Wheeling, W. Va. - Over the weekend, the Wheeling University Men's and Women's Swimming teams hosted their first event since the 2016-2017 season. After winning all three of his races at the event, freshman Nathan Yost had a big day and has been rewarded by being named this week's Mountain East Conference (MEC) Men's Swimmer of the Week.
In his first home collegiate swimming meet, Yost competed in three different races, winning each of those three races. He competed in the 200-yard freestyle, the 100-yard butterfly, and the 100-yard backstroke and was able to defeat his competitor in each race. It was a big confidence booster for the freshman, as he showed that he can compete against some top swimming competition as he prepares for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC)/MEC Championships later this season.
His fastest time of the day came in the 100-yard Butterfly, where he finished with a season-low time of 58.99. He defeated Bethany's Francisco Ramirez by a full 10 seconds and was one of just five swimmers to post a time under the one-minute mark on the day. He dropped his time by seven seconds from the first meet at Frostburg State and tries to get faster and faster as the season moves on.
He began his day with the 200-yard freestyle, where he finished with a time of 1:55.12 in an event that he swam in for the first time this season. His day concluded with the 100-yard backstroke, where he also came in first, beating Bethany's Ramirez with a time of 1:02.05. He won that race by three seconds over his competitor, wrapping up the day of first-place finishes for the first-year collegiate swimmer.
The Wheeling Men's Swimming team features just two swimmers this season as they try to build the foundation for the program moving forward. With Yost being from nearby St. Clairsville, Ohio, it makes the wins that much more rewarding as he gets to have his success right here in his hometown. He and teammate Ethan Banks are looking to build a solid foundation for the program that continues to grow year in and year out.
Nathan Yost is the first member of the Wheeling University Men's Swimming team to be honored as the MEC Men's Swimmer of the Week this season. Overall, he is the 10th Cardinal to receive the honor this season, with the last award winner being football's Matt Greenwood, who was named the MEC Football Special Teams Player of the Week yesterday.
The Wheeling University Men's Swimming team is off this coming weekend but will return to action on November 13th when they go on the road to face Salem University.
