:31.76).

Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational, Sept. 13: State College, Pa. The No. 20-ranked West Virginia University cross country team placed fifth at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational in University Park, Pennsylvania. With its finish, West Virginia recorded top-five finishes at each of its first two meets to start the season for the first time since 2011. Brynn Harshbarger was the first Mountaineer to cross the line, finish-ing in sixth place overall (21:25). Harshbarger, who was the second West Virginia finisher in the season opener at Lehigh on Aug. 29, trimmed 14 seconds off her season-best 6k time. Renee Maisonneuve finished 18th overall (21:57), Rachel Faulds placed 30th (22:26) and Lydia Martinelli finished 35th (22:44), helping West Virginia to a team score of 133. Other notable Mountaineer finishers include Brianna Kerekes’ 44th-place result (23:06), Allie Diehl’s 52nd-place finish and Sarah McCauley’s 61st overall finish (24:25). No. 29 Penn State won the meet with a team score of 27.

Greater Louisville Classic, Oct. 4: Louisville, Ky. The No. 23-ranked West Virginia University cross country team placed second at the 2014 Greater Louisville Classic in Louisville, Ken-tucky. The Mountaineers had three underclassmen finish in the top 21, while posting a team score of 64. No. 16 Wisconsin recorded a team score of 37 to win the race. Sophomore Jillian Forsey placed fifth overall in her first action of the season, completing the 5k course in 16:58.69. Senior Kaitlyn Gillespie, a two-time All-American, competed for the first time since 2012 and finished 10th overall in 17:17.46. Freshmen Maggie Drazba and Millie Paladino made their Moun-taineer debuts. Drazba, a St. Mary’s, West Virginia, native, placed 15th in 17:20.56, while Paladino, a Morgantown native, finished 21st in 17:34.54. Junior Sydney Scott, who won the Lehigh Invitational earlier in the season, placed 24th in 17:36.68. Rounding out the Mountaineer finishers where Kelly Williams who finished 47th overall, Paige Szabat who placed 100th and Renee Mai-sonneuve who placed 124th.

Wisconsin Adidas Invitational, Oct. 17: Madison, Wis. The No. 20-ranked West Virginia University cross country team placed fifth overall at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational in Madison.The meet featured 22 of the 30 nationally ranked teams in the USTFC-CCA national poll, including six of the top-10 squads. The Mountaineers finished ahead of 17 nationally ranked teams, seven of which ranked inside the USTFCCCA top-14.Four of West Virginia’s top-six finishers were underclassmen, as soph-omore Jillian Forsey was the first Mountaineer across the line for the second time in as many competitions, finishing the 6k course in 11th place overall in 19:57. Senior Kaitlyn Gillespie placed 22nd overall in 20:25, and freshman Millie Paladino, a Morgantown native, placed 47th overall in 20:43. Junior Sydney Scott placed 75th (20:59), freshman Brynn Harsh-barger finished 90th (21:07), freshman Maggie Drazba finished 127th (21:31) and junior Kelly Williams placed 132nd (21:32). The Mountaineers finished with a team score of 245. No. 2 Michigan State won the meet with a team score of 87.

JillianFORSEY

57

Big 12 Championships, Nov. 1: Lawrence, Kan. Behind a top-five finish from senior Kaitlyn Gillespie, the No. 9 West Virginia University cross country team placed second at the 2014 Big 12 Cross Country Championships in Lawrence, Kansas.No. 6 Iowa State placed first with a team score of 29, while West Virginia finished second with a team mark of 58. It marked the second straight year West Virginia finished second in the conference. Gillespie led the way for the Mountaineers, finishing the 6k course in 20:18.1 to place fifth overall. Redshirt-freshman Maggie Drazba, placed eighth overall in 20:40.1. Sophomore Jillian Forsey placed 12th overall in 20:54.9, earning Big 12 All-Conference honors, along with Drazba and Gillespie, for finishing in the top 15 overall. Other West Virginia finishers included a 16th-place result by red-shirt-freshman Brynn Harshbarger (20:59.0). Harshbarger missed out on all-conference distinctions by just 0.7 seconds.Junior Sydney Scott finished 17th overall (21:00.9), junior Kelly Williams placed 21st (21:09.8) and freshman Millie Paladino finished 25th overall in 21:27.5. Rounding out the WVU finishers were Rachel Faulds in 48th (21:55.7), Paige Szabat in 49th (21:57.0) and Renee Maisonneuve in 62nd (22:22.2).

NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, Nov. 15: State College, Pa. The No. 7 West Virginia University cross country team raced to a sec-ond-place finish at the 2014 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional in University Park, Pennsylvania. The Mountaineers earned an automatic qualification for the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championship, marking their seventh qualification in eight years under coach Sean Cleary. West Virginia runners accounted for five of the top-15 finishers overall. No. 2 Georgetown won the region with a team score of 38. Sophomore Jillian Forsey led the way for West Virginia, placing second overall in 20:18. Senior Kaitlyn Gillespie followed directly behind Forsey in third place, completing the 6k course in 20:22. Freshmen Brynn Harshbarger and Maggie Drazba finished ninth (20:43) and 13th (20:58), respectively, while Sydney Scott placed 15th in 21:01. Gillespie, Forsey, Harshbarger, Drazba and Scott earned NCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors for finishing in the top 25 overall.

NCAA Cross Country Championships, Nov. 22: Terre Haute, Ind. The West Virginia University cross country team recorded its fifth NCAA top-10 finish since 2007, placing in eighth place overall at the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country Championship.The Mountaineers, with just one active senior on the roster, made their seventh appearance at the NCAA Championship in the last eight seasons under Cleary. Sophomore Jillian Forsey led the way for the Mountaineers, earning All-America status, finishing in 14th place overall in 20:17.9. Forsey im-proved on her 115th-place finish as a freshman in 2015 by more than 100 spots. Senior Kaitlyn Gillespie also earned All-America honors in her final race as a Mountaineer, completing the 6k course in 26th overall in 20:30.7.Freshmen Maggie Drazba and Brynn Harshbarger had impressive results in their first NCAA Championship appearances. Drazba recorded a top-100 finish, placing in 91st overall in 21:09.2. Harshbarger, a Morgantown native, placed 103rd overall in 21:13.5. Junior Sydney Scott was the fifth scorer for West Virginia, registering a 129th-place result. Junior Kelly Williams finished 152nd (21:35.4), and freshman Millie Paladino placed 210th (22:01.3) to round out the WVU finishers. PaigeSZABAT

58

Jillian Forsey (So.)Event WVU Overall Time Finish Finish Greater Louisville Classic 1st 5th 16:58.69Wisconsin Adidas Invite 1st 11th 19:57Big 12 Championship 3rd 12th 20:54.9Mid-Atlantic Regional 1st 2nd 20:18NCAA Championship 1st 14th 20:17.9

Kaitlyn Gillespie (Sr.)Event WVU Overall Time Finish Finish Greater Louisville Classic 2nd 10th 17:17.46Wisconsin Adidas Invite 2nd 22nd 20:25Big 12 Championship 1st 5th 20:18.1Mid-Atlantic Regional 2nd 3rd 20:22NCAA Championship 2nd 26th 20:30.7

Maggie Drazba (Fr.)Event WVU Overall Time Finish Finish Greater Louisville Classic 3rd 15th 17:20.56Wisconsin Adidas Invite 6th 127 21:31Big 12 Championship 2nd 8th 20:40.1Mid-Atlantic Regional 4th 9th 20:43NCAA Championship 3rd 91st 21:09.2

Millie Paladino (Fr.)Event WVU Overall Time Finish Finish Greater Louisville Classic 4th 21st 17:34.54Wisconsin Adidas Invite 3rd 47th 20:43Big 12 Championship 7th 25th 21:27.5NCAA Championship 7th 210th 22:01.3

Kelly Williams (So.)Event WVU Overall Time Finish Finish Greater Louisville Classic 6th 47th 17:54.21Wisconsin Adidas Invite 7th 132 21:32Big 12 Championship 6th 21st 21:09.8Mid-Atlantic Regional 6th 37th 21:31NCAA Championship 6th 152nd 21:35.4

