MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Six excellent contributors to Mountaineer athletics make up the thirty fifth class of honorees within the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame, introduced at present by Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker.
The class of 2025 consists of Chelsea Carrier-Eades (monitor & area), Bill Kirelawich (soccer), Pat McAfee (soccer), Bill Stewart (soccer), Darrell Whitmore (baseball/soccer) and Petra Zublasing (rifle). This class brings the overall quantity of inductees to 243.
Induction ceremonies will happen on Saturday, Sept. 27, previous to the West Virginia-Utah soccer recreation.
Chelsea Carrier-Eades
Chelsea Carrier-Eades is one of essentially the most embellished monitor & area athletes in class historical past, incomes eight All-America honors from 2008-12.
In 2010, the Buckhannon, West Virginia, native earned her first and second All-America honors on the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Her first got here after a fourth-place displaying within the pentathlon, ending with 4,133 complete factors. Later within the day, Carrier-Eades earned her second with a sixth-place end within the 60-meter hurdles (8.29).
That 12 months, she was named the Mid-Atlantic Field Athlete of the Year after incomes two Big East champion honors and breaking the college document within the pentathlon on the Sykes-Sabock Challenge with 4,136 factors, eclipsing the college document beforehand set by All-American and WVU Sports Hall of Famer Pat Itanyi (4,111).
In 2011, Carrier-Eades earned first workforce All-America honors within the heptathlon after inserting third with 5,761 factors and third workforce All-America honors within the 100-meter hurdles after inserting 19th in 13.56 seconds. Once once more, Carrier-Eades was named the Mid-Atlantic Field Athlete of the Year after profitable three particular person Big East titles within the lengthy bounce, 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles.
During the indoor season, Carrier-Eades earned All-America honors within the 60-meter hurdles with a fourth-place end in 8.08 seconds, besting her private greatest of 8.15 seconds. She notched one other All-America award within the pentathlon with a fifth-place end, scoring 4,128 factors.
Her junior marketing campaign noticed her break college information within the 60-meter hurdles, pentathlon, 100-meter hurdles and the heptathlon. She additionally participated within the USA Track and Field Championships, ending 16th within the semifinals spherical in a time of 13.04 seconds.
In 2012, she notched All-America awards within the heptathlon and the 100-meter hurdles. Carrier-Eades positioned third within the heptathlon with 5,839 factors and seventh within the hurdles in 13.31. She ran a profession and school-best 12.78 within the 100-meter hurdles through the semifinals at NCAAs and gained the heptathlon for a second consecutive 12 months on the Texas Relays.
Carrier-Eades nonetheless holds WVU college information within the 60-meter hurdles (8.08, 2011), pentathlon (4,170, 2011), 100-meter hurdles (12.78, 2012) and heptathlon (5,927, 2011).
In all, Carrier-Eades was an 11-time NCAA particular person qualifier and a 10-time Big East champion.
Outside of WVU, Carrier represented Team USA on the Thorpe Cup in Germany and completed third within the heptathlon and competed within the USA Olympic Trails and quite a few skilled occasions.
In highschool, Carrier-Eades gained 11 state championships in monitor, was a two-time Gatorade Athlete of the Year and a number of profitable of the Ray McCoy Awards, given yearly to the highest novice monitor & area athlete in West Virginia. She was inducted into the Buckhannon-Upshur Hall of Fame.
Carrier-Eades obtained her bachelor’s diploma from WVU in baby growth and household research with a certification in particular schooling.
She married her highschool sweetheart, Wesley Eades, they usually have 4 youngsters, Tristan (7), Brecken (5), Nolan (3) and Evie (1). After retiring from her skilled monitor & area profession in 2016, she turned an authorized private coach/group teacher and at present works from residence with a brand new wellness enterprise whereas elevating her youngsters.
Bill Kirelawich
Bill Kirelawich, the winningest assistant soccer coach in WVU historical past, spent 32 years at West Virginia from 1979-2011.
During that point, Kirelawich was half of 23 bowl appearances, together with some of WVU’s prime bowl wins and nationwide championship appearances in class historical past, culminating with WVU’s win over Clemson within the 2012 Orange Bowl.
Kirelawich joined Frank Cignetti’s workers in 1979 earlier than becoming a member of Don Nehlen’s workers in 1980 as a line of defense coach. He coached the line of defense from 1980-87, outdoors linebackers from 1988-90, the line of defense from 1991-00 and was an administrative assistant in 2001-02. Kirelawich was then the line of defense coach on Rich Rodriguez‘s workers from 2003-07, Bill Stewart’s workers from 2008-10 and Dana Holgersen’s workers in 2011.
