Wheeling, W. Va. - With report day just 22 days away, the Wheeling University Men's and Women's Cross Country teams are preparing to take the course in 2025. On Thursday, the team released its 2025 Cross Country schedule, featuring four regular season races leading up to the 2025 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Cross Country Championships in October. With a young team on their hands, the Cardinals are looking to gain experience on the course while climbing the ladder in the highly competitive MEC.
The 2024 season saw both teams take different paths as they navigated the Cross Country season. On the men's side, it was a young team that featured two of its top three runners in either their freshman or sophomore season. They faced a combination of strong regional teams as well as some DI competition as they prepared for their championship race. The Cardinals would have two runners finish in the event's top 50 and had two of the three runners move on to get their first experience at the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional Championships. With two of their three top runners from a season ago back on the course, the Cardinals will look to build on that experience while welcoming in some new talent to continue building in 2025.
On the women's side, the Cardinals were a veteran group with all five of their runners being in either their junior or senior seasons. Like the men, the women faced an identical schedule, competing against various levels of NCAA DII and DI talent throughout the season. As they got to the MEC Cross Country Championships, the Cardinals had several individual successes, with two of their top three runners setting PRs at the event. The day was highlighted by a First Team All-MEC honor by former Cardinal Sydney Hambel, and all three of the team's top runners would finish in the top 50 of the event. As they moved on to the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional Championships, Hambel would keep the individual success going, finishing 47th overall, while three Cardinals once again finished in the top 140 of the event.
2025 will see both units featuring a young roster, and the schedule will allow them to compete against some of the top regional teams throughout the regular season. The year kicks off with the team's lone midweek race of the season as they head to the Hilltop to face their rival West Liberty at the West Liberty Invitational. With several fellow MEC and regional teams in the lineup, the Cardinals will get a good test of their skills early on. They follow that up with another Ohio Valley race the following weekend, taking the 30-minute drive up Route 88 to take on the Bethany College Invitational on September 13th. After taking a week off, the Cardinals will round out September with a trip to Lock Haven University, the site of the 2025 NCAA DII Atlantic Regional Championship, on September 27th.
With a preview of the Regional Championship course in the books, Wheeling jumps into their final regular season tune-up to start October as they head to Carnegie Mellon University on October 11th. Then, it's right into the postseason schedule as the Cardinals build on their experience from the regular season. The postseason kicks off on October 11th when the Cardinals head to Oglebay Park for the 2025 MEC Cross Country Championships. It will be one of the most difficult courses that the team has to face throughout the year, as they tackle the rolling hills of the Crispin Golf Course. Two weeks later, it is time to hit the regional stage as the Cardinals take on the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional Championships at Lock Haven University on November 8th.
The 2025 Wheeling University Men's Cross Country team will kick-off the 2025 schedule on Thursday, September 4th, when they run at the West Liberty Invitational. To see the entire 2025 Men's and Women's Cross Country schedule, click HERE.