Brynn Harshbarger (Fr.)Event WVU Overall Time Finish Finish Lehigh Invitational 2nd 3rd 21:39.58Spiked Shoe 1st 6th 21:25Wisconsin Adidas Invite 5th 90th 21:07Big 12 Championship 4th 16th 20:58.9Mid-Atlantic Regional 3rd 9th 20:43Big 12 Championship 10th 62nd 22:22.2 NCAA Championship 4th 103rd 21:13.5

Sydney Scott (So.)Event WVU Overall Time Finish Finish Lehigh Invitational 1st 2nd 21:36.56Greater Louisville Classic 5th 24th 17:36.68Wisconsin Adidas Invite 4th 75th 20:59Big 12 Championship 5th 17th 21:00.9Mid-Atlantic Regional 5th 15th 21:01

Renee Maisonneuve (Fr.)Event WVU Overall Time Finish Finish Lehigh Invitational 3rd 4th 22:10.12Spiked Shoe 2nd 18th 21:57Greater Louisville Classic 8th 124th 18:31.34Wisconsin Adidas Invite* 3rd* 63rd* 22:25

Brianna Kerekes (So.)Event WVU Overall Time Finish Finish Lehigh Invitational 5th 11th 23:04.53Spiked Shoe 5th 44th 23:06Greater Louisville Classic* 2nd* 24th* 18:37.70PSU Nationals 2nd 24th 24:00

Lydia Martinelli (Sr.)Event WVU Overall Time Finish Finish Lehigh Invitational 6th 20th 23:29.36Spiked Shoe 4th 35th 22:44Greater Louisville Classic* 3rd* 81st* 19:11.19PSU Nationals 1st 14th 23:06

Allie Diehl (Fr.)Event WVU Overall Time Finish Finish Lehigh Invitational 7th 21th 23:31.76Spiked Shoe 6th 52nd 23:39Greater Louisville Classic* 4th* 114th* 19:22.93PSU Nationals 3rd 26th 24:08

Rachel Faulds (Fr.)Event WVU Overall Time Finish Finish Lehigh Invitational 4th 5th 22:22.94Spiked Shoe 3rd 30th 22:26Greater Louisville Classic* 1st* 9th* 18:15.73Wisconsin Adidas Invite* 1st* 30th* 21:51Big 12 Championship 8th 48th 21:55.7Mid-Atlantic Regional 7th 82nd 22:24

Sarah McCauley (So.)Event WVU Overall Time Finish Finish Lehigh Invitational 8th 46th 24:40.40Spiked Shoe 7th 61st 24:25

Paige Szabat (So.)Event WVU Overall Time Finish Finish Greater Louisville Classic 7th 100th 18:20.58Wisconsin Adidas Invite* 2nd* 43rd* 22:09Big 12 Championship 9th 49th 21:56.9

INDIVIDUALTimes

2015 HALL OF FAME CLASSALL-MID-ATLANTIC REGIONJillian ForseyBrynn HarshbargerMaggie DrazbaSydney ScottKaitlyn Gillespie

ALL-BIG 12Jillian Forsey 2014Maggie Drazba 2014Kaitlyn Gillespie 2014

2015 ACADEMIC ALL-BIG 12 ROOKIE TEAMMillie Paladino

BIG 12 SCHOLAR-ATHLETE HONORKaitlyn Gillespie

BIG 12 WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEARKaitlyn Gillespie

ACADEMIC ALL-BIG 12Kaitlyn GillespieAllie Diehl*Maggie Drazba*Jillian Forsey*

Brynn HarshbargerBrianna KerekesRenee Maisonneuve*Lydia MartinelliSydney ScottKelly Williams**4.0 GPA

