Wheeling, W. Va. - The opening week of the 2025-2026 season has come and gone as the first Wheeling University Athletic Teams have taken the field. It was a big week on the Rugby pitch, with both teams picking up their first wins of the season, and the two teams would sweep the opening Cardinal High Flyer of the Week Awards. Wheeling University Men's Rugby Player Alex Nyamunda earns the Male High Flyer of the Week award, while Wheeling University Women's Rugby Player Bella Gullatta earned the Female High Flyer of the Week Award.

The 2025-2026 Wheeling Athletics season officially kicked off on Thursday night when the Wheeling University Football team made a trip up I-79 to battle Clarion. The Cardinals battled throughout the night, but ended up falling to the Golden Eagles 34-0 to open their season. The home portion of the schedule would kick-off Saturday, with the Wheeling Men's Rugby team hosting IUP. Before the game, the team celebrated its 2025 Collegiate Rugby Championships (CRC) National 7's title before they took on the defending NCR DII National Champions. In the end, the Cardinal's offense mustered 52 second-half points and walked away with a 69-12 win. The final game of the week saw Wheeling Women's Rugby travel to State College, PA. To battle Penn State. It was a game dominated by the Cardinal offense, as they walked away with an 87-0 victory.

For Nyamunda, it is his first Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award of the season, after the senior led the Cardinals with 20 points in their 69-12 win. Nyamunda would score four tries in the effort, setting a new single-game high for himself, with all four of those tries coming in the final 40 minutes of play. After not seeing the pitch in the first half, Nyamunda subbed into the game at halftime and needed just a minute and a half to make his presence felt on the pitch. He scored the first two tries of the second half and helped push the Cardinals over the top. Nyamunda was the Cardinal's leading try scorer last season, putting 11 across the line and totaling 55 points, and looks to be a leader for the team again in 2025. His effort helped move him just two tries shy of the program's career 15's record and he will look to break that number this upcoming week.

For Gullatta, it is her first Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award of the season, capping off what was a career day for the senior. She would set the program's new single-game points record by scoring 37 points in the match, beating her previous record of 34 points that she set last year. Her biggest contribution came in the kicking game, where she went 9-12 (75%) on conversion kicks and adding three penalty kicks throughout the day. Gullatta served as the Cardinal's primary kicker a season ago, making just over 72% of the kicks she attempted last season, and looks to lead the kicking game again in 2025. Along with her kicking abilities, Gullatta would also cross the try line twice in the effort, including scoring the final try of the game in the 78^th minute.

Nyamunda and Gullatta are the first two Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award winners of the 2025-2026 season. The Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award is given out each week to the top male and top female athlete from the past week of action. Stay tune throughout the season as we unveil two new Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award winners each week throughout 2025-2026.

The next Wheeling University Athletic event is scheduled for Thursday, September 4^th, when the Wheeling University Men's and Women's Golf teams host the Wheeling Invitational at 9 AM.