Wheeling, W. Va. - When the Wheeling University Men's Swimming program came back to the athletic lineup during the 2020-2021 season, they started with two swimmers as they looked to build back the strong reputation of the program. Four years later, they have grown to a roster of 15 swimmers, and reached new heights during the 2024-2025 season. The Cardinals would tie the program record for wins in a season, finishing 9-5, and capped off the season with their best finish in program history at the 2024-2025 Mountain East Conference (MEC)/Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) Championships.
As they have over the last three seasons, the team began the year at the West Virginia University Games, getting to see a wide array of talent to open the year. They would kick-off MEC play the following week with a trip to West Virginia Wesleyan to take on Frostburg State and the host Bobcats, and ended up splitting the event. The win against West Virginia Wesleyan would propel the team as they went on to win five meets in a row, and sat 5-1 heading into November. A loss to IUP would break the run, but wins over both Davis & Elkins and WVU Tech would send them into the midseason meet at 7-2. The Cardinals put together a strong showing at the midseason meet, picking up eight top 15 finishes across the three days while finishing a program best 6th place at the event.
After enjoying the winter break, the team would head to Florida for their annual winter training trip, and fell to Lenoir Rhyne 136-47. They would come back to a tough schedule, falling to MEC opponent Fairmont State on senior day and Penn State Behrend, before clinching a 147-133 win over Alfred State to split the tri-meet. With the win over Alfred State, the Cardinals tied the program's single-season wins record and was riding high into the 2025 MEC/GMAC Championships. It was a big showing for the team across the four-day event, with the Cardinals finishing 5th overall and 3rd among their MEC competition. It was once again the highest finish in program history, and they wrapped up the event with another program record, having five different swimmers earn All-MEC honors.
Leading the charge was freshman Gustav Lofqvist, who earned two All-MEC honors across the four-day event, including becoming the first-ever MEC Individual Champion in school history. The honor came in the 50-Yard Freestyle, where Lofqvist qualified for the A final after the morning swims. He came back in the evening and swam even faster, posting a time of 21.24 seconds to earn the individual MEC Crown. His other All-MEC honor would come in the 100-Yard Breaststroke, as he qualified for the B Finals of the event. Lofqvist would swim a time of 59.29, earning Honorable Mention All-MEC honors. In total, Lofqvist would be a part of four of the five total All-MEC honors, swimming as part of both the 200-Yard Freestyle Relay, who won 2nd Team All-MEC honors, and the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay, who took Honorable Mention All-MEC.
Along with their success at the Championship event, the Cardinals also began to receive recognition both at the conference level and nationally. In January, the team was named #10 on the SwimCloud Most Improved Program's list across all of NCAA DII, jumping 10 spots in the rankings to be the 68th ranked team in the country. In the conference, the Cardinals were recognized five times during the season with MEC Male Swimmer of the Week honors, the most awards they have won in program history. Former Cardinal Euan MacLeod won three of the five awards, while Evan Yost and Arvid Hoglund each added Swimmer of the Week honors throughout the season. With a young core of swimmers leading the way, the Cardinals look to build on their experience and continue growing the program into the future.
The Wheeling University Men's Swimming team now head into the off-season as they look to continue to grow towards the 2025-2026 season.
