Recap of an exceptional weekend in WVU athletics

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Saturday and Sunday were two great days being mountaineers.

The past two days have seen major wins for several programs and school history at an NCAA Championship event. This is where we start to recap a very successful weekend for the Old Gold and the Blue.

Ceili McCabe finishes 3rd at NCAA Championships

Ceili McCabe ended her outstanding junior season with a third best place finish in the 6K competition at the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday.

Not only did McCabe set the mark for the program’s best result at the event, but she also won All-American honors. His time of 19: 29.5 was just 0.2 seconds from finishing second in the country.

Head Coach Sean Cleary noted his performance will go down as “one of the greatest moments in the history of WVU sport”.

McCabe took a minute and a half off her running time at the 2020 NCAA Championship, where she placed 29th.

WVU football takes Senior Day victory, inflicting sixth straight loss to Texas

On the grill, Saturday marked one of West Virginia’s best performances of the season.

The Mountaineers held a Steve Sarkisian offense to just 152 passing yards. WVU’s offense converted 12 times on the third down. West Virginia has not made any costly mistakes or been reported for untimely penalties.

West Virginia on Seniors Day was led by Seniors Jarret Doege (27-43, 290 yards, 3 TD), Leddie Brown (33 rush, 158 yds, TD) and Sean Mahone, who helped seal the win with a late interception in the fourth quarter.

With the victory 31-23, WVU snapped a two-game losing skid, and kept bowl eligibility as a real possibility heading into the final week of the regular season.

Doege was also named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

WVU men Football progresses dramatically in NCAA tournament

Dan Stratford’s club had a dramatic surge this season, and Sunday’s NCAA tournament game was not lacking in drama as the Mountaineers attempted to “defend Dlesk” in the playoffs.

Fairmont native Ike Swiger scored the game’s first goal in just the seventh minute. Almost 100 minutes later, WVU and rival Virginia Tech were stuck at 1-1 and needed a penalty shootout to decide which team would go go to Sweet 16.

Goalkeeper Steven Tekesky made back-to-back saves for WVU, and Pau Jimenez Albelda found the back of the net in the shootout’s final attempt to send the Mountaineers to the round of 16.

The West Virginia No.11 will travel to No.6 Tulsa to face the Golden Hurricane this Saturday at 8 p.m. with a quarterfinal spot on the line.

It should be noted that Marshall, the reigning National Men’s Soccer Division I champion, was eliminated on Sunday. The Mountaineers and Herd appeared in the same group in the NCAA tournament bracket.

WVU women’s basketball blows up Radford

Mike Carey’s group started off 3-0 rather convincingly.

The No.22 Highlanders have played three games, all winning with at least 20 points and recording two wins with 50 or more points. West Virginia overthrew Radford Sunday 83-31 inside the WVU Coliseum.

KK Deans was one of four WVU players to score in double digits in that game, and Ari Gray finished just one double-double rebound with 11 points and nine boards.

For the second time this season, Carey’s group scored more points on turnovers (34) than their opponent totaled (31).

Bob Huggins takes 904th victory

On Thursday he passed the Bob Knight Hall of Fame and on Sunday he passed the Roy Williams Hall of Fame.

Bob Huggins earned his 904th victory as head coach on Sunday night, as the Mountaineers beat Clemson to claim a third place finish at the Shriner’s Children’s Charleston Classic in South Carolina.

Sean McNeil warmed up in the second half, finishing with 15 points, the team’s best. Gabe Osabuohein filled out the stat sheet as he normally does – four points, seven rebounds, four assists, one block, multiple charges taken.

After the game, Huggins told the ESPN broadcast team: “They were my team.” He added: “It was a great victory for us.”

WVU returns home this Friday to host Eastern Kentucky. It is the first of five straight home games for the Mountaineers.