Mountaineer merchandise moves magnificently

WVU is #7 in team merchandise sales at Wal-Mart for the past two months.

#1 is, of course, Alabama, coached by Monongah’s Nick “Brother” Saban.

#2 Ohio State

#3 Tennessee

#4 Arkansas

#5 Georgia

#6 Nebraska

#8 Kentucky

#9 Iowa

#10 Oklahoma

 

Notice that Ohio is the only university that is citified on the list?

19-year-old West Virginia University rifle team member Ginny Thrasher of Springfield, Virginia won the first gold medal in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

She got the gold in the women’s 10m air rifle.

China's 2006 world champion Du Li got silver. China’s Yi Siling, the defending champion, took bronze.

Former WVU shooters Petra Zublasing of Italy and Ziva Dvorsak of Slovenia did not advance to the final.

As a WVU freshman, Ginny won five medals (two open/three junior) at the 2015 USA Shooting National Championships. 

As WVU won its 18^th NCAA Rifle Championship, she became the first freshman rifle shooter to win both individual titles in air and smallbore.

The West Springfield High School’s love of shooting began when she hunted with her grandfather. 

Ginny is the youngest of three children with two older brothers.

Ginny Thrasher on podium in center after winning the gold

 

WVU football team delivers 350 turkeys to food pantry

The WVU football team delivered nearly 350 turkeys to the Neighborhood Shack this afternoon, as part of the Brickstreet "Touchdown for Turkeys Event."

Each time the Mountaineers got a touchdown this season, every point went toward a turkey for the food pantry at Monongalia County Starting Points. The turkeys will go to families in need and a holiday outreach that is held at a local elementary school for less fortunate families.  

"For them to take their time to come out here after the season, I mean, I think it's amazing, to know that they support such a cause and they are willing to come and show the support for what we did for this event," said Stormy Matlick, Monongalia County Starting Points Food Pantry manager. 

A children's essay contest was also held in in conjunction with the event and winners were able to get autographed footballs from the team. The winners of the contest were Bayla Harrison with 1st place, Hannah Willey, 2nd place, and Kaitlyn Carr, 3rd place. 

No, ESPN, WVU is the other “Virginia”!

By Appalachian Magazine

Though West Virginia University’s football program got off to what many Mountaineer fans perceived to be a promising start to the 2015 college football season, as the team turned its attention to BIG XII play, things have been anything but inspiring.

Fresh off a 45-6 non-conference road win against border-rival Maryland, the Mountaineers traveled to Norman, Oklahoma, to face the Sooners.

The game served as a reality check for the boys from Morgantown, as the conference opener concluded with a 24-44 defeat against one of the Top-25 teams in the nation.

The following week, West Virginia hosted the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where they lost again in a heartbreaking overtime finish.

If the first two losses were disappointing, the last two have been downright unbearable for the Mountaineer faithful. A humiliating road loss to what is arguably the number-one team in the nation, Baylor, by a score 38-62 was followed last Thursday by a sickening 10-40 loss against Texas Christian University, the fifth-ranked team in the nation.

Though all of these items have culminated to create one of the worst stretches of conference games in recent memory, the greatest Mountaineer insult occurred late-Sunday evening when ESPN’s ACC Twitter account (this Tweet has since been removed… Thank God for screenshots!), reporting on Frank Beamer’s departure from Virginia Tech, asked the question, “Who will replace Frank Beamer at West Virginia?”

Adding insult to injury, the teaser photo was a picture of former West Virginia football coach Rich Rodriguez, who left the Mountaineers in the cover of darkness days before one of the biggest bowl games in school history.

As expected, the Tweet was met with a volley of angry Mountaineer fans, one of which implored the social media team at ESPN to, “go home, you’re drunk.”

For decades the Mountaineers and Hokies faced each other in an annual rivalry game where they competed for the Black Diamond Trophy.

Though West Virginia leads the series, which dates back to 1912, 28–22–1, Virginia Tech, secured wins in nine of the last twelve meetings and presently houses the coal trophy in its trophy room in Blacksburg.

In July 2014, it was announced that the two teams agreed to play at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, on September 2, 2017.