ELITE 89 AWARDKelly Williams

DR. GERALD LARGE AWARDKelly Williams

2015 DIVISION I WOMEN’S ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM AWARD 2014 Fall Semester- 3.68 GPA

2014 USTFCCCA ALL-ACADEMIC HONORSKaitlyn Gillespie Maggie DrazbaJillian ForseyBrynn HarshbargerSydney Scott

Accolades

NCAA Honors ............................................ 60

Conference Honors ................................... 60

All-Americans ............................................ 61

BookRECORD

60

NCAA

CONFERENCE

Honors

Honors

ALL-AMERICANSJillian Forsey .............................................. 2014Kaitlyn Gillespie .......................... 2010, 2011, 2014Kate Harrison .................................................. 2011Marie-Louise Asselin .................. 2007, 2008, 2009Keri Bland ................................... 2007, 2008, 2009Clara Grandt ................................................... 2009Megan Metcalfe .................................... 2002, 2004Charity Wachera ............................................. 1997

DIVISION I DISTRICT II COACHING STAFF OF THE YEARMartin Pushkin/Sean Cleary ....... 1995, 1997, 2000

MID-ATLANTIC REGION COACH OF THE YEARSean Cleary ................................ 2004, 2007, 2008

NCAA MID-ATLANTIC TEAM CHAMPIONS2004, 2008

NCAA ALL-MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPIONMegan Metcalfe .............................................. 2002

NCAA ALL-MID-ATLANTIC REGIONMaggie Drazba ........................................... 2014Brynn Harshbarger .................................... 2014Jillian Forsey ................................... 2013, 2014Sydney Scott .................................... 2012, 2014

Kaitlyn Gillespie .......................... 2010, 2011, 2014Kelly Williams ................................... 2012. 2013Sarah Martinelli .............................................. 2013Sarah-Anne Brault ...................... 2010, 2011, 2012Ahna Lewis ........................................... 2008, 2011Kate Harrison .............................. 2008, 2009, 2011Kaylyn Christopher ..................... 2008, 2009, 2011Clara Grandt ............................... 2007, 2008, 2009Marie-Louise Asselin ........ 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009Keri Bland ......................... 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009Susan Davis .......................................... 2004, 2005Jennifer Davis ................................................. 2004Tara Struyk ................................. 2002, 2003, 2004Megan Metcalfe ................ 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004Merissa Sexsmith ................................. 1999, 2000Rebecca Stallwood .............................. 1999, 2000Karin Lockhart ...................................... 1998, 2000Kate Vermeulen .............................................. 1998Charity Wachera ............................................. 1998Nancy Knapp ................................................. 1998Francine Darroch ............................................ 1998

NCAA TEAM QUALIFIERS1997, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014

INDIVIDUAL NCAA QUALIFIERSKaitlyn Gillespie .............................................. 2010Sarah-Anne Brault ................................ 2010, 2012Susan Davis .................................................... 2005Megan Metcalfe ................................... 2002, 2003Tara Struyk ..................................................... 2003Merissa Sexsmith ........................................... 1999Rebecca Stallwood ........................................ 1999Kate Vermeulen .............................................. 1998Charity Wachera ................................... 1995, 1997Vicki Stum ...................................................... 1990

NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEARRebecca Stallwood ........................................ 2001

NCAA ELITE 89 AWARDKelly Williams ................................................ 2014Ahna Lewis ..................................................... 2011

WVU AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP:1997............................................. 20th (485 points)2000............................................. 21st (491 points)2004............................................. 15th (388 points)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)2014............................................... 8th (277 points)

Bold/Italic indicate current runners

ALL-BIG 12Jillian Forsey ................................................. 2014Maggie Drazba .............................................. 2014Katie Gillespie ................................................. 2014Sarah Martinelli ............................................... 2013Sarah-Anne Brault .......................................... 2012

ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANSKelly Williams ................................................ 2014Jillian Forsey ................................................. 2014Kaitlyn Gillespie .............................................. 2014

BIG EAST TEAM CHAMPIONS2007

BIG EAST FRESHMAN OF THE YEARMegan Metcalfe .............................................. 2000

BIG EAST WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONMarie-Louise Asselin ..................................... 2008

BIG EAST TEAM ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD2011

BIG EAST INSTITUTIONAL FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEARCharity Wachera ............................................. 1997Ahna Lewis ..................................................... 2011

