Wheeling, W. Va. - After seeing several of their top performers move on after graduating in May, the Wheeling University Men's Indoor Track & Field program is taking on a new look for the 2025-2026 season. With a new Head Coach at the helm in Greg Schmitt, and a roster that includes 14 freshmen and sophomores, the Cardinals are looking to build a strong foundation for the program moving forward. With six meets in the span of seven weeks, the Cardinals will have several opportunities to build their skills in their certain events.
The Cardinals are coming off a season where they had a veteran roster competing across several NCAA DI invites throughout the year. They began at the YSU Ice Breaker invitational, where they got the chance to see several levels of competition across all levels of the NCAA. After coming back from the Christmas break, the Cardinals dove head first into the schedule, taking on three NCAA DI invitationals over their final six event stretch. They entered the conference championship field with three athletes sitting in the top five of their respective events, and looked to show their skills against the top talent in the conference. The Cardinals would finish 10th as a team, but had one athlete land on the podium to round out their day at the championship event.
The leading returner for the Cardinals is sophomore Magnus Polkner, who really came out of his shell during the Cross Country season. Polkner would take his running game to new heights, setting PR's in two of the three regular season races he participated in. During the Track season, he runs in the mid-distance events, with his top event being the 800-Meter Dash. Polkner would rank fourth in the conference in the event, with his top time of 1:53.82 coming at the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Polkner would also see a lot of time in the 1500 Meter Run, setting his PR at his last chance meet when he took on the Harrison Dillard Twilight, running a time of 4:00.11. He looks to use the momentum he gained during the Cross Country season, and continue building on that success as he heads to the Track & Field realm.
The field events will take on a younger look, with the throwers serving as the veteran group in the field. Davonte Courtney is the most veteran of the group who, despite missing last season due to injury, was one of the top throwers for the team during the 2024 Outdoor Season. That year, Courtney would finish 5th in the conference in shot put, throwing a distance of 14.17 meters, while also competing in the discus and hammer throw throughout the year. Last season, it was Tristen Tuttle who stepped into the lead thrower role, competing in both the shot put and weight throw throughout the season. He set his PR in shot put at the Ashland Jud Logan Light Giver Invitational at 12.14 meters, and his weight throw PR of 13.94 meters would be set the next meet at the Kent State Douglas Raymond Invitational.
Joining the group of veterans is a hungry freshman class that is ready to make their mark on the program. The Linsly School alumni Taven Mayo will be a force on both sides, running in the sprints, mid-distance, and distance events. While competing at The Linsly School, Mayo would be named the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC) Region 1 Champion in the Pole Vault. Another versatile young option for the team is Kris Vigars, who will see time at hurdles, sprint, distance, and mid-distance events. While competing at Rivervview Gabriel High School, the freshman received 10 Regional Honors throughout his career as well as two All-State honors. He would excel at the 300-Meter Hurdles, winning three regional championships and two conference championships in the event.
The 2025-2026 schedule will once again see the team taking on a range of talent from across all levels of the NCAA. The season kicks off with a split week, with the multis heading to the Oiler Open and the rest heading to the Youngstown State Ice Breaker. Both will serve as benchmark events for the Cardinals before they jump headfirst into the indoor schedule. The second half begins with the Muskie Meet #1 and sees the Cardinals compete in four events over a five-week stretch. They end January with trips to Kent State and Youngstown State, before ending the regular season at the SPIRE Indoor Collegiate Games on February 14th. The indoor season comes to an end on February 22nd when the MEC Indoor Track & Field Championships head to Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
The Wheeling University Men's Indoor Track & Field team will kick-off the season at the Youngstown State Ice Breaker on Friday, December 5th, beginning at 1 PM.
