Oberlin, OH. – The Wheeling University Men's and Women's Swimming teams started the Oberlin College Invitational on Thursday with day one events. The team competed in four different events during the day, and had two top three finishers on the day to complete a successful day one showing. The field of competitors included Penn State Altoona, Baldwin Wallace, and other top swimming programs from around the country.

The biggest performance of the day for the Cardinals came in the Women's 200-meter Intermediate. Freshman Jade Miller, who had three first place finishes in the last meet against Salem, kept her success going, taking the gold medal in the event. She beat out a field that included 24 different swimmers, with a time of 2:14.31. She beat out her morning preliminary time by almost a full minute, and continues to improve every time she hits the pool. Finishing right behind her was sophomore Meredith Mandal, who finished third in the event. She came in almost two seconds behind her state, with a time of 2:16.56, and earned another top three finish this season. Both ladies have been having a strong year, and this further showed that they are top competitors not only in the MEC but across Division II.

On the Men's side, both Ethan Banks and Nathan Yost were both in action, swimming in one race each. Banks swam in the 500-meter freestyle, and was 15^th in the field with a time of 5:02.55. He was 20 seconds off the pace of the leader, and set a new PR at the event. After Banks finished second and third overall at Salem, he was back in the pool and competing among some of the best in Division II swimming. Nathan Yost swam a little bit later in the Men's 50-yard freestyle. After finishing the preliminaries in the morning with a time of 23.01 with a 22^nd place finish. When it came to the finals later that night, Yost maintained that 22^nd place mark, and posted a final time of 23.25. Both men began their work at the event on a high note, and will look to take that momentum into day two.

After one day of competition, both teams sit in ninth place in the tournament field. The women have amassed a team score of 105 and is currently 20 points behind eighth place Penn State Altoona. On the men's side, they have scored 15 total points and sit 36 points behind the next closest team. Both teams are back in action for day two of the Oberlin College Invitational tomorrow, with the morning session beginning at 9 AM and the evening session beginning at 6 PM.