Wheeling, W. Va. – Every year, Wheeling and West Liberty come together for their classic rivalry, "The Battle for Wheeling." On Thursday, we will see the first installment of this classic rivalry, as the Wheeling University Men's & Women's Cross Country team take the drive up Route 88 to compete in the West Liberty Invitational. While the Cardinals and Hilltoppers will be joined by teams from around the Mountain East Conference (MEC) and region, it will begin a new era of Wheeling Cross Country, under Head Coach Greg Schmitt.
In 2024, the men's and women's programs each took on a story of their own during the year. On the women's side, the Cardinals were a veteran group, with three of their top five runners being in their junior year or higher. The Cardinals would see their share of individual successes throughout the season, and it culminated into a strong showing at the MEC Cross Country Championships. They had three runners finish in the top 50 of the event, including a First Team All-MEC honoree. On the Men's side, the Cardinals were a younger unit with four of their five runners being in either their sophomore or freshman seasons. They battled through a variety of talent levels from NCAA DI and DII as they gained experience on the course.
This season, both teams will feature a young roster with a senior leading the way on both sides. For the men, it will be graduate student Hunter Tomich leading the way, after being the Cardinal's top runner a season ago. He would produce the fastest time for the Cardinals at the MEC Cross Country Championships, running a time of 27:45.5 across the 8K race. He would finish 40th overall at the event and continued his success into the regionals, where he was once again the team's top runner, finishing 92nd with a time of 33:21.1. The other returner for the Cardinals will be sophomore Magnus Polkner, who burst onto the scene during his freshman season. Polkner was the Cardinals top runner at the Louisville Classic, where he ran a time of 27:11.2, setting his 8K PR.
On the women's side, the Cardinals will turn to Gabby Baiano, who is a star both on the course and in the pool. Baiano was one of the three Cardinal runners to crack the top 50 at last year's championship event, where she finished 50th with a time of 26:32.47. Baiano has been a mainstay in the Cardinal's top three runners over her first three seasons, running in the NCAA Regionals in each of those three seasons, and looks to lead the way for the younger runners. Joining her will be a class of five new runners looking to make their mark. Joining Baiano in the veteran role will be junior Madison Conrad. Conrad came to the Cardinals after spending the last two years at Robert Morris. She helped lead the Colonials to the Horizon League Championship, and looks to help build the Cardinals into a championship contender.
As they head into the 2025 season, the Cardinals will face a schedule largely centered around opponents in their region. Three of their four races are within an hour and a half radius of home, with the lone exception being the Lock Haven University Invitational to round out September. Schmitt says he designed the schedule as a way to build his young team's confidence, while showing them the talent they will have to face at both the conference and regional level. In their first run of the season, the Cardinals will get a chance to face a challenging course in Bethany, West Virginia, as they prepare to tackle the hills of West Virginia in preparation for the 2025 MEC Cross Country Championships.
Event Details
The 2025 West Liberty Invitational will be hosted by West Liberty University at the course at Bethany College. The course will be a 5K run for the women and a 6K run for the men as they take on the challenging hills of West Virginia. Along with the Cardinals and Hilltoppers, West Virginia Wesleyan, West Virginia State, Glenville State, Fairmont State and Charleston will all be at the event. The Cardinals are ready to tackle their conference opponents as they kick-off 2025.
The Details
The West Liberty Invitational is set for Thursday, September 4th, with the Women's 5K beginning at 5 PM, followed by the Men's 6K at 6 PM. Stay tuned to wucardinals.com for updates throughout the event.
