Trevor Kiess celebrates Saturday, Feb. 24, as he's named the 2018-19 Mountaineer Mascot
West Virginia University senior and member of the Honors College Trevor Kiess was announced as the next Mountaineer Mascot at tonight’s (Feb. 24) men’s basketball game vs Iowa State.
Prior to being named the new Mountaineer mascot, Kiess had the opportunity to wear the buckskins and carry the musket as the alternate to WVU’s current mascot Troy Clemons.
“Serving as the alternate Mountaineer Mascot has been an amazing experience over the past year, but to be chosen as the next Mascot is the greatest honor of my life. I will strive every day to serve our state and our University in a way that makes all Mountaineers proud,” Kiess said. “I can’t wait to represent Mountaineer Nation and I look forward to showing the entire country what it means to be a West Virginian.”
Kiess, a senior accounting major minoring in pre-law and legal studies, is a graduate of Elkins High School. He is a member of the Chimes Junior Honorary and Beta Gamma Sigma Honorary. He serves as an accounting intern for the WVU Foundation and a farm assistant with Cheat Riverbend Farms, Inc. in Parsons. He has served as a student intern with the Office of the U.S. Senator Joe Manchin III in Washington, D.C., a student-athlete tutor, director of community service for the Mountaineer Maniacs, and is a former member of Students Optimistic for Curing Kids.
“I’ve been dreaming of this moment for a long as I can remember, and I can’t thank my friends and family enough for all of their love and support,” Kiess said. “This is a true testament to any kid in West Virginia that if they work hard and stay determined, they too, can achieve their dreams.”
Kiess was selected by a committee of faculty, staff and students based on an application, essay, interview, and a cheer-off competition held on Feb. 12 during the men’s basketball game vs. Texas Christian University.
“I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Trevor over this past year in his role as alternate Mountaineer and I am eager to work closely with him as the new WVU mascot,” said Sonja Wilson, advisor to the Mountaineer Mascot. “Trevor possesses all the positive traits that we look for in a Mountaineer: outgoing personality, school spirit and leadership, time management skills, and academic success.”
Kiess will officially begin his duties for 2018-19 year with the Gold-Blue spring football game on Saturday (April 7) at Milan Puskar Stadium.
He was among the top four to vie for the Mountaineer Mascot. The others were: Timothy Eads, a freshman majoring in strategic communications from Buffalo; Jesse Lackey, a senior secondary education and English major from Salem; and Troy Salatino, a sophomore secondary education and history major from Wheeling.
Eads will be asked to take the role as alternate Mountaineer Mascot.
-WVU-
ta/2/24/18
Contact: WVU University Relations/News
304.293.6997