ALL-BIG EASTKaitlyn Gillespie .................................... 2010, 2011Sarah-Anne Brault .......................................... 2011Kate Harrison .................................................. 2011Marie-Louise Asselin .................. 2007, 2008, 2009Keri Bland ................................... 2007, 2008, 2009Clara Grandt ............................... 2007, 2008, 2009Susan Davis .................................................... 2005Tara Struyk ........................................... 2002, 2003Megan Metcalfe ................ 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004Rebecca Stallwood .............................. 1999, 2000Merissa Sexsmith ........................................... 1999Charity Wachera ............................................. 1997

ATLANTIC 10 TEAM CHAMPIONS1994

ATLANTIC 10 INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSVicki Stum 1991

ATLANTIC 10 FRESHMAN OF THE YEARCharity Wachera ............................................. 1994Heather Bury .................................................. 1993

ALL-ATLANTIC 101994 Charity Wachera, 2nd Carisa Brown, 5th Heather Bury, 7th Kerryn Davidson, 10th1993 Kerryn Davidson 3rd Heather Bury, 5th1992 Kerryn Davidson, 9th1991 Vicki Stum, 1st Erin O’Reilly, 3rd1990 Vicki Stum, 3rd

61

Charity Wachera1998

Charity Wachera was one of WVU’s best dis-tance runners during her career. 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 Cham-pionship. She also set two school records during her tenure. 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 with a time of 17:00 to become WVU’s first female cross country All-American.

CharityWACHERO

MeganMETCALFE

Megan Metcalfe2002, 2004

Megan Metcalfe, a nine-time All-American, is the most prolific distance runner in Mountaineer wom-en’s cross country and track & field history. Metcalfe was inducted into the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. She is the first women’s cross country runner, and the third women’s track and field athlete to be inducted. She’s the first Mountaineer to achieve two All-America honors in cross country. The Edmonton, Alberta, native earned her first All-Ameri-ca accolade as a member of the 2001 distance med-ley relay team, which finished in eighth place. Metcal-fe’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 was 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 and again was a member of the DMR team. Metcalfe’s eighth and school-record setting All-America honor came at the 2004 NCAA Cross Country Champion-ship 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 Championship. 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.

62

Marie-Louise Asselin2007, 2008, 2009

Marie-Louise Asselin capped off her cross country career as one of the most decorated runners in WVU history. As of 2010, the Sarnia, Ontario, native owns seven All-America med-als, 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 Champion-ship. The Mountaineers went on to finish sixth, marking the third-consecutive year that WVU finished in the top 10 at the national champi-onship. 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 Championship (15:50.53) and a second-place finish in the 5,000 meter at the NCAA Outdoor Championships (15:53.93). In 2008, she led WVU to its most successful season in school history, as the Mountain-eers took a historic fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championship, first at the NCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Regionals and second at the BIG EAST Championship. Asselin became the first BIG EAST Women’s Cross Country Individual Champion in 2008, as she took the top spot with a time of 20:10. She then placed 17th at the NCAA Championship race with a time of 20:27 to earn her second consecu-tive All-American honor. She earned her first All-American title in 2007 as the Mountaineers captured their first BIG EAST Championship and finished ninth in the country. Even though she was just a sophomore at the time, Asselin became WVU’s third All-American in the sport when she finished 17th (14th in the team standings) with a time of 20:39 at the 2007 NCAA Championship. It was a fitting ending to an outstanding season that saw her post the team’s highest finish in the final five meets. Asselin showed glimpses of her abilities just weeks earlier at the BIG EAST Championship where she took second and at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional race, where she placed third in leading her team to an overall sec-ond-place finish. Asselin, an all-BIG EAST and all-Mid-Atlantic region selection, was joined by Bland as an All-American, marking the first time in program history that two teammates earned the honor in the same season. In the 2008 indoor season, Asselin went on to place seventh in the 3,000-meter to earn All-America honors and was on the All-America distance medley relay team that took fourth at nationals.

