Four football players from NCAA Division II Shepherd University were drafted as priority free agents following this year’s NFL Draft. It’s a record for the comparatively small football program.
Four football players from NCAA Division II Shepherd University were signed as priority free agents following this year’s NFL Draft. It’s a record for the comparatively small football program.
Quarterback Tyson Bagent signed with the Chicago Bears, offensive lineman Joey Fisher signed with the San Francisco 49ers, Ronnie Brown signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and tight end Brian Walker signed with the Baltimore Ravens.
“It’s very difficult to even get to where they are, and they need to take advantage of what opportunities they do have,” Shepherd football coach Ernie McCook said. “I always joke that it’s like, you just want to get keys to the facility.”
All four were previously selected as members of the Associated Press’ Division II All-American team. Bagent was selected as the 2021 recipient of the Harlon Hill trophy, Division II football’s equivalent of the Heisman.
McCook says getting to the level where a smaller school can consistently produce NFL prospects is a combination of culture and recruiting. The school relies on talent from in and around the Eastern Panhandle.
“Every one of those players that have signed with NFL teams are all within a two-and-a-half-hour radius of our institution,” McCook said. “And I think we do a good job and create a culture where good players know that they can play football at a high level, they can play where football is important and have a chance to compete.”
The Rams made it to the national championship semifinals last season, before losing to the Colorado School of Mines.
“If you were to ask any one of those four guys that just signed, ‘What’s your biggest regret,’ it’s not winning a national championship,” McCook said. “So we have a desire to be great in this program.”
Elsewhere in the state, Huntington native and offensive tackle Darnell Wright was selected tenth in the draft by the Chicago Bears. He went to the University of Tennessee to play for the Volunteers.
WVU defensive end Dante Stills, originally from Fairmont, was also selected by the Arizona Cardinals as the 213th pick in the draft. His brother, Darius, and father, Gary, also played for the Mountaineers before making their way to the NFL. Marshall players Steven Gilmore and Khalen Laborn were also offered free agent contracts.
But both schools are considered Division I, playing in the upper tiers of college football and having access to the money and resources that come with that designation. With NFL-prospect level talent coming out of the much smaller Shepherd University, its athletic department could attract more notoriety – and future recruits.
“Everything that we can sell positively on our football team, we want to be able to do,” McCook said. “Having a pro day the way we did, having four players that were able to sign preferred free agent contracts with the NFL makes other kids look at it like, ‘Hey, man, I can have a shot if I go to Shepherd.’ And that’s what we want to do.”
In 2021, the West Virginia Legislature enacted a law “to defend the integrity of women’s sports” that prohibits transgender girls and women in the state from competing on sports teams at “any public secondary school or state institution of higher education.”
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced his office is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the “Save Women’s Sports Act” to take effect.
In 2021, the West Virginia Legislature enacted a law “to defend the integrity of women’s sports” that prohibits transgender girls and women in the state from competing on sports teams at “any public secondary school or state institution of higher education.”
The bill passed on April 28, 2021 and the ACLU filed a lawsuit on May 8, 2021. Since then Morrisey’s office has fought to dismiss the lawsuit.
“Today, we are stepping forward with a major announcement pertaining to a filing that we’ll be making later this afternoon to defend the integrity of women’s sports here in West Virginia,” Morrisey said. “We will be making a filing up at the United States Supreme Court in order to lift the injunction that was recently placed upon the Integrity In Women’s Sports Law in the Fourth Circuit.”
Morrisey was assisted by attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a self-proclaimed Christian-led legal organization, in filing this litigation.
Rachel Csutoros, legal counsel with the ADF called the filing a historical moment for all female athletes.
“It’s unfair, and it’s unsafe,” Csutoros said. “No males should be allowed to take athletic opportunities away from women. That’s why we’re giving the Supreme Court their first chance to protect women’s fairness and women’s sports from today’s threats. The Fourth Circuit was wrong to stop a valid law with no factual or legal basis. And we urge the Supreme Court to uphold West Virginia’s laws to respect the will of its state citizens and to preserve equal athletic opportunities for women and girls.”
Morrisey said the law protects female athletes’ safety and keeps female sports competitive for female athletes, consistent with Title IX and the Constitution.
Title IX was signed into law on June 23, 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receives funding from the federal government.