In 2010, Kirelawich was named the FootballScoop.com’s National Defensive Line Coach of the Year with Bruce Irvin ending second within the nation in sacks. In 1996, the Mountaineer protection ranked first nationally in complete protection, second in dashing protection and fourth in scoring protection. The 2005 workforce ranked 13th in scoring protection, the 2006 workforce ranked 13th nationally in dashing protection, the 2007 workforce ranked seventh in complete protection and eighth in scoring protection and the 2008 workforce ranked 11th in scoring protection.
His strains helped the Mountaineer protection lead the Big East in dashing protection and scoring protection 4 occasions. Kirelawich coached eight first-team All-Big East choices, together with a minimum of one every of the final 4 years and eight second-team honorees. He coached 5 All-Americans (Johnny Dingle, Bruce Irvin, Chris Neild, John Thornton and Henry Slay).
Kirelawich additionally coached quite a few skilled gamers: Todd Campbell, Johnny Dingle, Keilen Dykes, David Grant, Bruce Irvin, Pat Marlatt, Jim Merritts, Chris Neild, Henry Slay, Renaldo Turnbull and John Thornton, and recruited the likes of Anthony Becht, John Bertram, Aaron Beasley, Noel Devine, Rick Gilliam, Jake Kelchner, Irvin, Kurt Kehl, Chris Neild, Chris Parker, Lovett Purnell, Bo Orlando, Tom Robsock, Freddie Smalls, Steve Slaton, Thornton, Kevin White and Grant Wiley.
A local of Frackville, Pennsylvania, Kirelawich was a standout linebacker at Salem College beneath WVU Sports Hall of Fame member Donnie Young. The senior captain led the Tigers to an 8-1 document and a prime 20 NAIA nationwide rating. His 89-yard interception return stands as a college document. He earned his bachelor’s diploma in schooling from Salem in 1969 and was inducted into the Salem Hall of Fame in 2006.
Kirelawich started his teaching profession, serving as the pinnacle coach at Cardinal Brennan (Pa.) High from 1970-78. He had 9 gamers signal scholarships at Division I faculties and his 1975 workforce was ranked No. 10 in Pennsylvania. Following his WVU profession, he served as a line of defense coach for Rodriguez at Arizona.
Kirelawich and his spouse, Maggie, have three youngsters, Miki, Billy and Jake, and 5 grandchildren.
Pat McAfee
Pat McAfee was one of the highest kickers and punters within the Big East Conference, in addition to the nation, from 2005-08.
The native of Plum, Pennsylvania, dealt with the workforce’s punting, kickoff, additional level and area objective duties. During his profession, McAfee was named a CBSSports.com First Team All-American, Walter Camp Football Foundation Second Team All-American, Associated Press Third Team All-American, Ray Guy Award finalist, Lou Groza Award semifinalist and performed within the Under Armour Senior Bowl.
McAfee was a four-time bowl winner: 2006 Sugar, 2007 Gator, 2008 Fiesta and 2008 Car Care. He set the WVU profession information for many video games performed (51), scoring (384), kick scoring (384) and additional factors made (210), was third in punting common (43.7) and area objectives made (58) and eighth in quantity of punts (126). He held the Big East information for many additional factors made, was second on the all-time scoring checklist, second in punting common and third in area objectives made. At the conclusion of his profession, he was tied for 22nd in general scoring and 16th amongst kickers in NCAA historical past.
As a senior in 2008, McAfee hit a profession lengthy 52-yard area objective in opposition to Villanova after which once more in opposition to Cincinnati to ship the sport into additional time. He was one of two gamers that season to hit two or extra 50-yard area objectives. McAfee averaged 44.7 yards per punt with a season lengthy of 65 yards and hit all 36 additional factors.
In his junior season, he was the second-leading scorer on the workforce with 103 complete factors. McAfee had 12 factors on two area objectives and 6 additional factors in opposition to Oklahoma within the Fiesta Bowl.
In 2006, McAfee hit a 51-yard area objective at Pitt, which on the time, was the longest (faculty or professional) in then-Heinz Field historical past. He made all 62 additional factors that season and made 4 area objectives within the triple-overtime win in opposition to Rutgers, together with one lower than a minute in regulation.
McAfee earned the job on placements and kickoffs as a real freshman in 2005 and was named the Big East Player of the Week in opposition to Maryland.
McAfee was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts within the seventh spherical of the 2009 NFL Draft. He made two Pro Bowl appearances, was an All-Pro in 2014 and performed in Super Bowl XLIV in his rookie 12 months throughout an eight-year NFL profession.
McAfee retired from soccer in 2017. He has hosted The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN, is an analyst on College GameDay and is a shade commentator and occasional wrestler for the WWE.
