Meet the 2026 casts and crews of “WVU News” and “Mountaineer Playbook”

New student teams of anchors, beat reporters, producers and directors for the spring 2026 semester have been named for “WVU News” and “Mountaineer Playbook.”

Students in both courses spend the first few weeks learning the foundations of television news production before auditioning for their roles, which they maintain for the rest of the semester. 

Jerenie Sands and Lilly Reisenweber were named main anchors for “WVU News,” and Bryce Cohen and Korey Moore are the main anchors for “Mountaineer Playbook.”

“WVU News” reporters cover events on the University campus and in the Morgantown community. Students report, write, shoot and edit television news stories for the program. They also serve as on-air anchors, producers, directors and technical crew during newscast tapings at WVU’s professional television studio.

“WVU News” is part of the Advanced Television Reporting and Producing course co-taught by Associate Dean of Student Success and Teaching Professor Gina Dahlia and Teaching Assistant Professor Ashton Marra. 

“I knew I wanted to be a part of ‘WVU News’ before I even came to WVU,” said Sands, a senior Journalism major. “I love being in front of the camera, talking to people and editing video. ‘WVU News’ was always the perfect fit for me. Representing the school that has given me lifelong friendships and memories is an honor.”

“I am so beyond thankful to have been chosen as one of the main anchors for ‘WVU News,’” said Reisenweber, a senior Journalism major with a minor in Sports Communications. “Every one of my classmates is extremely talented and supportive. Our professors push us to be the best we can be, and I already feel more prepared to enter a real newsroom following graduation.”

“WVU News” has been awarded more than 150 regional, national and international juried awards in the past decade, including a National Emmy (2015), Regional Emmy Awards (2022-25), Best College Newscast in the Region by the Society of Professional Journalists (2023), and being named in the top four best college newscasts in the country by the Broadcast Education Association every year since 2018.

“Mountaineer Playbook” is the capstone course for the College’s Sports and Adventure Media major and is also taught by Teaching Assistant Anjelica Trinone along with Shott Teaching Assistant Professor Chuck Scatterday. 

The student-produced show was added to the College’s curriculum in 2021 and focuses on sports video reporting and production and includes in-the-field reporting, in-the-studio camera operations, live directing and producing to cover all 18 Division I WVU athletic teams. “Mountaineer Playbook” won its first regional Emmy in 2025. 

“I was inspired by friends and colleagues who cut their teeth in the same course and demonstrated that success in ‘Mountaineer Playbook’ translates to early-career opportunities,” said Cohen, a junior Sports and Adventure Media major. “As an aspiring television anchor, having access to hands-on broadcasting experience will put me ahead of other entry-level multimedia journalists upon graduation.”

“This class is as close a college student can get to working in a newsroom before graduating,” said Connor Durkin, a senior Sports and Adventure Media major and “Mountaineer Playbook” stage manager who also covers WVU Men’s Basketball. “When I graduate, I want to be a reporter/anchor, and this class is a great way to get my feet wet in the industry.”

“WVU News” and “Mountaineer Playbook” episodes are produced biweekly. Viewers can watch on West Virginia Public Broadcasting, KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, the City of Morgantown’s Public Access Channel and on HD Media's website. You can also watch current and past episodes online at journalism.wvu.edu and on YouTube @WVUReedSchool.

“WVU News” Cast and Crew

• Jerenie Sands (Parkersburg, West Virginia) – Main Anchor, Education/Arts & Culture Reporter
  
• Lilly Reisenweber (Martinsburg, West Virginia) – Main Anchor, Social Square, Police/Fire/Crime/Courts Reporter
  
• Regan Duceman (Fredericksburg, Virginia) – Seen & Heard: “The Story Next Door” Reporter
  
• Samantha Smith (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) – Legislative Reporter 
  
• Rozaireo Jones (Fairmont, West Virginia) – WV Legislature and Morgantown Government Reporter
  
• Lakyn Campbell (Parkersburg, West Virginia) – Economic Development/Consumer Reporter
  
• Nakia Bracy (Parkersburg, West Virginia) – Sports Reporter
  
• Brayden Laslo (Columbus, Ohio) – Sports Reporter
  
• Ava Bartnicki (Westlake, Ohio) – WVU Campus Reporter 
  
• Alondra Molina (Martinsburg, West Virginia) – Health/Nonprofit Reporter 
  
• Purity Siror (Eldama Ravine, Kenya) – Web Producer
  
• Sierra Worden (Charleston, West Virginia) – Social Media Producer 
  
• Nate Hite (Morgantown, West Virginia) – Videographer
  
• Mira Hovis (Minooka, Illinois) – Videographer

“Mountaineer Playbook” Cast and Crew

• Bryce Cohen (Whitehouse Station, New Jersey) – Main Anchor 
  
• Korey Moore (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) – Main Anchor
  
• Quinn Robie (Hurricane, West Virginia) – Coaches Corner
  
• Andrew Hartlove (Bel Air, Maryland) – Director, Adventure Anchor
  
• Caroline Bay (San Jose, California) – Producer
  
• Emma Faulkner (Annapolis, Maryland) – Social Media Producer 
  
• Maggie Pibal (Portland, Oregon) – Social Media Anchor
  
• Connor Durkin (Chicago, Illinois) – Men’s Basketball Reporter
  
• Charlie Steensma (Fort Collins, Colorado) – Men’s Basketball Reporter
  
• Griffin Harper (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) – Baseball Reporter 
  
• Logan Powell (Inwood, West Virginia) – Baseball Reporter
  
• Chelsea Mariani (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) – Football Reporter
  
• Benjamin Stautzenbach (Westminster, MD) – Tennis Reporter
  
• TJ Corcoran (Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania) – Hockey Reporter
  
• Lucas Turmo (Rockford, Illinois) – Adventure Reporter
  
• Emma Thomas (Gainesville, Virginia) – Soccer Reporter
  
• Ashlyn Anderson (McKinney, Texas) – Videographer
  
• Cameron Caretti (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) – Videographer
  
• Havanah Thomas (Middlebourne, West Virginia) – Videographer