Wheeling, W. Va. – After swimming away from their home pool during the first month of the season, it is time for the Wheeling University Men's and Women's Swimming Team to come back home. They open the Alma Grace McDonough Natatorium on Friday evening when they host Salem at 4 PM. It will be just the second home event for the swim programs since it was brought back in 2020-21 as they get to swim in front of their home fans.
Last time out, both teams had their most competitive meets of the year when they took on Bethany in dual meet action. The women picked up their first win of the 2022-23 season, defeating the Bison 155-32, while the Men played their most competitive team score so far falling 72-44. Overall, the Cardinals took home 17 first place finishes out of the 26 events with a few PR's mixed in among the results. After swimming against some tough competition in their first few meets of the season, it was a confidence boost for Wheeling to be able to face a team with similar competition to themselves.
On the women's side, the Cardinals had a big day sweeping the meet with wins in all 13 events they raced in. Sophomore Jade Miller and Freshman Marra Johnson led the way with three wins each while Gabby Baiano, Caitlin Oltman, and Meredith Mandal each picked up two wins on the day. Miller took home wins in the 100-Yard Backstroke (1:01.69), the 200-Yard Backstroke (2:18.84) and the 400-Yard Individual Medley. Marra Johnson picked up the first three wins of her collegiate career in the 100-Yard Breastroke (1:15.15), 50-Yard Freestyle (27.94), and the 100-Yard Butterfly.
The Men's side may not have had the numbers to compete in the team score, but Nathan Yost and Ethan Banks each had strong performances in their own right. Both swimmers picked up two wins on the day as well as two second place finishes to round out the day. Banks saw his success come in his signature distance events, with his first win coming in the 1,000-Yard Freestyle, where he swam a 11:03.44. He finished his day at the 100-Yard Backstroke and picked up another win in the 100-Yard Backstroke with a time of 1:03.78. Nathan Yost picked up wins in the 50-Yard Freestyle (24.25) and the 400-Yard Individual Medley (5:00.79). He swam the 400-Yard Individual Medley for the first time this season as he continues to build in the pool.
This will be the Cardinal's final tune-up before their big mid-season meet at Oberlin College next week. The Cardinals have seen plenty of success in the early portion of the season and are looking to improve their times one more time before that big meet. It will also be just their second home meet since the resurgence of the program in 2020-21 as they get a chance to swim in their home pool and in front of their home fans.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Tigers will be swimming against each other for the third time in program history and the second time this season. On both sides, Salem leads the all-time series at 2-0 with the Cardinals looking for their first win. However, this will be their first ever meeting in Wheeling, West Virginia as the Cardinals look for their first win against the Tigers.
In their first meeting of the year, the teams met in tri meet action in Salem, West Virginia as the Tigers won 169-69 and 180-20. On the women's side, Jade Miller and Meredith Mandal led the way with one win each in their three events. The men were led by Ethan Banks, who finished second in the 1000-Yard Freestyle and fourth in the 500-Yard Freestyle.
The Details
Friday's dual meet against Salem is set to begin at 4 PM inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center Natatorium. You can watch the day's action live by clicking HERE.