Despite the fact that West Virginia has been a part of the United States for over 150 years, residents of the Mountain State often complain that outside of the Mid-Atlantic region, they often run into individuals who are clueless to the fact that Virginia and West Virginia are actually two different states!

WVU Sophomore Kadeisha Buchanan was awarded the 2015 Young Player Award at the Women's World Cup.

The award was presented after United States beat Japan at the FIFA Women’s World Cup final at BC Place Stadium, in Vancouver.

Buchanan is a sophomore at West Virginia University, where she plays for the women's soccer team. Originally from Brampton, Ontario, she also plays for the Canadian National Team.

 
WVU coach Nikki Izzo-Brown had this praise for Buchanan: “Kadeisha has done it again at the next stage and has made an impact at the next level. This is an unbelievable honor for her to win – it is by far one of the most prestigious awards in our sport.

"Kadeisha’s exceptional skill level, playing style and creativity are all components that the FIFA committee believed warranted this award. I am so unbelievably proud of her because she had a tremendous World Cup. This honor speaks to all her hard work, passion and commitment to the game.”

Another WVU student, Ashley Lawrence, was also selected to play on the Canadian National Team. Lawrence and Buchanan are the first active WVU women’s soccer players named to a national World Cup team.

 
In the past three years, the WVU women have won the Big 12 regular season title every year and the Big 12 tournament twice. It’s the only WVU team, outside of rifle, that dominates in the Big 12.

 

West Virginia, Kentucky officials place bets on game

West Virginia and Kentucky’s governors and attorneys general made friendly bets on the WVU-UK NCAA game.

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin offers a small basket of West Virginia favorites - -including pepperoni rolls, West Virginia spirits and a commemorative Homer Laughlin China plate.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear risks a small selection of Kentucky Bourbons.

The attorneys general for each state offer a country ham and a hand-blown glass piece.

WVU and Kentucky will play in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen at 9:45 p.m. Thursday, March 26 on CBS.

20-6!!

No. 8 Kansas upset!

WVU upsets No. 8 Kansas on Juwan Staten's spin move & layup in final seconds. Those who braved terrible weather jubilantly sang "Country Roads."

Juwan Staten's game-winning shot against Kansas. He dribbled, put on a spin move from left to right and up went the upset game-winner!

To see video of Juwan Staten’s game-winning play, click on http://www.fatmanwriting.com/2015/02/watch-west-virginias-juwan-staten-goes.html  

Alabama’s Shane Lyons named WVU athletic director

MORGANTOWN - West Virginia native and current Deputy Director of Athletics at the University of Alabama Shane Lyons, has been named director of Intercollegiate Athletics and associate vice president at West Virginia University, effective in February, President Gordon Gee announced today (Jan. 5).

Gee said Lyons, with nearly 30 years of administrative experience in intercollegiate athletics, is one of the most respected and skilled professionals in the field with extensive knowledge in strategic planning, compliance and policy implementation at the conference and national levels.

"We are delighted to welcome Shane Lyons back to his home state of West Virginia and to his alma mater," Gee said. "He brings a wealth of experience in both university and conference athletics administration. 

"In addition, as a graduate of West Virginia University, Shane understands what it means to be a Mountaineer. We look forward to him joining our team and leading our athletic department to new heights."

Lyons has spent the past three years working closely on day-to-day strategic leadership and direction with Alabama athletic directors - the late Mal Moore and current Athletic Director Bill Battle.

"It is truly a dream come true for me to return to my home state and to WVU as director of intercollegiate athletics and associate vice president. I would like to thank Dr. Gee for the confidence he has placed in me," Lyons said.

"I have followed the Mountaineers closely ever since I left Morgantown after graduate school, and I have been consistently impressed with the success that WVU student-athletes have had on the playing fields and in the classroom, as well as the positive impact Mountaineer student-athletes have in the community.

"I am also impressed by the University's continued commitment to student-athlete welfare, particularly regarding the major facility improvements that the athletic department has accomplished. I look forward to maintaining and enhancing the momentum generated by that commitment.

"As a leader, I will continue to push our department to strive for excellence in everything we do, and I am looking forward to the tremendous opportunities that lie ahead. I am inspired by the unparalleled support of Mountaineer Nation, and my family and I are very excited to become part of the Morgantown community."