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MORGANTOWN - A Parkersburg High School graduate Saturday was one of two students crowned as 2026 Homecoming Royalty at West Virginia University.
Lakyn Campbell of Parkersburg and Gabrielle Custer of Charleson were announced during halftime at the football game between WVU and the University of Cincinnati at Milan Puskar Stadium. WVU won a squeaker 45-42 with a field goal in the last moments of the game.
Campbell is a senior majoring in journalism and political science and is a member of the WVU Honors College. She is a 2023 graduate of Parkersburg where she excelled in academics and tennis.
She is an anchor at "WVU Today," a program of the university, president of Chi Omega Sorority, a student ambassador and social media coordinator for the WVU College of Creative Arts and Media, volunteers for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life and has helped raise more than $15,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Campbell was sponsored by the Chi Omega Sorority.
Custer, also a member of the Honors College, is a marketing major and vice president of recruitment for the WVU Panhellenic Council, a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority and was named a Future Leader for the 304 Marketing Agency in the WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics. She is the founding owner of Unhinged Society, a small business focused on self-expression.
Custer was sponsored by the WVU Panhellenic Council.
Other candidates in the homecoming court were seniors Nicholas Albright, Emma Bates, Zoe Burleson, Ariana Davidson, Izayah Everett, Reagan Frazier, Ruby Jackson and Alison Stone.
The selection process began with an application to a panel of student and staff judges who then advanced the top 20 to the interview phase where the 10 candidates with the highest combined scores from applications and interviews were named to the Homecoming Court. Campbell and Custer were chosen based on a score that is weighted equally between their application and interview performance and student voting.
Also at halftime, the WVU Alumni Association presented the 2026 Homecoming and Alumni Service Awards.
They were:
Anitra Hamilton, 2026 Outstanding Alumni
Richard "Rick" Pill, recipient of the David W. Jacobs Lifetime Service Award
Joshua Meadows, recipient of the Margaret Buchanan Cole Young Alumni Award
Marilyn T. McClure-Demers, recipient of the James R. McCartney Community Service Award John Dowling, recipient of the Paul B. "Buck" Martin Values and Traditions Award
Heather Dishman, recipient of the John F. Nicholas Jr. Award.
Jordan Harrison, WVU women's basketball standout, was marshal of the homecoming parade on Friday.