Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

March 8, 2009

Rebecca Durst named Mountaineer mascot


MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia University has named its second female mascot in school history.

Point Pleasant’s Rebecca Durst was announced as the Mountaineers’ musket-carrying mascot for the 2009-10 school year Saturday night at the men’s basketball game with Louisville.

Durst, a sophomore, won a cheer-off over fellow students Brock Burwell of Harrisville, Rebecca Funk of Clear Spring, Md., and current mascot Michael Squires of Clarksburg. The cheer-off was held at Wednesday night’s game with DePaul.

Current Secretary of State Natalie Tennant was the university’s first female mascot. She served in 1990-91.