“We talked about the 50th anniversary of Title Nine,” Morrisey said. “I think we should remember that today. It’s been so much good for women’s leadership and women’s sports. And I am optimistic of the result that we should be able to get from the high court.”
Hope Scholarship recipients and other non-traditional students would be able to participate in athletics and other extracurricular activities at their local public schools under a House bill.
Hope Scholarship recipients and other non-traditional students would be able to participate in athletics and other extracurricular activities at their local public schools under House Bill 2820.
The bill, which was considered in the House Education Committee Tuesday, would amend state code to allow these types of students to participate in public school programs if they’ve shown “satisfactory evidence of academic progress,” similar to how homeschooled students in the state already enroll.
The bill also includes students enrolled in microschools and learning pods, though there are no microschools in the state.
“I think the question or the element of fairness comes to mind when we know those kids who are not academically finding success in the public school system find a way to improve their academic success elsewhere,” said Del. Todd Longanacre, R-Greenbrier, who spoke in favor of the bill. “When they leave that public school system, they’re not taking all of their parents’ tax money from that county, they’re leaving some in that county. They still have skin in the game. So that’s fair that they would have the opportunity if their school that they go to doesn’t offer sports.”
Del. Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell, the minority chair of the House Education Committee, expressed concerns over how it would potentially affect other students.
“On one hand, I obviously want to help the kid to be able to participate,” said Hornbuckle. “But on the other one, I want to also make sure that it doesn’t cause a disparate impact of other private school students.”
That came among other questions on how academic progress and discipline would be measured from other lawmakers.
“If a student is in a learning pod, or microschool, how do we know that that discipline is equivalent [to a public school]?” Del. Danielle Walker, D-Monongalia, asked early during the proceedings.
Legislators discussed HB 2820 for more than an hour, with an eventual amendment clarifying that private school students would not be able to play on a public school team if the sport is already offered at their school.
The bill passed the committee and is on its way to the House floor.
Other bills discussed during the meeting included House Bill 3293, which establishes requirements for educational agencies to help identify and support students with dyslexia and dyscalculia, and House Bill 3273, which establishes a commission that would negotiate dealings with entities interested in utilizing intellectual properties owned by institutions of higher education.
Both bills were approved in committee. HB 3293 is expected to be on second reading Wednesday, while HB 3273 was sent to the House Judiciary Committee for further consideration.
Jefferson County resident Keryl Rustin is an avid 5K runner, recently winning a gold medal at the West Virginia Senior Sports Classic and also qualifying for the National Senior Games after competing in the Maryland Senior Olympics. What makes her stand out, though, is that she’s successful despite having lost her ability to see.
Jefferson County resident Keryl Rustin is an avid 5K runner, recently winning a gold medal at the West Virginia Senior Sports Classic and also qualifying for the National Senior Games after competing in the Maryland Senior Olympics. What makes her stand out, though, is that she’s successful despite having lost her ability to see. Reporter Shepherd Snyder spoke to Rustin about her unique experiences as a blind athlete.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Snyder: Starting off, I was wondering if you could introduce yourself.
Rustin: My name is Keryl Rustin. I began running during the month of November 2020. And during that time, I wasn’t participating in any marathons, I was just actually running. And I enjoyed it so much that I decided that I would like to participate in 5K runs. With me beginning this entire path of running, it started with my granddaughter, who was seven years old at the time, and her name is Gabbi. And she would actually run with me. And she would tell me if there was gravel in the road, or if cars were coming, and also, when to actually not run so fast, whereby there were obstacles in the road. And the reason for this is because I am blind.
Snyder: What organization did you get involved with as far as going out for competitive running?
Rustin: Well, I actually did not get involved with any organizations. I began running, as I said, with my granddaughter. And then when I decided that I wanted to run marathons, I knew I needed a trainer. And I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get a trainer. I made many, many calls. The calls weren’t returned. And I don’t know whether or not it’s because of my age, because with me being blind, I’m also 73 years of age. And I would call various running organizations and explain to them that I am trainable, and this is something that I really wanted to do. Just the courtesy of a return call would have been appreciated. But I didn’t get any return calls. And being the determined person that I am, I decided that I’m gonna go ahead and try running competitively, regardless. And that’s how I ended up being where I am now.
