Morgantown, W. Va. – After the throwers kicked off the Marty Pushkin Invitational on Friday, the rest of the team took to the competition field on day two Saturday. The Cardinals had five top 10 finishes at the event, with an individual event champion leading the way. The Cardinals jumpers and distance runners would lead the way as the Cardinals put a close on their 2025 Outdoor Track & Field opener.
The highlight of the day came in the Men's Triple Jump as Kabwe Bwalya built off his momentum from the end of Indoor Season. The senior would take the top spot in the field, reaching a distance of 13.71 meters to start his outdoor season strong. He would hit the mark on his final attempt of the first round, adding almost .20 meters to his longest jump. As he advanced to the finals, Bwalya would add a distance of 13.40 meters but his third jump distance would stand. He beat out six other jumpers from around the Mountain East Conference (MEC) and he looks to chase down his first ever conference championship later this season when the team returns to Mylan Park.
The other big event of the day was the 800-Meter Dash where Magnus Polkner and Shane Levesque competing. Both would earn top 10 finishes, with Polkner taking the top spot with a seventh place finish. He would set a new PR, running a time of 1:58.97 and finished fourth among the MEC competition in the field. Finishing one spot behind him was teammate Shane Levesque, who took eighth in the event with a time of 1:59.04. While it wasn't a PR for Levesque, it was another strong showing as he continues to be a leader on the distance events. Polkner and Levesque were both stars in Cross Country season and looks to continue to lead thrE distance runners in outdoor season.
The final two track events were the 200-Meter and 400-Meter dashes. The 200-Meter would be the most successful of the two events, adding two top 10 finishes on the day. Leading the way was Joshua Boehm, who finished eighth with a time of 22.99, who had a strong return from injury. Right behind him was Jan Wray, who finished 10th with a time of 23.36 seconds to pick up the final top 10 finish of the day. Erick Berroa would be the final competitor for the Cardinals in the event, taking 16th with a time of 24.40. the final event for the men was the 400-Meter Dash with Drew Pierce running a time of 55.94 to place 26th in the field
The lone female competitor of the day was Gabby Baiano, who took on the Women's 1500 Meter Run. Baiano would take 22nd in the field with a time of 5:29.99 as she began her outdoor season. She finished six seconds behind her PR as she looks to continue to improve throughout the season.
The Wheeling University Outdoor Track & Field team returns to action on Friday, March 28th, when they compete at the Tim Weaver Invitational.
