New Mountaineer mascot to be named

Prediction

The Mountaineer may be the most unique mascot in all of college sports. Of course, there is the Notre Dame Leprechaun, but for the most part, all of the Fighting Irish mascots have looked quite similar. WVU’s Mountaineer comes in all sizes and shapes.

There have been two female Mountaineers, Natalie Tennant and Rebecca Durst.

If Savannah Lusk is chosen, she will become the third femail Mountaineer.

When Durst was chosen in 2009, she received a smattering of “boos” throughout the Coliseum. It could have been that the Mountaineers were losing to Louisville late in the second half, but there are some people who believe that the mascot can only be a male figure.

Some people also believe that the Mountaineer must be a native of West Virginia. Aren Cox hails from the Pittsburgh area. And, although it is only an hour from Morgantown, Cox still has great ties to the university.

Whoever is selected as the mascot has big shoes to fill. It is a tremendous honor and privilege to be the Mountaineer and, with it, comes a boatload of responsibility.

This year’s nominees seem to have good heads on their shoulders. They all have an extensive background in community service and resumes that speak volumes about their work-ethic and dedication.

Clemons is the only senior of the group, the rest happen to be underclassmen. I feel that the best candidate for the mascot position is someone older and more mature, plus it should be someone who has been around campus for more than two years.

That being said, if I was on the exclusive board that helps select the next Mountaineer, my vote would be for Ethan Ball.

He showed the most enthusiasm in the try out and has some impressive accolades. He is the co-founder of WVU Shadow Pals, a founding father of a service fraternity and he is a member of Students Optimistic for Curing Kids.

Ball’s beard should grow more in the next few months, which would make him look more like the mascot WVU fans are accustomed to.

Whoever is selected will do a great job in representing West Virginia. His or her’s first duty will begin with the annual Blue and Gold Spring Game, which will take place at the Greenbrier Resort in April.