Wheeling, W. Va. - After the distance runners gained momentum during the Cross Country season, the Wheeling University Track & Field team gets going as they kick-off indoor season. The Cardinals will head to the Youngstown State University Icebreaker on Friday, with their first events beginning at 1 PM. It will be the Cardinal's lone event of the first half of the indoor schedule as they try to set strong benchmarks that they can build off of heading into the Christmas break.
Last season, the Cardinals competed with an end of an era on both sides, with several strong graduating seniors. After competing through a tough schedule, with several NCAA DI opponents on their list. By the time they came to the 2024 Mountain East Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships, the teams combined to have five different athletes leading the field in their respective events. Both teams had big days on the track, with 18 total athletes making it to the finals of their respective races. Both teams would end up taking fifth in their field of nine teams, with four total individual champions being crowned. On the women's side, the Cardinals had three individual champions while the men added the final individual title. The indoor season would end with one qualifier to the NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field National Championships.
As they enter the 2024-2025, both teams are beginning a new era, with several young athletes getting their chance to shine. On the women's side, their veteran leadership will come from the field events in the form of graduate student Keala McCurry and senior Tara Perry. McCurry is the longest tenured track athlete and is coming off an MEC Championship performance at last year's indoor event. She would set the new MEC Indoor MEC Indoor Track & Field Women's Pole Vault record, reaching a height of 3.51 meters. She earned her second career MEC title and she looks to build on her success this season. While she didn't win the MEC title, Perry has been a veteran in the High jump and took third at last year's championships. The pair will look to lead the field events as the Cardinals look to get as many points as possible.
On the men's side, the experience comes on the track in the form of Joshua Boehm, who broke out in his first season with the Cardinals last season. Before he went on to win the MEC title in the 400-Meter Dash during outdoor season, Boehm was starting to climb the conference ladder during indoor season. He would finish third at the Indoor Track & Field Championships, setting at the time what was his 400-Meter PR with a time of 48.48. As he enters 2024-2025, he has his eyes set on qualifying for the Indoor National Championships as he looks to take his game to the next level. In the field, it will be Kabwe Bwalya wo will provide the leadership in the jumping crew. Bwalya has been jumping for the Cardinals for each of the past three seasons. At last year's indoor championships, Bwalya set his PR in the Triple Jump, taking third with a distance of 13.75 meters.
As they enter the 2024 YSU Icebreaker, the Cardinals are looking to set strong benchmarks for their team to build off of during the break. 2024 will mark the fifth straight season that the Cardinals have opened with the YSU Icebreaker, with Head Coach Patrick Stanton sighting the strong level of competition as the reason why they keep coming back.The Cardinals will get to see competition from all levels of the NCAA, giving them a chance to see how they stack up against the top competition not only from their division but the other three divisions as well. With a lot of young talent leading the way, the Cardinals will use this meet as the first in a new era of Cardinal Track & Field.
Expected Competitors
Sydney Hambel (5000), Sophia Tomana (5000), Jan Wray (60/200), Shane Levesque (5000), Bre'Ya Clopper (400/200), Joshua Boehm (400/200), Drew Pierce (400/200), Deja Ryals (200), Shannon Farrow (200), Magnus Polkner (3000), Ashleigh Aston (WT/SP), Mariah Pelkey (WT), Tristen Tuttle (SP), Jenna Smith (PV), Keala McCurry (PV), Tara Perry (HJ), Kabwe Bwalya (LJ/TJ)
The Details
The first events for the 2024 YSU Icebreaker are set to begin at 1 PM inside the Watson and Tressel Training Site on the campus of Youngstown State University. You can follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
