E. Gordon Gee President at West Virginia University | Twitter Website
E. Gordon Gee President at West Virginia University | Twitter Website
Four students from West Virginia University (WVU) are set to compete for the role of the 71st Mountaineer mascot. The event will take place during the men's basketball game against TCU at WVU Coliseum on February 25, at 9 p.m.
The finalists were selected by a committee comprising faculty, staff, and students based on an essay and interview process. During the cheer-off, they will be judged on their performance and ability to engage with the crowd while leading traditional game cheers.
Among those vying for the position are a medical student, a peer mentor, a student video intern, and the current alternate mascot. All candidates share a strong connection to West Virginia University and aim to represent both their university and state as the next Mountaineer mascot.
Thaiddeus “Ted” Dillie from Weirton is one of the contenders. He is currently in his third year at WVU School of Medicine and previously served as the alternate Mountaineer mascot for 2019-20. Dillie expressed his enthusiasm: “I look forward to another opportunity to share my passion and enthusiasm while listening to the great stories that every small town in West Virginia has to tell.”
Cade Kincaid from Fayetteville is also competing for this honor. A junior accounting major in the Honors College, Kincaid serves as a peer mentor and ambassador for WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics. He stated: “At WVU, we climb mountains for adventure, for sport, and figuratively in pursuit of bettering our University and state.”
Rachel Morgan from Bridgeport is another finalist. She is a senior marketing major who works as a student video intern for WVU's football team. Morgan remarked: “It would be such an honor to represent the University and state that has pushed me to be the person I am today.”
Lastly, Justin Waybright from Parkersburg rounds out the group of finalists. As a senior majoring in mining engineering who serves as this year's alternate Mountaineer mascot, Waybright shared his thoughts: “Being able to stand next to Braden Adkins as a member of the cheer team...has given me the opportunity to experience the best of both worlds.”
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