Wheeling, W. Va. - In 2021, the Wheeling University Women's Cross Country team had what Head Coach Patrick Stanton called "The Three-Headed Monster" taking the course. All three of those runners are back in 2022 and look to lead a group of strong newcomers as the program chases down their first Mountain East Conference (MEC) Championship since the 2016 season. With a loaded schedule against some of the top competition across all three divisions of the NCAA, the team will have plenty of opportunities to improve their times heading into the championship event. 

The team was small, but mighty, last season, featuring three full-time Cross Country runners who all improved over the course of the season. They began the year at the Bison Invitational where their top two runners each finished over the 25-minute mark. By their final race, both lowered their times by over five minutes, setting the trio up for strong performances at the MEC Championships. As a team, they finished 7th overall in the field, but Savanaugh Anderson was named a 2021 All-MEC second team Honoree after finishing 16th with a time of 26:13.56. The team wrapped up the year at the Atlantic Regional Championships, where Caroline Fodor finished in the top 100. 

Anderson and Fodor both return to lead the 2022 Cardinals, after each had successful years in both Cross Country and Track & Field. Anderson won the first All-MEC honor of her Cross Country career and was one of the top distance runners in the MEC. She consistently ran times under 25 minutes through the Cross Country season and added a 26:13.56 at the 2021 Cross Country Championships. She looks to continually build on those times as the season goes on. Fodor was the only Cardinal to finish in the top 100 at the Atlantic Regional Championships, running a 24:09.5. She is back for her Graduate season and hopes to end her Cross Country career with a bang. 

Joining those two will be sophomore Sophia Tomana, who got her first taste of collegiate Cross Country in 2021. She just missed All-Conference honors at the 2021 Cross Country Championships, finishing 22nd overall with a time of 24:52.2, which was tied for her season-best time with her NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship time. Joining those three will be a duo of Freshmen that include Gabby Baiano and Sydney Hambel, as well as sophomore Rachel Schenk. Hambel comes from New Lexington High School, where she holds the school record in the 3200 at 11:59, Baiano led South Fayette to a 2021 AA Championship, and Schenck was a student at Wheeling University last season, but will be competing for the Cross Country team for the first time this season. 

The 2022 schedule features several challenging races for the Cardinals as they will face all three levels of competition in the NCAA. They have four different races leading up to the 2022 MEC Championships on November 5th. Their first two races of the year will see them face Division I level talent before heading to two major NCAA Division II races. After being taken number eight in this season's annual MEC Preseason Poll, the Cardinals are looking to defy expectations and chase down their first Championship since the 2016 season. 

The Wheeling University Women's Cross Country team kicks off their season on Friday, September 16th, when they head to the Kutztown D2/D3 Challenge. The Women's Race begins at 9 AM followed by the Men at 10 AM.