Wheeling, W. Va. - After having nearly two months off for the winter break, the Wheeling University Swimming team is heading back to the pool this Saturday when they take on West Virginia Wesleyan in their first official dual event of the 2022 portion of their schedule at 1 PM. It will also be the first time the team is swimming against a Mountain East Conference (MEC) opponent since their very first meet of the year against Frostburg State.
The last time the Cardinals' swimmers took the pool was back at the Oberlin College Invitational from November 18th through November 20th. Throughout the three-day event, Wheeling had several top five finishers at the event, and even took home a pair of first-place finishes. It was a big showing for the young Cardinal team, as every swimmer contributed to the success in one way or another. In total, Wheeling finished the tournament with two first-place finishes, a second-place finish, a third-place finish, and two fifth-place finishes under their belt.
On the women's side, Freshman Jade Miller and junior Meredith Mandal led at the event, with both swimmers coming away with multiple top-five finishes. Miller raced three times at Oberlin, winning two of the races and coming away with a fifth-place finish. Her two wins came in the 200-yard Backstroke and the 200-meter Individual Medley, while her fifth-place finish was in the 100-yard Backstroke. For Mandal, she took home a third-place finish at the event, coming in the 400-meter Individual Medley on Day two of the event.
On the men's side, Nathan Yost and Ethan Banks both competed, with both swimmers competing in two races. Yost raced on day one and day two of the event and finished 22nd overall in the 50-Yard on day one and 22nd overall in the 100-meter Butterfly on Day two. For Banks, he competed on day one and three of the event and took home a 15th place finish in the 500-meter Freestyle, and a 14th place finish in the 200-yard Backstroke.
For Wheeling, Saturday's event will mark the first of back-to-back MEC meets leading up to the MEC Swimming and Diving Championships scheduled for February 16th through the 20th. They begin this Saturday taking on West Virginia Wesleyan, and then head to Fairmont State in two weeks where they will take on both Fairmont State and Alderson Broaddus. It will be a chance for Wheeling's swimmers to see what competition they will face in the conference championships and help prepare them for what lies ahead.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Bobcats have been competing against each other dating back to the 2013 season, but Saturday will mark their first dual event since the 2016 season. Overall, they have faced each other five times, with Wheeling holding a 4-1 record in those meets, and a 3-1 record when the event is held in Buckhannon, West Virginia.
Their last meeting came back on November 12th, 2016, in an event that West Virginia Wesleyan would win 109-90. The Cardinals picked up five first place finishes at the event, with former Cardinal Vincent Zelli leading the way with two wins. Former Cardinals Lucas Rhodes, Jake Brumbaugh, and Farida Yahia also picked up wins at the event.
The Details
Saturday's dual swim meet is scheduled to begin at 1 PM on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan. You can watch the action live by clicking HERE.
