Wheeling, W. Va. - It has been a long break for the Wheeling University Men's and Women's Swimming teams, with 53 days separating them from their last event. However, the Cardinals come back with a vengeance this week with a pair of weekend events to kick-off the 2023 portion of their schedule. It begins on Friday, January 13th, when the team hosts Salem in dual meet action and continues Saturday, January 14th, when the team heads to Frostburg State for a tri-meet against the host Bobcats and West Virginia Wesleyan.
The last time the Cardinals took the pool was on Saturday, November 19th, for day three of the three-day Oberlin College invitational. The Cardinals had a strong showing across the three days, with several personal bests being set as well as swimmers moving up into the top 10 all-time in a few different events. The two teams combined to take home nine top five finishes, one second place finish, and one individual championship on the day. Every swimmer that took the pool across the three days found a way to improve as they continue preparations for the 2023 Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC)/Mountain East Conference (MEC) championships in February.
On the women's side, the Cardinals were led by sophomore Jade Miller, who took home at least a top five finish in every event she swam in during the tournament. Her best showing came on the final day of the event when she finished with the individual championship. She would end up winning the 200-Yard Backstroke with a time of 2:11.14, winning the event by mere tenths of a second. On the day before, Miller swam in the 400-Yard Individual Medley, and wrote her name in the history books, posting the sixth fastest time in program history at 4:44.90 and placing second in the field. It was also a big meet for freshman Marra Johnson and senior Meredith Mandal, who each took home a pair of top five finishes during the three-day event. Johnson took fifth place in the 400-Yard Individual Medley and the 200-Yard Breaststroke, while Mandal finished fourth in the 200-Yard and 100-Yard Fly to finish the night.
On the men's side, junior Ethan Banks took center stage showing his versatility in distance swimming and the short events. He took home top 20 finishes in both events he competed in, with his best showing coming in the 500-Yard Freestyle. He qualified for the C Finals and finished 19th overall with a time of 5:04.17. His other top 20 time came in the 200 Yard Freestyle, where the junior finished 20th with a time of 1:52.33 to end his first half. Nathan Yost was the other male swimmer to compete, swimming all three days, with his best finish coming on the final day. He picked up a 19th place finish in the 200 Yard Butterfly with a time of 2:12.95 as he rounded out the first half of the season.
As 2023 begins, the Cardinals now head into the stretch run towards the 2023 GMAC/MEC Championships, which will be held February 8th – 11th in Canton, Ohio. Last season, the Cardinals had one individual MEC Champion to go along with several B Final qualifiers at the event. With another year of experience under their belt, and some strong newcomers in the field, the Cardinals are looking for more A Final qualification as they continue to rebuild the winning legacy of the Wheeling University Men's and Women's Swimming programs.
The Matchups
Women: The Cardinals and Tigers are meeting for the fourth time in program history, with Salem leading the all-time series with a record of 1-2. It will be the third meeting between the two teams this season, with the season dual series being split at 1-1. Last time out, the Cardinals hosted Salem inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center Natatorium and ended up winning the event 116-90. Jade Miller led the way with three individual wins on the evening (100 Fly, 200 Back, 200 Breast) and Gabby Baiano finished behind her with two wins on the night (1000 Free, 500 Free).
Men: The Cardinals and Tigers are meeting for the fourth time in program history, with Salem leading the all-time series with a record of 3-0. It will also be the third meeting between the two teams this season, with Salem taking each of the first two dual meets. The Cardinals will be hosting the Tigers for the second time this season, after falling to Salem earlier this season 155-25. Ethan Banks would lead the way that day with wins in the 1000 Yard Freestyle and the 200 Yard Freestyle to wrap up the day.
The Details
Friday's dual meet is scheduled to begin at 6 PM inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center Natatorium. You can watch the dual meet live by clicking HERE.
