BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Wesleyan Department of Athletics has selected five individuals and one team as the 2023 West Virginia Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame Class. Sarah Van Horn Bridenbaugh, Adam Neugebauer, Michael Baird, Duriel Cobb, Jesse Skiles and the 1983-84 men’s basketball team will be the newest inductees.
Sarah Van Horn Bridenbaugh ’09 (Women’s Basketball & Track and Field)
Bridenbaugh is Wesleyan’s all-time leading scorer in women’s basketball with 2,087 career points. In her first season, she was named to the All-WVIAC Freshman team in 2005-2006, was named First Team All-WVIAC in each of her next three seasons, and in her senior year (2008-2009) she was named the WVIAC Player of the Year. She averaged over 20 points per game and more than 10 rebounds per game all four years. She was a finalist for the State Farm All-American team and she was a two-time Honorable Mention on the NCAA II All-American team. In track and field, Bridenbaugh holds 2006 records in the 110-meter hurdles and the heptathlon.
Adam Neugebauer ’12 (Football)
As a standout quarterback from 2007-2011, Neugebauer broke 23 school records and remained undefeated in back-to-back seasons for all home games played as the Bobcats’ starter. He led the NCAA Division II in five offensive categories as a senior in 2011, including passing yards (4,111), touchdowns (42), completions (353), completions per game (32) and yards per game (372). He was captain of the team for two years and was named the Super Region One Player of the Year and the WVIAC Offensive Player of the Year as a senior. Neugebauer earned First-Team All-American honors and was a finalist for the prestigious Harlon Hill Trophy in 2011.
Michael Baird ’92 (Football)
Baird garnered many awards as a dominant wide receiver for the Bobcats. He received three First-Team All-WVIAC honors and was an All-American for two seasons (1988, 1990). In his years at Wesleyan, he was the school’s all-time receptions leader with 142 catches and his 2,077 career receiving yards and 23 receiving touchdowns still ranks among the best in school history. Baird was USA Today Small College Player of the Week four times and ESPN Small College Player of the Week three times. After playing for the Bobcats, Baird joined the coaching staff under Head Coach Bill Struble.
Duriel Cobb ’03 (Football)
Cobb broke numerous records in the years he played at Wesleyan. In 2002 alone, he had the best all-time single-season mark with 1,440 rushing yards, the most rushing yards in a single game with 321 yards, and the most all-purpose rushing yards in a single season with 1,440 yards. Also in 2002, he broke a 22-year record held by Larry Coffey for career rushing yards with 3,180. He was the WVIAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2002 and a WVIAC First Team All-Conference Player in 2001 and 2002.
Jesse Skiles (M/W Cross Country, Indoor & Outdoor Track & Field)
Coach Skiles won over 50 conference titles while leading the men’s and women’s cross country teams and men’s and women’s track teams. Thirty-four athletes qualified for nationals when he coached at Wesleyan and 10 were named All-American. On four separate occasions at Wesleyan, Skiles’ teams won all four league titles in the same academic year; 1995-96, 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2014-15. His career (at Wesleyan and Glenville State) resulted in a total of 64 conference championships and he was named Coach of the Year 53 times.
1983-84 Men’s Basketball Team
The 1983-84 men’s basketball team, coached by Bruce Stewart, was the only team in Wesleyan history to go undefeated in conference play (WVIAC) during the regular season with a 20-0 record. The team ended the year with an overall record of 32-3. It captured the NAIA District 28 Championship and won two games in the NAIA Tournament before losing in the quarterfinals to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
The Ceremony
The 2023 Hall of Fame Class will be inducted on April 20, 2024, on the campus of WVWC. Specific details regarding the induction ceremony are forthcoming.
