The Sock 'Em, Bust 'Em Board Because that's our custom

Deer WVU cross country:

You’ve had a great season and last Saturday’s second-place finish in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional was particularly impressive. You qualified for Monday’s NCAA Championship, in Terre Haute, Ind., but also displayed marked improvements made throughout the season.

The only other meet you didn’t win this season was Sept. 28, and you finished second with 118 points while Princeton had 45. Saturday, Princeton won the Regional and you were second again, but this time the Tigers had 56 points and you had 77. Everything is working and you’re peaking at the right time. There’s really nothing I can say that hasn’t been said by your exceptional coach, Sean Cleary, except that you’d be wise not to spook the damned deer.

Shawn Buck has seen his 14-year-old daughter Emily accomplish many things in the athletic world, but it’s doubtful that anything could prepare father nor daughter for what they endured a little more than a week ago and are still feeling the aftershock from.

While competing in the Class 2-A, Region 2 Championship meet on Nov. 3 at Marion County Middle School, Emily was knocked down and injured by a doe which appeared to have been spooked from out of the bushes when the Gator guiding the lead pack of runners buzzed by.

You read that right: A girl, with the last name Buck was injured by a deer in a high school cross country race.

Best,
Mike