Wheeling, W. Va. – Throughout the summer months, Wheeling University Athletics wants to hear from you with our Fan Vote Awards. Each week throughout the summer, a new category will be announced with four nominees as nominated by you the fans. The first four nominees of the summer were announced Monday as the Freshman of the Year Nominees have been released with Rugby's Aaron Juma, Women's Swimmer Gabby Baiano, Wrestler Caden Canning, and Softball player Madison George receiving the top nominations.
Aaron Juma: Aaron Juma joined the Wheeling Rugby team late, but once he did his impact was immense. In his debut match against Marian, he scored one of his team's three tries on the day, sparking a streak of 12 consecutive games with at least one try scored. Juma was the Cardinals leader in tries for the fall season, scoring 14 in his seven matches for an average of two tries per game. He was rewarded for his efforts in between 15's and 7's season, when he was named an NCR Division I All-American. He was just the second player in program history to win the honor, and the first freshman to achieve All-American honors. He then came out during 7's season and picked up right where he left off at the Pitt Dome 7's, scoring six tries in four matches.
His honors would continue to roll in as he was selected to play for the National team in his home country of Zimbabwe. He played there for most of the spring but returned to Wheeling for the 2023 Collegiate Rugby Championships (CRC) 7's and was again dominant. He scored a team-best three tries in the three matches, leading the club and helping them make it to the quarterfinal round of the tournament. In their first full season as a DI program, Juma was a big reason for the team's success, and he continues to play this summer with the Zimbabwe National Team. The Cardinals look for him to continue his success and be a big part of this Cardinals team for years to come.
Gabby Baiano: Being a three-sport athlete in high school is hard, but transitioning to the college level can be an even bigger task. Freshman Women's Swimmer Gabby Baiano took the challenge head on, running Cross Country and Track & Field to go along with her Swimming season. However, she excelled most in the pool, earning honors in the Cardinal record books and across the conference. During the fall, she had to balance her Cross Country and her Swimming schedules, causing her to have to miss a few of the fall dual meets. She made her season debut at the WVU Games and swam in both the 1000-Yard Freestyle (11:25.73) and the 50-Yard Freestyle (28.00). While she swam in several different events throughout the year, it was the distance events where she excelled.
She wrote her name in the Wheeling record books twice during the season, both times coming in the 1650 Freestyle. The first time came on January 28th, when she swam the Wheeling University Pool record in the event, with a time of 18:21.64. She came back at the 2023 Mountain East Conference (MEC)/Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) Swimming and Diving Championships and swam the third fastest time in school history at 18:07.71. It was one of two All-MEC honors for the Freshman at the event, as she won the award both in the 1650 Freestyle (Honorable Mention) and the 200-Yarf Freestyle. She wrapped up the year by winning the MEC Co-Freshman of the Year award, splitting the honor with Frostburg State's Gabriela Betancourt.
Caden Canning: At the beginning of the year, the Wheeling University Wrestling program saw its share of ups and downs. However, Head Coach Shane Brown came in and not only stabilized the program but has it growing for the future. One of the key pieces to the team's success was freshman Caden Canning, who wrestled in the 141-pound weight class throughout the season. He made his collegiate debut at the Mount Union Invitational to open the season and right away saw success on the mat. He went 2-2 across his four matches and was in every match throughout the day. The Cardinals played a full Tournament schedule during the season, and Canning thrived with the opportunity to face opponents from across all three levels of the NCAA.
Canning would lead the Wheeling Wrestling team with two fourth place finishes on the year and was the team's leader with nine pins on the season. His first fourth place finish of the season came at the 2023 MEC Championship, Canning's first career championship event. After a forfeit victory moved him to the Quarterfinals round, he would face West Liberty's Khyvon Grace, who moved him to the consolation bracket. He picked up a Major Decision over Glenville State's Cam Barr (14-0) and moved into the third-place match looking for his first top three finish. He would end up falling in the final seconds of the match in a 3-0 Decision but was still able to take fourth in the field. He looks to continue his success on the mat as he growths with the program.
Madison George: After beginning the season as one of two Wheeling Softball catchers, Madison George forced her way into the Cardinals everyday lineup with her bat. She would both catch and play right field for the Cardinals and boasted the second highest batting average on the team, hitting .326 with 18 RBI across 138 at-bats. George made an impact across the conference too, finishing in the top 25 in hits (45), batting average (.326), and RBI (18). Her highest finish came in the RBI category, where she ranked 17th in the conference. She finished the year with 10 multi-hit efforts and got at least one hit in six of her last seven games, hitting .363 (8-22), with two doubles and two RBI during that span.
George's biggest string of success came from March 7th to March 21st, when George rattled off a 10-game hitting streak. She went a collegiate best 4-4 against Lock Haven on March 10th during the team's spring trip and drove in two RBI in that game. During that stretch, George hit .558 (19-34) with six of her ten multi-hit efforts coming during that span. George worked her way into splitting time with teammate Maddie Munoz both behind the plate and in right field by season's end. She looks to be an anchor in the middle of the Cardinals lineup for years to come as she builds off her freshman season's success.
There are several ways for you to vote for the 2023 Fan Vote Freshman of the Year. You can vote online by clicking HERE, react to the post on our Facebook Page, vote in our Twitter Poll, or comment on our Instagram and YouTube channels. You can vote once time per platform and the winner will be determined by the total number of votes across all voting platforms. The winner will be announced Friday morning at 11 AM on our website and social media channels.
