Wheeling, W. Va. – The 2024-2025 season was a historic one for the Wheeling University Men's Swimming team as they tied the single-season win record. That history continued at the 2025 Mountain East Conference (MEC)/Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) Swimming & Diving Championships, with the Cardinals finishing the highest they have at the event in program history taking 5th overall and third in the MEC. They wrapped up the event setting a new program record with five All-MEC honors throughout the week as they continue to grow as a program.
Among those five All-MEC honors was the first MEC Championship in program history, courtesy of freshman Gustav Lofqvist. It would be in the third individual event of the event as Lofqvist took on the 50-Yard Freestyle. He would have a strong swim in the morning and was the lone MEC swimmer to qualify for the A final of the event. He would compete against seven University of Findlay swimmers in the final swim and would take sixth overall with a time of 21.24 seconds to earn the first MEC Championship in program history. Lofqvist would continue to be a big part of the All-MEC honors throughout the week, taking part in four of the five All-MEC honors throughout the week, including both of the Individual All-MEC honors.
His second individual award would come on day three of the competition when he competed in the Men's 100-Yard Breastroke. He would qualify for the B Finals, where he swam against four MEC swimmers, and ended up winning his final. He would swim a time of 59.29 to earn Honorable Mention All-MEC honors at the event, rounding out a strong freshman season. The other three All-MEC honors would come in relay events, with day one starting strong with the 200-Yard Freestyle Relay. The team of Lofqvist, Sarp Killic, Patrick Kirby, and Alberto Kofinke would earn 2nd Team All-MEC honors, swimming a time of 1:27.05 to finish fourth overall.
After not winning an All-MEC honor on day two, the relay events came back strong once again on day three. After Lofqvist earned honors in the 100-Yard Breaststroke, Sarp Killic, Nathan Reigel, Evan Yost and Nathan Yost would take the pool in the 800-Yard Freestyle Relay. The group would earn Honorable Mention All-MEC honors, swimming a time of 7:20.36 to wrap up the third day of competition. The Cardinals rounded out the event strong on the final day with their third Relay All-MEC honor. Lofqvist, Kirby, Nate Yost, and Killic would finish fifth overall in the event, swimming a time of 3:15.59 to take Honorable Mention All-MEC honors to round out the day.
Wheeling Men's Swimming adds five All-MEC honors across the four days and raises the number to 38 Cardinals who have earned All-Conference honors this season. Seven different Men's Swimmers would garner All-MEC honors, setting a new record after the team had one All-MEC honor a season ago. Wheeling Women's Swimming had eight swimmers honored, as the Cardinals picked up 15 honorees across the four days of competition.
The Wheeling University Men's Swimming team now heads into the offseason as they look to continue building on their historic season.
