MORGANTOWN — Joel Hershman, a Buckhannon native, is one of four West Virginia University (WVU) students vying to become the 72nd Mountaineer mascot. The finalists will compete in a cheer-off during the WVU men’s basketball game against Utah at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 18, at the WVU Coliseum.
Hershman
The finalists, dressed in traditional buckskins, coonskin caps, and carrying rifles, will perform various cheers and engage with the crowd to showcase their leadership and energy. They were selected based on essays and interviews by a committee of WVU faculty, staff, and students.
Hershman has been actively involved in WVU’s campus community as a New Student Orientation leader, a member of the Mountaineer Maniacs Executive Board, and a volunteer for local cleanup and flood recovery efforts.
The other finalists are Reese Allen, a senior mechanical engineering and data science major from Bridgeport; Amelia Bolden, a first-year communication sciences and disorders major from Oakland, Maryland; and Tanner Figgatt, a freshman dual mechanical and aerospace engineering major from Fraziers Bottom.
The winner will be announced during the WVU men’s basketball game against BYU on February 28, with tipoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the WVU Coliseum.