Marie-LouiseASSELIN

63

Keri Bland2007, 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 Champion-ship, marking the third-straight year WVU finished in the nation’s top 10. Bland, along with team-mate 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 (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. citizens in the 1,500-meter race, marking the second time she earned honors in all three seasons (cross county, indoor track and outdoor track). Bland was an essential part of the Mountaineers team in 2008, when she led WVU to its most successful season in school history as the squad placed fourth at the NCAA Championship, first at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals and second at the BIG EAST Championship. She was the first Mountaineer to finish at the NCAA Championship, where she finished 14th with a time of 20:20. In 2007, Bland and Asselin helped guide the Mountaineers to their first conference title and the highest finish at nationals in school history (ninth) in 2007. At nationals, Bland was the second Mountaineer to cross the line in 23rd at 20:58. Bland, along with Asselin, was named a first team All-American, marking the first time WVU’s cross country program had multiple All-Americans in the same year. Bland earned all-BIG 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. The West Union, West Virginia, native led the team to a sixth-place finish at the 2009 NCAA Championship, the first Mountaineer to cross the line in 13th place overall. Grandt also earned all-region and all-BIG EAST honors and was named BIG EAST Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Sept. 24, for her efforts in the Midwest Open. There she crossed the line in 17:00.1, 19 seconds before Louisville’s Tarah McKay (17:19.4), for the fastest course time in over 20 years. In the track season, Grandt earned her second honor of the year by virtue of finishing as one of the top U.S. citizens in the 5,000-meter race at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championship. 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 show-ing in the 10,000-meter finals at the NCAA Championship in 2009. Grandt started off the race behind the lead pack before finding her stride around the 6,000-meter mark. The junior closed the gap, and finished with a time of 33:45.16.

KeriBLAND

ClaraGRANDT

64

Kaitlyn Gillespie2010, 2011, 2014

The Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, native 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 Championship with a 6k time of 20:17, improving in placement and time from her 2010 NCAA finish. She 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. She became an All-American for the first time following her 34th-place finish at the NCAA Champion-ship, where she finished the 6k course in 20:46. To earn all-Mid-Atlantic region and all-BIG EAST hon-ors, 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 gar-nered All-Big 12, All-Mid-Atlantic Region, All-Big 12 Scholar-Athlete, and All-America honors through-out the 2014 campaign. Gillespie was the first Mountaineer to cross the line at the Big 12 Champion-ship, finishing in fifth-place overall in the conference. She finished third in the Mid-Atlantic Regional and followed that up with a 26th-place finish at the 2014 NCAA Championship. KaitlynGILLESPIE

JillianFORSEY

KateHARRISON

Kate Harrison2011

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 re-corded the all-time program best finish at an NCAA Championship with an eighth-place mark, breaking Megan Metcalfe’s 2002 finish of ninth place 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, and followed it with a fifth-place finish in 21:38 at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional to earn all-region marks. She also excelled in aca-demics as she was named to the 2011 USTFCCCA All-Academic team.

Jillian Forsey2014

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 at the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country Championship in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, native raced to a second-place overall finish in the Mid-Atlantic Region to earn All-Mid-Atlantic Region recognition. She also received All-Big 12 distinctions after placing 12th at the 2014 Big 12 Cross Country Championship in Lawrence, Kansas.

WVU President E. Gordon Gee ................... 66

WVU Director of Athletics Shane Lyons ........ 67

Senior Staff/Head Coaches ........................... 68

Media Information ......................................... 69

Athletic Facilities ........................................... 70

InformationGENERAL

66

GeeE.GORDONPRESIDENT

Dr. E. Gordon Gee is one of America’s most prominent higher education leaders, having helmed universities for more than three decades. In 2009, Time magazine named him one of the top 10 university presidents in the United States. In 2014, Gee returned to West Virginia University, where his career as a university president began. His leadership goals include putting students first, advancing the University’s research agenda, partnering with West Virginia communities and making sure that 1.8 million West Virginians know in their hearts and minds that West Virginia University is their university. 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 West Virginia University College of Law, and, in 1981, was named West Virginia University president. He served in that role until 1985. He went on to lead the University of Colorado (1985-1990), Brown University (1998-2000) and Vanderbilt University (2001-07). He served as president of The Ohio State University from 1990 to 1997 and again from 2007 to 2013. Gee has served on several education-governance organizations and committees, including the Big Ten Conference Council of Presidents, the Inter-University Council of Ohio, the Business-Higher Education