In highschool, McAfee was first workforce all-conference at Plum High and ranked because the No. 1 kicker within the nation by Scout.com. He was the 2003 nationwide Punt, Pass and Kick champion and gained the One-on-One kicking competitors in Miami with a 65-yard area objective. McAfee was a three-time first workforce All-WPIAL in soccer.
McAfee and his spouse, Samantha, have one baby, Mackenzie, and stay in Indianapolis.
Bill Stewart
Bill Stewart, greatest often called Coach Stew, led WVU to 1 of the best bowl wins in class historical past and had a .700 profitable share as a head soccer coach from 2009-11.
After guiding WVU to a exceptional 48-28 victory in opposition to Oklahoma in a single of essentially the most memorable and vital wins in class historical past on the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Stewart was named WVU’s thirty third head soccer coach on Jan. 3, 2008, a day after that spectacular triumph.
He adopted up the Oklahoma victory with three consecutive nine-win seasons, together with journeys to the Meineke Car Care, Gator and Champs Sports Bowls. Stewart’s 9 victories in 2008 represented essentially the most ever by a first-year Mountaineer coach, and his 28-12 profession mark included a .700 profitable share that ranks fifth amongst all WVU grid coaches. His Big East championship in 2010 was the college’s sixth on the time. The gamers Stewart recruited gained one other Big East title and Orange Bowl victory over Clemson within the subsequent season in 2011.
Stewart coached 30 gamers to All-Big East accolades in his three seasons, together with quarterback Pat White, who turned the NCAA’s all-time main dashing quarterback and the primary in faculty soccer historical past to win 4 straight bowl video games as a beginning quarterback. Stewart noticed 18 of his West Virginia gamers drafted by NFL groups, and he led two Mountaineer squads to Top 25 finishes in 2008 and 2009, whereas his 2010 workforce was ranked for a number of weeks through the season.
Prior to being named head coach at WVU, Stewart spent eight seasons on the West Virginia workers beneath WVU coaches Don Nehlen and Rich Rodriguez, working with the Mountaineer tight ends and serving as affiliate head coach in 2007 after spending the prior seven seasons teaching the quarterbacks. He additionally had the position of particular groups coordinator beneath Rodriguez. It was Nehlen who introduced him again to his residence state in 2000 as quarterbacks coach, and Stewart helped information the squad to a profitable season and Music City Bowl victory in Nehlen’s remaining recreation.
His prolonged teaching resume started at Fairmont State, the place he was a scholar assistant coach for a season, earlier than changing into an assistant coach at Sistersville (W.Va.) High in 1975. In 1977, he moved to Salem College, the place he was an assistant soccer and head monitor coach for 2 seasons. In 1979, he moved to North Carolina; he was later an assistant at Marshall (1980), William & Mary (1981-83), Navy (1984), North Carolina (1985-87), Arizona State (1988-89) and Air Force (1990-93). Aside from the ten bowl video games he coached in West Virginia, Stewart was additionally a component of bowl squads at North Carolina and Air Force.
In 1994, Stewart turned head soccer coach at VMI for 3 seasons. His 1995 workforce was the best scoring squad in VMI historical past, and Keydet operating again Thomas Haskins set a I-AA dashing document with 5,349 yards.
Stewart got here to WVU in 2000 from the Canadian Football League, the place he served as offensive coordinator of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1999, tutoring two all-conference receivers and a 1,000-yard rusher. While he was offensive line coach for the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes in 1998, Stewart’s line blocked for Mike Pringle, the primary 2,000-yard rusher in CFL historical past.
Stewart was a 1975 schooling graduate from Fairmont State the place he was a three-year letterman and workforce captain for the WVIAC champions in 1974. He later earned his grasp’s diploma in well being and bodily schooling from WVU in 1977. Before transferring to Fairmont State, Stewart performed on the WVU freshman soccer workforce beneath legendary coach Bobby Bowden and was the pinnacle coach of the Mountaineers in opposition to Florida State in Bowden’s remaining recreation within the 2010 Gator Bowl.
Stewart died on May 21, 2012, forsaking his bride, Karen, and son, Blaine, a former WVU assistant coach and now assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Darrell Whitmore
Darrell Whitmore was a two-sport standout in baseball and soccer from 1988-91.
The Front Royal, Virginia, native performed two seasons in proper area with the Mountaineers in 1989-90, hitting .392 with 78 hits and 72 RBI in 199 at-bats. Whitmore had 18 doubles, 11 residence runs and three triples with 57 runs scored and 6 stolen bases, enjoying in 71 video games with 60 begins. He was named to the All-Atlantic 10 First Team and to the All-East Region Second Team in 1990.