Snyder: And what competitions did you end up running for?
Rustin: The competitions I began becoming involved with were actually fundraisers. So I ran for veterans, I did runs for (the) homeless, I also did runs for abused women. So in other words, from November of 2020, until now, I have actually participated in over 10, maybe 12 runs, which I have medals for. But one of the ones that I want to point out, which is of great significance, is that I did my first official, documented run for the Maryland Senior Olympics. I did that run last year, and I am the first blind person, 73 years of age, who has ever done a 5K run (in the Maryland Senior Olympics).
Snyder: That’s incredible. I was also curious, what was the training process for that like? Can you take me through the process of training for running for a 5k?
Rustin: Since it was just my granddaughter and I, there really was no process for me. What I did is that I went on my intuition the majority of the time. So I would begin my mornings, usually around 6:30 in the Morning. And that’s all contingent upon whether or not she was in school. Six thirty in the morning would be during the summer months. Of course, with her being in school, I would start at a later time. And then with me starting at a later time, she wasn’t there to run with me.
So my runs, my training, for me, consisted of – the first thing I always do is say a prayer. I always say a prayer before I get out there to run. And from that point on, I’ll do some stretching. So for an example, I’ll do some lunges, I will go ahead and I will do some squats, then what I would do is various arm exercises. I included some yoga with those stretches in the mornings as well. And then when I usually get out there to run, I usually run for about 90 minutes. I actually am doing over a 5K run in the morning when I’m doing the 90 minutes. And there is no particular course or anything. I just get out and I run.
Snyder: Did you set out to win anything when you first started? Or was this just a way to take care of your health and stay in shape?
Rustin: I did not have any goals in mind other than I enjoyed it. What was important to me is the enjoyment of running. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard people talk about the runner’s high you actually get, that’s what would happen to me. So with me actually getting out there in the mornings and doing my runs, it actually rejuvenated me for the remainder of the day.
Snyder: I was also wondering if there were any kind of unique challenges in preparing for the 5K. I’m sure a lot of people assume that it must be harder for you to prepare for an athletic event like this because A, you’re a senior, and B, you’re blind. So how did you overcome these challenges in preparing, if there were any at all?
Rustin: Well, I still haven’t overcome them, to be perfectly honest with you. Every time I get out there and run – every, every time I get out there and run, and I’m emphasizing that, I still have challenges. So for example, before I get out there and run, as I said, I always do a prayer. But even with me doing the prayer, I still feel intimidated. I start thinking negative thoughts. For example: “Okay, Keryl. Can you really do this? Is it really worthwhile? Why have you decided to do something like this? Why are you putting so much stress on yourself?” So I still have my challenges every single day before I do a run. I have never, and I don’t think there ever will be a time that I can honestly say that I have overcome the challenges. And not because I am blind. And not because I’m 73 years of age. I think with any athlete, when you’re out there and you’re beginning to participate in whatever your choice of athletics is, you’re always gonna have that feeling of intimidation and trepidation. That feeling of, you know, questioning whether or not you can actually achieve it.
Snyder: What emotions were going through your head when you ended up completing that 5K?
Rustin: I cried. I cried because, for me, it was surreal. After all that I had gone through as far as training myself, as far as my granddaughter being so attentive and encouraging me, because when I would be out there running, she would run with me at seven years old. She would be saying things to me like, “Grandma, you can do this. You got it. I know you can,” things like that. And that was my cheerleader. I didn’t have anyone else. It was just surreal because I couldn’t believe that I actually did it. Particularly since I did not have a trainer.
Keryl Rustin
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Rustin at the National Senior Games in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She qualified after participating in the Maryland Senior Olympics.
Snyder: Completing this qualified you for the National Senior Games. Is that correct?
Rustin: Correct.
Snyder: What was that experience like?
Rustin: That experience was just a very positive experience for me. Because what it did, it gave me the confidence in knowing that, ‘Hey, you know what, Keryl, you did the Maryland Senior Olympics, you qualified for the Maryland Senior Olympics, you can go even further if you choose to. So it gave me that enormous push, as far as that confidence that I needed, in order for me to participate in the National Senior Games.
Snyder: Did you have any other closing remarks before we go ahead and finish?
