MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — This is the first part in a two-part story highlighting the top West Virginia sports stories in 2024.
#23 – WVU Golf team makes history by reaching NCAA Finals
For the first time since 1947, the WVU golf team qualified to play in the NCAA National Championship.
By finishing in third place in the Rancho Santa Fe Regional, the Mountaineers became one of 30 teams to clinch a spot in the season-ending event.
WVU finished 28th in the NCAA Championship.
The WVU golf team has earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. They are the No. 10 seed in the Rancho Santa Fe Regional hosted by San Diego (May 13-15): pic.twitter.com/OHQ7AO3y8c
— Joe Brocato (@joebrowvm) May 1, 2024
#22 – WVU cross country posts runner-up finish at NCAA Championship
In the best national finish for a women’s program at West Virginia University since 2016, the WVU cross country team finished in second place in the NCAA Championships. Led by Olympian Ceili McCabe, the Mountaineers posted a program-record finish at the NCAA competition in Madison, Wisconsin on November 23
#21 – Cabell Midland repeats as Class AAA state baseball champion
On the final day of the 2023-2024 scholastic sports season in West Virginia, Cabell Midland became the lone school to defend a state baseball championship. The Knights defeated MSAC rival George Washington, 3-2 in a thrilling Class AAA state championship game.
Frankfort defeated Independence, 8-0 in the Class AA final while Charleston Catholic doubled up Williamstown 6-3 in the Class A title game.
Game highlights: Cabell Midland completes Class AAA state title defense with 3-2 win over GW: #wvprepbase pic.twitter.com/CQv3fcsr9p
— MetroNews HS Sports (@MetroNewsPrep) June 1, 2024
#20 – Another round of realignment in high school athletics
After a tumultuous 2024 with last-second realignments in football and legal challenges that delayed the state football and volleyball playoffs, the 2025-2026 academic year could have a different look when it comes to how classifications are determined in high school sports.
On October 24, the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission announced that reclassifications will occur every two years instead of the traditional four years. The Board of Control, which is comprised of member schools, also voted to tweak what factors into enrollment, eliminating the location score component and altering the socioeconomic status factor to include direct certified numbers from the state department of education.
#19 – Brand wins WV Amateur by 21 strokes/Duncan takes WV Open title
In a record-smashing performance, Christian Brand posted a 21-stroke victory at the 105 West Virginia Amateur Championship at the Greenbrier Resort. The Capital High School and Marshall University alumnus and former professional golfer bested the previous low mark in the four-round tournament by 12 strokes.
Later in the summer, Brand advanced to the quarterfinal round of the United States Amateur.
In August, Shady Spring High School graduate Todd Duncan became the second consecutive amateur to win the West Virginia Open title. The rising senior at WVU bested the state’s top professional and amateur golfers in the 54-hole event.
‘Sometimes, golf is easy’: Brand shatters WV Amateur scoring records en route to 21-shot victory:https://t.co/eiDaCYOpoI pic.twitter.com/OmxTeSfAjp
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) May 29, 2024
#18 – WVU men’s soccer sweeps Sun Belt Conference titles
The results from a pair of Mountain State Derby matches allowed the WVU men’s soccer teams to sweep the Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament titles.
The Mountaineers and Marshall played to a scoreless draw in the regular season finale on November 5, giving West Virginia their first SBC title.
Twelve days later, the Mountaineers bested Marshall, 6-5 in a penalty kick shootout after 110 minutes of scoreless play.
West Virginia advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling at No. 11 Virginia. Dan Stratford’s club closed the season with a 12-7-2 record.
WVU sweeps Sun Belt titles, defeating Marshall on penalties in the SBC final:https://t.co/73rZHYZ6Tx pic.twitter.com/ePxesCnFvI
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) November 17, 2024
#17 – Marshall hires Cornelius Jackson as men’s basketball head coach
Marshall University selected one of their own to lead the men’s basketball program. On March 25, Cornelious Jackson was promoted from Associate Head Coach to the top spot, replacing veteran frontman Dan D’Antoni.
Jackson is a native of Oak Hill and he played for the Thundering Herd from 1998-2001. He has been on staff at Marshall since 2017.
The Thundering Herd are off to a 7-6 start in Jackson’s first season leading his alma mater.
#16 – Winfield shakes off tough start to repeat as Class AA state softball champion
Winfield’s defense of their first Class AA state softball title could not have had a more difficult start. However, after winning just two of their first nine games, the Generals won 24 of their last 26 games to close the year.
Winfield completed an unbeaten run in the state tournament with a 5-2 win over Keyser in the Class AA final.
In Class AAA, University emerged victorious in a winner-take-all title game against Washington, 10-0. The Hawks won their first state title. And in Class A, St. Marys won a decisive game against Petersburg to win their first state softball crown.
Winfield completes Class AA state title defense with 5-2 win over Keyser:https://t.co/Z9h3IWYCAC#wvprepsb pic.twitter.com/EiyjBYiOYW
— MetroNews HS Sports (@MetroNewsPrep) May 23, 2024
#15 – Cameron and Wyoming East defend girls basketball state titles
A decorated senior class led Cameron to a third consecutive Class A state basketball championship. The top-seeded Dragons defeated No. 2 seed Gilmer County, 50-43 in a highly-entertaining title game.
Wyoming East used a furious fourth-quarter rally to defeat Williamstown in the Class AA final, giving the Warriors their second consecutive state championship.
In Class AAAA, Wheeling Park held off their sectional rivals from Morgantown to win the large-school division.
And for the second time in four years, Nitro won a state championship. The Wildcats defeated Lewis County in the Class AAA final.
Winfield completes Class AA state title defense with 5-2 win over Keyser:https://t.co/Z9h3IWYCAC#wvprepsb pic.twitter.com/EiyjBYiOYW
— MetroNews HS Sports (@MetroNewsPrep) May 23, 2024
Game highlights (Class AA Championship): No. 1 Wyoming East 46, No. 2 Williamstown 42: #wvgirlsbb pic.twitter.com/oYkYV5VPzc
— MetroNews HS Sports (@MetroNewsPrep) March 10, 2024
Game highlights (Class AAA Championship): No. 3 Nitro 47, No. 4 Lewis County 39: #wvgirlsbb pic.twitter.com/PUOYlmSsXX
— MetroNews HS Sports (@MetroNewsPrep) March 9, 2024
Game highlights (Class AAAA Championship): No. 2 Wheeling Park 65, No. 4 Morgantown 51: #wvgirlsbb pic.twitter.com/f8XRc7McIj
— MetroNews HS Sports (@MetroNewsPrep) March 9, 2024
#14 – WVSSAC football championships awarded to Charleston, ending Wheeling’s three-decade run
University of Charleston Stadium was selected as the new host of the WVSSAC Football Championships in February. Wheeling Island Stadium has served as the hosts of the title games since 1994.
“We are excited with the offer extended by the Charleston community to host the football championships at Laidley Field,” said WVSSAC Executive Director David Price. “The local organizing group is committed to the student and fan experience as well as the financial success of the event.
“We were very fortunate to have four proposals from different parts of the state (Bluefield/Charleston, Huntington/Morgantown and Wheeling) who each had great interest in hosting the football championships,” Price said. “Each proposal had strong merit and each received thorough consideration.”
The initial contract runs through 2026 and a mutual option is in place for 2027.
Wahama, Frankfort, Bridgeport and Martinsburg won state championships in the first year with a four-class setup.
Tribe on top: Bridgeport excels in all phases to cruise past Herbert Hoover 49-7 in Class AAA final:https://t.co/bqjnFypzaU#wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/w2MxFUaFrb
— MetroNews HS Sports (@MetroNewsPrep) December 14, 2024
Falcons fly by Roane County 49-14 to claim first state championship:https://t.co/rhvqOEP8hv#wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/XEQU49I1La
— MetroNews HS Sports (@MetroNewsPrep) December 14, 2024
Wahama holds off Cameron to win Class A final, 29-22:https://t.co/TNR3O6WjPb#wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/lN5qySGsQN
— MetroNews HS Sports (@MetroNewsPrep) December 13, 2024
Game highlights (Class AAAA Championship): Martinsburg 24, Spring Mills 17. #wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/izJJnWu26I
— MetroNews HS Sports (@MetroNewsPrep) December 15, 2024
#13 – Zach Frazier drafted by Pittsburgh Steelers in second round
Fairmont Senior High School and WVU alumnus Zach Frazier did not have to travel very far to begin his professional career in the National Football League. On April 26, Frazier was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the NFL Draft.
As the 51st overall pick, Frazier was the top Mountaineer selected in eight years.
“I just know how much offensive line means to the Pittsburgh Steelers, their long tradition of having great o-linemen and great offensive lines,” said Frazier. “It’s special. They already went to the offensive line in the first round. It’s special. I am excited.
“They’re getting a hard worker who is going to give everything he has to the organization to win football games. I couldn’t be more excited.”
#12 – Joe Mazzulla leads Boston Celtics to 18th NBA title
Former WVU point guard and Rhode Island native Joe Mazzulla etched his name into the championship record of the Boston Celtics after leading the team to their 18th NBA Championship on June 17.
After winning 64 games in the regular season, the Celtics went 16-3 in the playoffs without losing more than one game in any of their four postseason series. Boston defeated the Dallas Mavericks 4-1 in the NBA Finals.
“I think when you have great players and you have guys that have been in the league for 17 years, guys who have been to the finals, that have been coached by other great coaches and been a part of other systems, you have Jrue [Holliday] and all of these players with other experience, it’s nothing more than just facilitating. You have to allow the guys to set the temperature of the organization on a daily basis and then you just have to facilitate and fill in the gaps from time to time, depending on where people are at,” Mazzulla said.