MEN’S BASKETBALL
The West Virginia Wesleyan men’s basketball team was a mere afterthought when it came to the making the trip to Charleston and the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) tournament this past weekend. Most so-called experts did not believe the Bobcats would make the trip to Charleston, expecting the ‘Cats would lose a first-round contest to Concord.

But head coach Bill Lilly and his Bobcats dismissed their critics and set the conference on its ear with an impressive tournament run that landed the team in the semi-finals. The ‘Cats traveled to Concord as the 11th seed in the tournament, and won a nail-biter over Mountain Lions, 72-70. Then in Charleston Thursday afternoon, the Bobcats defeated the third-seeded Wheeling Jesuit Cardinals, 79-75. Their run came to an end Friday night in the semi-finals after giving Salem-International a battle in an 84-61 setback, but Lilly and his Bobcats proved they are once again a force to be reckoned with in the WVIAC.

“What a great ride we had,” remarked Lilly. “We were fortunate enough to get hot at the right time. It was a tough year, but our players never gave up or quit, it was a great way to finish the season. Now we need to build on this. We have to find a way to get better for next season and make it back to Charleston next season.”

Senior forward Cole Ellis and junior guard Rocky Manchin earned honors for their performances this past week in Charleston. Ellis was named to the WVIAC All-Tournament team while Manchin was given the George Springer Individual Sportsmanship Award.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Coach Steve Tierney MBA ‘93 and his women’s team also made the trip to Charleston after disposing of Concord 77-71 in the first-round of the tournament. Wesleyan gave nationally-ranked Charleston all they could handle before falling in the quarter-finals, 75-61.

“Charleston was the tournament champions and will host the NCAA Regional Tournament this weekend, but I felt that we played even with them for the entire game,” remarked Tierney. “By all accounts, our team was better than a final 11-18 overall record would indicate.  We beat West Liberty by 20 points and gave Glenville a good game at home before falling in the final minutes.  Both of these schools will also be playing in the NCAA Tournament.  Our young athletes gained valuable experience which they will draw upon as we look to have an even better team next year.”

Post-season conference honors poured in for the Lady Bobcats as junior guard Sarah Grab was named to the All-WVIAC First Team while Sarah Van Horn was named to the All-Freshmen Team. Grab led the Lady Bobcats this year with 15.5 points per game and passed the 1,000 career mark this season. She also led the team in field goals, 3-point field goals, and free throws. Van Horn was the top rebounder for Wesleyan and had 11 double-doubles.

SWIMMING
The West Virginia Wesleyan swim teams ended their season in the Blue Grass Mountain/WVIAC Championships on February 16-20. The men finished third out of eight teams while the women wound up seventh among 11 teams. A total of 13 Bobcat men’s and women’s swimmers earned all-conference honors. For more the Blue Grass Mountain/WVIAC Championship, please visit http://www.wvwc.edu/ath/winter0405/swimtop.asp

SPRING SPORTS
Coach Randy Tenney ’77 and his Bobcats have managed to secure three games under their belts between the rain and snow. They lost to Shepherd in their opener, but came back to split a doubleheader with Mansfield, PA. The Bobcats are off to Florida this weekend for their annual spring break trip. They will play 12 games in eight days at Ormond Beach. Their first game will be Saturday at 10 a.m. against Rio Grande (Ohio).

Coach Steve Warner ’90 and his softball team are off to a 7-4 start after playing in two South Carolina tournaments. They will return to action this Friday at home, playing Purdue N. Central at noon and Brewton Parker at 2 p.m.

Coach Jesse Skiles and his Bobcat and Lady Bobcat track and field squads begin their outdoor season this Saturday at Charleston Southern, the men’s tennis team under coach Lee Underwood played in a final tune-up in an indoor invitational at Morgantown before beginning their season at Hilton Head, SC, this Sunday against Slippery Rock, and John Barbour and his golf team will visit Hilton Head, SC, for a three-day outing at Haig Point.

For additional information on Wesleyan’s athletic teams, please visit the Athletic Homepage.

Brosh and Mills Named Wesleyan Senior Scholar Athletes
Ellen Brosh ‘06 and Brad Mills ’06, members of Wesleyan’s women’s tennis team and men’s soccer team, were recently honored by First Community Bank as senior scholar athlete award winners. The award is given to a female and male athlete from each member of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) who has demonstrated proficiency in the classroom as well as in competition. All award winners must compile at least a 3.3 grade-point-average. [read more]

Football Players Read to Students
West Virginia Wesleyan College football players are continuing the tradition of helping elementary school students become stars in reading. Bobcats and Books is a cooperative effort between the Wesleyan football team and local schools that allows players to read and interact with the children in a classroom setting. [read more]