President E.GordonGEE shares a hug with a recent WVU graduate

Forum and the American Association of Universities. He was chair of the American Council on Education’s Commission on Higher Education Attainment and served as co-chair of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Energy Advisory Committee. In 2009, King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia invited him to join its international advisory board. Active in many national professional and service organizations, he has served on the boards for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc., Limited Brands and the National 4-H Council. In 2011, Gee began serving as secretary on the Board of Directors of Ohio’s economic development program, JobsOhio. In 2011-2012, 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. And in March 2015, he was elected to the board of directors of the American Council on Education, the nation’s largest higher education organization. Gee has received many honorary degrees, awards, fellowships and recognitions. He is a fellow of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest science organization. In 1994, Gee received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Utah, as well as from Teachers College of Columbia University. In 2013, he received the ACE Council of Fellows/Fidelity Investments Mentor Award and the Outstanding Academic Leader of the Year Award on behalf of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is the co-author of 11 books, including Law, Policy and Higher Education, published in 2012. He has also authored many papers and articles on law and education. Gee’s daughter, Rebekah, is the Medicaid Medical Director for the State of Louisiana, and an assistant professor of Public Health and Medicine at Louisiana State University. She is also a Norman F. Gant/American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology/IOM Anniversary Fellow. Dr. Rebekah Gee is married to David Patrón, and they have five children.

SHANE

67

LyonsSHANEDIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

West Virginia native Shane Lyons was named director of Intercollegiate Athletics and associate vice president at West Virginia University in January 2015. 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 with Alabama athletic directors – the late Mal Moore and current athletic director Bill Battle. At WVU, Lyons has oversight of 18 varsity sports, a department budget of approximately $80 million, 220 employees, approximately 450 student-athletes and a facilities master plan that included the opening of a $21 million baseball park and more $75 million to modernize other athletic venues in the next three years. During his time at Alabama, his responsibilities included oversight of a $120 million budget, daily monitoring of compliance 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 administrative team for ACC events, including the football championship game, the men’s basketball tournament and men’s and women’s NCAA basketball events. He also was a member and served as chairman on many prominent committees within the NCAA Governance structure during his tenure with the ACC. Prior to working at the ACC, Lyons served as associate athletics director for compliance at Big 12 member Texas Tech from 1998 to 2001. During that time, Lyons assumed responsibility for the leadership, administration and implementation of a comprehensive NCAA compliance program with emphasis toward rules education and extensive monitoring systems. He also served as oversight administrator for several of the Red Raiders’ athletic teams and had financial and operational supervision of the strength and conditioning, nutritional and sports medicine units. Before joining Texas Tech, Lyons worked at the NCAA for almost 10 years as a senior membership services representative, where he was responsible for the oversight and coordination of the 25 membership service representatives. Lyons began his career in college athletics in July 1988 as assistant commissioner of the Big South Conference. With the Big South, he was in charge of conference-wide compliance and championships. The LyonsFAMILY: Emily, Cameron, Shane and Brooke

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. He and his wife, Emily, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, have two children: Cameron, 16, and Brooke, 12. Lyons is the University’s 12th athletic director.

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

68

KeliCUNNINGHAMExecutive Senior Associate Athletic Director

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY INTERCOLLEGIATEAthletics

MattBORMANSenior Associate Athletic Director/Development

TerriHOWESSenior Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman’s Administrator