Rustin: In order to win, you have to begin. And I want to thank everyone as far as my granddaughter and also thank (my guide) Kriya. She was the one who actually did that run with me, in order for me to receive this gold medal from the West Virginia Senior Sports Classic. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know if I could have achieved it. That was the most difficult run that I had ever done. That one was done at Kanawha State Forest. And to do a run in a forest was very, very challenging for me. So this medal is not all about me, Keryl Rustin. This medal is about all of those many, many people who are visually impaired, who are physically challenged, who are seniors. This medal represents them. These are the people who definitely need to know that, no matter what, you can still get out there, find something that you enjoy doing, become active in it, and just go for it.
Athletes from the Martinsburg VA Medical Center are representing the Eastern Panhandle as they begin competition in the National Veterans Golden Age Games in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Athletes from the Martinsburg VA Medical Center are representing the Eastern Panhandle as they begin competition in the National Veterans Golden Age Games in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The Golden Age Games is an annual event that helps older veterans stay active and makes sports accessible. The veterans involved with Team Martinsburg train all year as part of their personal treatment plans.
“We usually start up in October, and we train for our next games in May,” said team coach Michael Clark. “They get with their provider and they figure out what kind of goals they want. If it’s weight loss, if it’s more mobility, or if it’s just overall well being.”
The games are both a mental and physical positive for the veterans involved in the event. The team has seen its share of successes, but Clark says the overall goal is to improve the players’ quality of life.
“Veterans have a tendency to isolate themselves. We give them an opportunity to be a part of something that’s bigger than themselves,” Clark said. “It helps them with camaraderie, helps them with the social aspects of their life. And then if you’re healthy and you’re working out and you’re focusing on fitness, you just feel better.”
As part of the event, the athletes will compete in sports like badminton, track and field, and basketball. The games are a qualifier for the National Senior Games, the nation’s largest multi-sport event for those over 50 years old.
Those in the Martinsburg area interested in participating can talk to their primary doctor about a Golden Age Games consultation.
A bill to restrict transgender students’ access to women’s sports in middle, high school and college has passed out of the West Virginia Senate.
Senators who voted in favor of the bill said Thursday they believe the legislation will protect women’s sports. Those who opposed the bill said it would contradict the NCAA’s policy for transgender athletes and that it would lead to more bullying and alienation against transgender youth.
HB 3293 has changed drastically since it came to the Senate from the House of Delegates. Originally, the bill would have required middle and high school athletes to provide a birth certificate or receive a physical exam from a physician prior to playing single-sex sports. The intent was to keep athletes separated based on biological sex.
Senators changed that bill entirely, however, to focus on female sports for middle, high school and college.
Under the bill, student athletes who are cisgender, meaning someone whose gender is exclusively the one they were assigned at birth, can go to their county boards of education, or their state higher education institution, and file a lawsuit against transgender competitors if they feel “aggrieved” or “harmed” by a violation of this bill, according to Senate Education Chair Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson.
Rucker was the lead sponsor to the latest amendment to the bill.
“To me, if you say that you do support women, that you do support our girls, if you say that you want to give them an opportunity,” Rucker said on the Senate floor. “Well, this is one of these bills you can support, because you want to ensure continued opportunities.”
If the transgender student is a minor, the identity of that student would remain private and anonymous.
Democrats said the measure will have negative psychological impacts on girls who may be wrongly accused of being boys. They also argued it further alienates transgender students and allow for more bullying.
“Sixty percent of trans kids physically harm their own bodies. Half strongly consider suicide. Why?” said Senate Minority Leader Stephen Baldwin, D-Greenbrier, citing a 2020 study by the Trevor Project in Forbes. “This is not something I have lived through, but what I understand from talking to folks who have lived through it, it’s because they don’t feel like they fit in. They’re bullied relentlessly … because they’re so obviously different.”
The bill passed 18-15 and now heads back to the House for consideration. Five Republicans joined Democrats to vote against the bill, including Sens. Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, Eric Nelson, R-Kanawha, Mike Maroney, R-Marshall, Chandler Swope, R-Mercer, and Ryan Weld, R-Brooke.
West Virginia is one of more than two dozen states that have pushed similar legislation this year.
**Editor’s Note: This story has been edited and updated to reflect NPR story guidance on transgender people.
