Four students who are eager to represent West Virginia University as the 68th Mountaineer Mascot will compete in a cheer-off during the men’s basketball game vs. Texas at 2 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 26) in the WVU Coliseum.
Selected by a committee of faculty, staff and students based on an essay and interview, the four finalists vying for the 2022-23 title will be judged on their performances and interaction with the crowd as they lead traditional game day cheers.
Although they are not all West Virginia natives, all the finalists are ready to serve their University and state with unwavering Mountaineer spirit.
The 2022-23 Mountaineer Mascot finalists are:
Logan Moore, from Winchester, Virginia, is a graduate student majoring in journalism. He serves as a member of the Sports Leadership and Development Association and a member of the executive board and media team for the Mountaineer Maniacs. Moore is also a proud Eagle Scout and serves as a communications graduate assistant with the WVU Teaching and Learning Commons.
“Spending time on my grandparents’ farm in Fairmont taught me that fortitude, integrity and adaptability are the qualities that the University and people of West Virginia hold dear,” Moore said. “West Virginia has made me the person who I am today, and it would be a humbling honor to serve the needs and wants of our community while welcoming new Mountaineers to our fiercely passionate state.”
Aidan Priest, a member of the Honors College from Baldwinsville, New York, is a sophomore double-majoring in finance and accounting. He serves as a tour guide and vice president of the Mountaineer guides for the WVU Visitors Center and vice president of alumni relations for Delta Sigma Pi. Priest is also a member of the men’s club volleyball team and volunteers his time at WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital.
“Ever since stepping foot on campus I have made it my mission to immerse myself in the culture of West Virginia as a whole and serving as the Mountaineer would be a great opportunity for me to bring our students closer,” Priest said. “Upstate New York will always be where I am from, but West Virginia has become my home.”
Mary G. Roush, from Mason, is a freshman advertising and public relations major minoring in sports communication. She is a member of the Mountaineer Maniacs, Public Relations Student Society of America and former member of the Hugh O’Brian Leadership program. Roush is a recipient of the PROMISE Scholarship and serves as an intern with WVU Athletics Video.
“It is my life goal to serve the state of West Virginia and this position would give me the opportunity to give back to the 1.8 million that make it so wild and wonderful,” Roush said. “It would be a privilege and honor to cheer on the Mountaineers as our mascot.”
Gunnar Webb, from Bridgeport, is a junior political science major minoring in philosophy and economics. He is a two-year member of the executive board of the Mountaineer Maniacs, recipient of the PROMISE Scholarship and has been inducted as a Knight of the Golden Horseshoe Society. Webb volunteers his time to the United Way in Harrison County and the Clarksburg Mission.
“If selected as the next Mountaineer Mascot, my goal is to give back to the state that has already given so much to me,” Webb said. “The people of this state and members of this University are what make West Virginia my home among the hills, and it is my dream to represent those same individuals.”
The selection committee will announce the winner during the WVU men’s basketball game vs. TCU on March 5. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the WVU Coliseum.