MichaelSZULSenior Associate Athletic Director/Business Operations

MichaelFRAGALEAssociate Athletic Director/Communications

JoeHESKETTAssociate Athletic Director/Sports Performance

BenMURRAYAssociate Athletic Director/Major Gifts & Capital Campaigns

BradyROURKEAssociate Athletic Director/Student-Athlete Development

MattWELLSAssociate Athletic Director/External Affairs

LaceyGIBSONAssistant Athletic Director/Compliance

AprilMESSERLYAssistant Athletic Director/Facilities & Operations

BryanMESSERLYAssistant Athletic Director/Communications

NathanielZINNAssistant Athletic Director/Marketing

KevinMILLERAssistant Athletic Director/Annual Fund

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

NikkiIZZO-BROWNWomen’s Soccer

JasonBUTTSGymnastics

MikeCAREYWomen’s Basketball

SeanCLEARYCross Country/Track

SeanCOVICHMen’s Golf

JonHAMMONDRifle

SammieHENSONWrestling

DanaHOLGORSENFootball

BobHUGGINSMen’s Basketball

JimmyKINGRowing

MarlonLEBLANCMen’s Soccer

MihaLISACTennis

RandyMAZEYBaseball

VicRIGGSSwimming and Diving

ReedSUNAHARAVolleyball

Head Coaches

DiaFORTNEYAssistant Athletic Director/Business Operations

69

Media Services The West Virginia athletic communi-cations office will be available through the entire 2015 cross country season to accommodate any media requests. The following are some guidelines that should make it easy for media mem-bers to cover the West Virginia cross country team. Any additional questions should be directed to the cross coun-try contact Samantha Strejeck.

During the WeekAny member of the media wishing to interview a runner or member of the coaching staff during the week should the West Virginia cross country contact Samantha Strejeck, via email (sstrejec@mail.wvu.edu) or by phone (443-763-0648), at least 24 hours in advance.Cell phone numbers will not be available. All WVU student-athletes have been instructed not to conduct interviews without prior approval of the athletic communications staff.

Receiving InformationMedia members may receive women’s cross country press releases, notes and more via email. To receive such press releases, meet recaps and more, simply email your requests to sstre-jec@mail.wvu.edu

WVUsports.comWVUsports.com is the place for media and fans to browsefor 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 histor-ical insights.

Social MediaWVU Cross Country is active on vari-ous social media platforms- Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Visit facebook.com/WVUCrossCountry to like the Facebook page. To follow the Moun-taineers on Twitter visit, Twitter.com.wvucrosscountry. To follow the team on Instagram, visit Instagram.com/wvucrosscountry.

MEDIAInformation

MichaelFRAGALEAssociate Athletic Director/Com-munications

BryanMESSERLYAssistant Athletic Director/ Com-munications

JohnANTONIKDirector of Digital Media

MikeMONTORODirector of Football Communi-cations

JoeSWANDirector of Athletic Publications

KristinCOLDSNOWMultimedia Specialist

RussellLUNAAssociate Director of Athletic Communications

AshleyBAILEYAssistant Director of Athletic Communications

CharlesHEALYAssistant Director of Athletic Communications

GrantDOVEYDigital Media Manager

ShannonMCNAMARAAssociate Director of Athletic Communications

LisaAMMONSBusiness Manager

AmyPRUNTY Program Assistant

CherylWIREOperations Coordinator

ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONSInformationAthletic Communication InformationThe West Virginia University athletic communications office is located on the second floor of the Coliseum.

MAILING ADDRESSAthletic Communications officeWest Virginia UniversityP.O. Box 0877Morgantown, WV 26507-0877

OVERNIGHT SHIPPING WVU Athletic Communications3450 Monongahela Blvd.,Room 217Morgantown, WV 26506

PHONE INFORMATIONOffice: 304-293-2821Fax: 304-293-4105

CROSS COUNTRY CONTACTSamantha StrejeckGraduate AssistantOffice: 304-293-9916Cell: 443-763-0648E-mail: Sstrejec@mail.wvu.edu

70

Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium

Dreamswork Field

Mountaineer Track

WVU Coliseum

Caperton Indoor Facility

Cary Gym

WVU Rifle Range

Basketball Practice Facility

Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium

WVU Wrestling Pavilion

WVU Boathouse

WVU Natatorium

ATHLETIC FACILITIESMonongalia County Ballpark

HERE, GOING FIRST IS IN OUR BLOOD. IT’S IN OUR SWEAT. AND IT’S IN OUR NATURE. SO WE WILL GO ABOVE. WE WILL GO BEYOND. AND WHEN EVERYONE ELSE GOES BACK, MOUNTAINEERS #GOFIRST.

LET’S GO.