Whitmore owns college information with a .678 slugging share and .481 on-base share. He set the college document with a .392 profession batting common, which now ranks second all-time. Whitmore had a .757 slugging share in 1990, which now ranks fifth all-time and was second in program historical past at the moment and posted a .559 on-base share in 1990, which now ranks fourth all-time.
He was drafted by the then-Cleveland Indians within the second spherical of the 1990 Major League Baseball draft and performed professionally from 1990-2002. Whitmore performed in 112 video games in three MLB seasons with the then-Florida Marlins, recording 67 hits, 31 runs scored, 11 doubles, 5 residence runs and two triples.
Whitmore was additionally a four-year starter at security on the Mountaineer soccer workforce, recording 14 profession interceptions and left because the profession chief in passes damaged up with 21.
He began 11 video games as a freshman, ending because the fifth-leading tackler on the workforce with 61 tackles, together with 36 solo stops, and was second on the workforce with 4 interceptions. In his first collegiate recreation, Whitmore induced a fumbled punt and blocked a punt, leading to two WVU touchdowns. He missed the Fiesta Bowl recreation versus Notre Dame with a damaged leg suffered in opposition to Syracuse within the remaining recreation of the common season.
Whitmore began all 12 video games as a sophomore and was the fifth-leading tackler on the workforce with 68 stops, together with 42 unassisted. He had a pair of interceptions at Maryland, together with one on the primary drive of the second half that arrange WVU’s first rating, and his second got here with simply 4 seconds remaining to cease the Terps’ remaining drive. Whitmore had 9 tackles within the 1989 Gator Bowl.
In 1990, he began all 11 video games as a junior and was the fifth-leading tackler with 64, together with 35 unassisted. Whitmore completed with a team-leading 4 interceptions and had three interceptions in opposition to Cincinnati, setting a brand new Mountaineer Field document. He additionally recorded seven tackles and compelled a fumble in opposition to the Bearcats. Whitmore had a career-high 13 tackles at South Carolina. He was named AP All-East and honorable point out All-America.
In 1991, Whitmore performed 11 video games and began seven as a senior, ending with 23 tackles and a team-leading three interceptions.
Whitmore and his spouse, Ayanna, have two youngsters, Gianna and Ava.
Petra Zublasing
Petra Zublasing is the one Mountaineer to win three particular person NCAA Championships throughout her profession from 2011-13, claiming the 2012 air rifle title whereas profitable the air rifle and smallbore disciplines the next season in 2013.
Her 2013 success marked the primary time in WVU program historical past a student-athlete had gained each disciplines in the identical season. She was the third Mountaineer to win titles in back-to-back seasons.
She was a five-time NCAA All-American, claiming the respect in air rifle thrice (2011, 2012, 2013) and smallbore twice (2012, 2013). Zublasing was named the 2013 College Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) Shooter of the Championship in 2013.
Zublasing claimed two Great America Rifle Conference particular person titles, profitable smallbore in 2012 earlier than incomes the air rifle title in 2013. She was named the convention Shooter of the Year in 2012 and 2013 whereas including Senior of the Year honors in 2013. She additionally added All-GARC First workforce honors in air rifle, smallbore and mixed rating in 2012 and 2013.
At the time, Zublasing was one of seven Mountaineers to document an ideal 600 in air rifle and nonetheless holds the third-best mark in smallbore with a 595. Her 120-shot mixture match rating of 1193 was a program greatest, whereas her 120-shot season common of 1187.67 additionally topped this system document ebook. Her 60-shot smallbore season common of 591.33 is the second-best in program historical past.
Academically, she was a three-time CRCA Academic All-American (2011-2012-2013) and earned CoSIDA (now CSC) Academic At Large All-American honors in 2012 and 2013 whereas additionally including all-district II honors throughout each seasons. She added an Academic All-Big 12 honors in 2013.
Zublasing competed at two Olympics, representing Italy, qualifying in 2012 for the London Games after which once more in 2016 on the Rio Games. During her first Olympics, she completed in twelfth place in air rifle and smallbore. At Rio, she narrowly missed the rostrum in smallbore, taking residence a fourth-place end and a 437.7 rating. She added a 33rd-place end in air rifle.
Zublasing closed out her WVU profession by incomes the 2013 Order of Augusta Award, profitable the Red Brown Cup in 2012 and 2013 and being named the 2013 WVU Outstanding Senior.
Zublasing is a local of Appiano, Italy. She graduated from West Virginia University in 2013 with a level in civil engineering.
After almost 20 years of competing on the world stage in rifle, she earned one other diploma in visible communications from Istituto Europeo di Design, the place her designs have been utilized in a variety of functions from youngsters to scientific illustrations.