Sen. Manchin nominates 925 West Virginians during Senate tenure
West Virginia Press Association
CHARLESTON, W.Va.– On Nov. 7, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) announced his intent to nominate 43 West Virginia students to the U.S. Service Academies, which include the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point. The distinguished students represent the following counties: Berkeley, Cabell, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Jefferson, Kanawha, Marshall, Mercer, Monongalia, Morgan, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Summers, Wayne, Wirt, and Wood.
“In my tenure as the Senator of the great state of West Virginia, it has been one of my greatest honors to nominate a total of 925 of West Virginia’s brightest young men and women to our nation’s prestigious military academies,” said Senator Manchin. “This year I am beyond proud to recommend these 43 individuals who seek to answer the call to serve our country, and I’m confident that, if accepted, our service academies will further develop them into our next generation of leaders. I truly believe we are the most patriotic state in the nation, and I invite all West Virginians to join me in congratulating these hardworking and dedicated students for their nominations. Their courage and commitment give us all renewed hope for the future.”
Senator Manchin is recommending the following students, in alphabetical order, to the service academies. Final admission to the service academies is determined by the respective academy. Students who are offered admission will be announced individually in the coming months.
United States Military Academy at West Point
- Issac Bennett, Greenbrier East High School (Greenbrier County)
- Chaz Burns, Wirt County High School (Wirt County)
- Ian Cline, Greenbrier East High School (Greenbrier County)
- Agustin Hall, Jefferson High School (Jefferson County)
- Travis Jenkins, Jefferson High School (Jefferson County)
- Logan Lusk, Montcalm High School (Mercer County)
- Hannah Phillips, Jefferson High School (Jefferson County)
- Benjamin Schuck, James Robinson Secondary School (Kanawha County)
- William Stacpoole, Homeschooled (Jefferson County)
- Solomon Stoll, Huntington High School (Cabell County)
United States Air Force Academy
- Nixon Brown, Greenbrier East High School (Greenbrier County)
- Owen Cosner, University High School (Monongalia County)
- Mason Derrick, Jefferson High School (Jefferson County)
- Addison Eldridge, Princeton Senior High School (Mercer County)
- Faith Foglesong, Jefferson High School (Jefferson County)
- Haden Hodge, Hurricane High School (Putnam County)
- Daniel Martin, Parkersburg High School (Wood County)
- Jeremy Mason, Spring Mills High School (Berkeley County)
- Andrew McClanahan, Homeschooled (Putnam County)
- Maddox Reddington, Jefferson High School (Jefferson County)
- Keegan Sack, Huntington High School (Cabell County)
- Benjamin Simerman, Spring Valley High School (Wayne County)
- Wyatt Stanley, Princeton Senior High School (Mercer County)
- Joseph Warren, Berkeley Springs High School (Morgan County)
- George Welti, Homeschooled (Jefferson County)
United States Naval Academy
- Eldon Cottrill, Weirton Madonna High School (Hancock County)
- Sean Fagan, Jefferson High School (Jefferson County)
- Tyler Luketic, Musselman High School (Berkeley County)
- Liberty Mannon, Cabell Midland High School (Cabell County)
- John Park, Spring Mills High School (Berkeley County)
- Tristan Rucker, Jefferson High School (Jefferson County)
- Joseph Simonton, Sissonville High School (Kanawha County)
- Chloe Smalley, Huntington High School (Cabell County)
- Ashton White, Elkins High School (Randolph County)
- Hector Zavala, Faith Christian Academy (Berkeley County)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
- Kevin Gogan, Musselman High School (Berkeley County)
- Faith Grado, Homeschooled (Hampshire County)
- Liberty Mannon, Cabell Midland High School (Cabell County)
- Jackson McWhorter, Blue Ridge High School (Summers County)
- Nathan Michalsky, Penn Foster High School (Mercer County)
- Merrick Reddington, Jefferson High School (Jefferson County)
- August Welsh, Saint John Paul The Great High School (Marshall County)
- Alexandria Williams, Woodrow Wilson High School (Raleigh County)
- William Wojtowicz, Moorehead High School (Hardy County)
In addition to these nominations, this year Senator Manchin is providing letters of recommendation to students who would like to attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy or who are seeking Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarships.