Wheeling, W. Va. - As they enter the final month of 2025, the Wheeling University Athletic Department saw some big performances to start the run to Christmas Break. Their were several standout performances throughout the week, and two of those performances were honored as the department released their weekly Cardinal High Flyer of the Week awards on Tuesday. Wheeling Women's Track & Field athlete Autumn Kerchner earned the Female High Flyer of the Week award while Men's Basketball player Caleb Murray would take home the Male High Flyer of the Week honors.
The first week of action would tip-off on the basketball court, with a home doubleheader against Point Park to start Mountain East Conference (MEC) play. The Women's Basketball team would begin the night with a 67-53 win over the Pioneers, and the men completed the sweep with a 97-75 win over Point Park in the nightcap. Thursday would be the first of back-to-back days of competition for Indoor Track as they headed to the Oiler Open and the YSU Ice Breaker. Fenne Sienaert would represent the Cardinals and the multis at the Oiler Open, taking 10th in the Women's Pentathlon, and the Cardinals would have four top 10 finishes at Youngstown. Wheeling Wrestling would take the mat later that night, splitting the Frostburg State Tri-Meet with a win over Point Park and a loss to Fairmont State. The weekend rounded out with another basketball doubleheader, with another sweep as Women's Basketball beat Salem 67-27 and the men earned a 93-85 win to round out the week.
Autumn Kerchner is taking home her first Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award of the season, finishing as the highest individual placer for the Cardinals at the YSU Ice Breaker. After helping the Women's Cross Country team in their final two races of the season, Kerchner was back in her element, taking on the Women's High Jump at Youngstown State. She would attempt six total heights on the day, beginning at 1.39 meters, which she cleared on the first attempt. After needing three attempts to pass 1.44 meters, she came back and cleared 1.49 meters on her second try. Her best jump of the day came at 1.54 meters, where she cleared the bar on the first try to set a PR. She would attempt 1.59 meters, but ended up falling just short to round out her day. She would finish second overall and second among NCAA DII competition, while beating out Youngstown State's Mylee Harmon by clearing 1.54 meters on her first attempt. She would end up setting the fourth highest jump in the conference and looks to build on that throughout the season.
Caleb Murray is also taking home his first Cardinal High Flyer of the Week honor, after leading the Cardinals to a 2-0 record on the court. Murray would combine to put up 36 points over the week, shooting 12-24 (50%) from the floor and 7-12 (58.3%) from three-point range. His week was highlighted by a career-best 23-point effort against Salem, that saw him shoot 8-14 (57.1%) from the floor and 5-7 (71.4%) from three-point range. His five three-pointers would tie a career-high for the senior and bring his season scoring average to a career-best 12.7 points per game. He would kick-off the week with his first double-digit effort of the week, finishing with 13 points against Point Park in the team's 97-point effort. Murray has taken to his new role as a starter in 2025 and looks to continue to be a big contributor for the Cardinals down the stretch.
Autumn Kerchner and Caleb Murray were both pioneers for their teams this week, taking home the first Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award for each program. Both would also earn the first Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award for their careers, and both will look to continue leading their team through the 2025-2026 season. Last week, the Cardinals only had one honoree with one game being played, as Wheeling Women's Basketball player Emma Reynolds being honored.
The next Wheeling University athletic event is scheduled for Wednesday, December 10th, when they hit the road to face West Virginia State with tip-off at 5:30 PM.
