Campus Recreation Newsroom

On Sunday, October 20th, WVU’s Student Recreation Center and the WVU Powerlifting Club hosted their 5th annual Strongest Mountaineer competition. Men and Women competed in squatting, benching, and deadlifting events to determine who was 2019’s Strongest Mountaineer.

The Office of Student Wellness is offering a variety of fun and safe Halloween activities to participate in. Campus Rec, Collegiate Recovery, Adventure WV and WellWVU are all hosting events to engage students in a safe way to celebrate Halloweekend.

If you’re looking for some spooky stuff to do this Fall to get you into the holiday spirit, look no further. Here you’ll find events for all Fall enthusiasts, from those who love tricks and those who love treats, there’s an event here for you.

Have you ever been 900 feet off the ground with a river rushing below you?

The New River Gorge Bridge in Fayette County, West Virginia is a unique opportunity for anyone to see the incredible view of the valley for themselves. Odds are, if you’ve seen any West Virginia calendars, postcards, or photos, you’ve probably seen the bridge. Stretching wide over the gorge, the steel structure is not only a staple image of the great state of West Virginia, but is also a necessity for those traveling. The bridge supports over 1,500 cars per day, and once a year, over 80,000 people can take the bridge on foot.

A one-day festival, appropriately named Bridge Day, takes place on the third Saturday of October each year. Attendees have the opportunity to watch as base jumpers and rappellers jump into the valley below. Over one hundred vendors will line the streets of Fayetteville selling food and souvenirs to commemorate this special day. Early in the morning, before the jumpers begin their fun, there will be a 5K that allows runners to cross the bridge and into the town.

Say goodbye to frequent fast food at one of WVU's farmers markets!

The adjustment of moving from summer to the busy semester life of a college student is enough to throw anyone off. It is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life that taking care of yourself and your health may not be the highest on your priority list. Many people find it much easier to stop at the corner fast food chain for a sandwich instead of making it themselves. The same goes for college students, with the expansion of fast food chains not slowing down anytime soon, it can be hard to navigate through the lines to find food that is convenient and good for you.

Looking for ways to spice up your diet? In addition to the farmers markets Morgantown has on and off campus, there are many local stores that offer a diverse variety of food options for those who are willing to go the extra mile for good food.

In an eventful home opener, the WVU Men’s D1 Hockey Team defeats Navy for an exciting start to the season. An arena full of fans cheering for WVU’s hockey team sat on the edge of their seats as the game went into overtime. With the support of extra fans at the opener in the bleachers, WVU pushed to get the winning goal. As the WVU raced down the ice in a final push, the perfect storm for the win developed. WVU and Navy skaters were moving neck and neck through center ice, when suddenly a Navy skater broke his stick leaving him helpless for defense. This began the development that would give WVU the chance they needed to seal the deal. It was now a 3-on-2 man setup with WVU approaching the goal. A second Navy defense-man lost an edge and fell leaving only the goalie to defeat. A quick crossing pass and then the puck goes into the net! The arena erupted in a victorious roar, signaling an end to the first home game. Winning 3-2 over Naval Academy, the Mountaineer Hockey team starts the season off right with new head coach Shane Buckely.

Don’t miss out on the action, see WVU Hockey play a double header game this Friday at the Morgantown Municipal Ice Arena. Starting at 7:15 p.m., the D1 team will face off against Towson followed by the D2 team taking on Akron. Show your Mountaineer spirit by grabbing your friends and supporting the team! Share your interest with friends and family by following the event’s Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2412597255646111/

On August 29th, the Climbing Wall at the Student Rec Center was packed with new and experienced climbers at the Welcome to the Wall Climbing Competition. This introductory climbing exhibition allowed participants to learn new climbing techniques and challenge themselves on the rock wall. Participants ranged from seniors to freshmen, new recruits to climbing veterans, members of the climbing club to climbers whose curiosity peaked higher than the rock wall. Forty climbers braved the top rope courses, monitored closely by belay-certified volunteers.

The WVU Powerlifting Club clinched the Co-Ed Championship at the USPA Collegiate Nationals on February 23rd at Ohio University. 25 Mountaineers competed out of 120 total lifters for this title from colleges including West Point, TCU, Michigan State University, and Old Dominion. With three men and three women placing for medals in their respective weight classes, including first prizes for Michaela Piendel and Jordan Rodriguez, WVU returned to Morgantown as Co-ed Collegiate Nationals Champions. This victory for the Mountaineers was their first national title, and was done in only their second season of competing.

To win a team title in a powerlifting competition, a team must have the highest combined “wilks” score taken from the team’s top six lifters. Wilks is a score calculated by a lifter’s weight class, gender and total amount lifted from their best squat, bench press and deadlift. With the two first placements for Piendel and Rodriguez as well as a third place achievement by Madison Eichstadt, WVU took the co-ed title with 2nd place finishes for Tony Perry and Matthew Maloney and 3rd place for Grant Judy for the male lifters. WVU also placed second for best men’s team, losing out only to West Point.

The newly formed WVU Women’s Hockey team is preparing for their inaugural season this fall. Founded in March by WVU Junior Ashley Osborne, the team held their first Prospect Skate on the 23rd and now sports 15 skaters on the roster. With team members actively pursuing off-season work and an executive board planning events and fundraisers, all that’s left for an exciting first year is filling the roles of goaltender and head coach.

The team looks to enter the Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference where they’d face off against teams including Saint Joseph’s University, Lafayette College, and the University of Virginia. Their first season is slated to open in November, with 5 home and 5 away games that could stretch into March with additional tournaments.