Community Bulletin
The breast cancer support group WVU Medicine St. Joseph's Hospital started last October has become a monthly fixture in Salvati Hall, meeting the third Thursday of every month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The gatherings are open to all patients and survivors. Read more →
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WHEELING, W.Va. — Davis & Elkins captured the team title at the 2025 Mountain East Conference Women’s Cross Championships on Saturday, beating Point Park to hoist the hardware for the second consecutive year. The Senators had five of the top 11 finishers to top Point Park University for the team championship.
Point Park’s Cassondra O’Connor ran away from the competition in the 6K meet on the Crispin Course at Oglebay Park, beating reigning individual champion Lauren Twyman of Davis & Elkins by more than 17 seconds to take the top spot. Twyman and O’Connor finished Nos. 1 and 2 a year ago, with Twyman hanging on.
Twyman and teammate Lydia Falkenstein finished second and fifth, respectively, to lead the Senators. Following Saturday’s action, O’Connor was named the MEC Cross Country Runner of the Year, per a vote of the league’s head coaches following the race. O’Connor, who is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, swept the MEC Runner of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards last season.
As the top finisher among first-time competitors, Concord’s Violet Wall was named the MEC Freshman of the Year. She placed ninth.
Davis & Elkins’ Jason Pyles was named the MEC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
O’Connor set the tone early, pulling away from a pack of runners shortly after the 9:30 a.m. start on a cool, autumn morning in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. She finished the race in 22:28.67, with Twyman, Glenville State’s Natalie Barr, Falkenstein, and Glenville State’s Jenna Barnett rounding out the top five. The top 10 finishers comprise the All-MEC first team. Charleston’s Amanda Ferrante; Davis & Elkins teammates Rebecca Tellez and Savanna Hardman; CU’s Wall; and Fairmont State’s Megan Mitchell finished sixth through 10th, earning All-MEC first team honors.
Behind Davis & Elkins and Point Park, UC finished third in team points, followed by Glenville State and West Virginia Wesleyan.
First Team All-MEC
Cassondra O’Connor, Point Park
Lauren Twyman, Davis & Elkins
Natalie Barr, Glenville State
Lydia Falkenstein, Davis & Elkins
Jenna Barnett, Glenville State
Amanda Ferrante, Charleston
Rebecca Tellez, Davis & Elkins
Savanna Hardman, Davis & Elkins
Violet Wall, Concord
Megan Mitchell, Fairmont State
Second Team All-MEC
Jeanna Pelissier, Davis & Elkins
Mariam Al-Zoubi, West Virginia Wesleyan
Lindsey Dillon, West Virginia Wesleyan
Bethany Wallis, Charleston
Zoe Belshan, Davis & Elkins
Marimo Akita, West Virginia Wesleyan
Reilly Teague, Frostburg State
Alana Dyce-Giraud, Point Park
Lotta Zethof, Point Park
Leah Magda, Frostburg State
Runner of the Year: Cassondra O’Connor, Point Park
Freshman of the Year: Violet Wall, Concord
Coach of the Year: Jason Pyles, Davis & Elkins
