Wheeling, W. Va. - The first full week of action in 2026 is in the books as the Wheeling University Athletic Department welcomed back more of their winter sports to action. On Tuesday, the Wheeling University Athletic Department announced their weekly Cardinal High Flyer of the Week honorees, and it went to a pair of Cardinals who took leadership on the playing field. Wheeling Women's Basketball player Kenzie Dalton earned the Female High Flyer of the Week award while Wheeling Wrestler Bradley Spencer earned the Male High Flyer of the Week award.
The Cardinals got the week started on the home floor when the Men's and Women's Basketball teams welcomed in the Fairmont State Falcons. Both teams battled throughout the night, and in the end they were both edged in the final minutes of play. The women fell 76-67, while the men dropped a 74-71 game as the action headed into the weekend. The Wheeling Swimming teams would take a trip down to Lenoir-Rhyne University to kick-off their 2026 schedule, with the women falling 167-87, while the women fell 168-82. The basketball teams were back on the hardwood Saturday, as they traveled to Frostburg State. Women's Basketball would put up a big second half performance on their way to a 63-72 win, while it was offense galore as the men picked up a 115-98 win. Wheeling Wrestling would wrap up the week with a tri-match sweep, beating Davis & Elkins 40-12 and Waynesburg 40-15.
Dalton is taking home her second Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award of the season, after helping the Cardinals to a 1-1 week. She would put the game into her own hands in the win over Frostburg State, finishing with 25 points while adding four rebounds and six assists, while shooting a near perfect 7-8 (87.5%) from the floor and 90% (9-10) from the charity stripe. With the Cardinals down at halftime, Dalton would score 15 of her 25 points in the second half, as she helped lead the Cardinals to the come from behind victory. After being held down for a few games in early December, Dalton has once again turned it on over her last five games, averaging 18.4 points per game during that stretch. She looks to lead the Cardinals to the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament as they continue this playoff stretch.
Spencer is taking home his first Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award of the season, going 2-0 at the Wheeling Tri-Match. He would wrestle at the 157-pound weight class and would finish with two dominating performances on the mat. The first came against Davis & Elkins's Jeston Showalter, where Spencer would set a career-high with 22 points scored in the match. He would pick up a 22-7 tech fall win, getting it done in 6:25, to start his day with a bang. He would come back against Waynesburg, wrestling Kaleb McCamick and finished the quickest match of the night. He would need just 19 seconds to take over his opponent and get him on the mat for the pin to round out the night. The effort helped improve Spencer's record to 8-8 on the season, bringing him back to the .500 mark across 16 matches. The pin was the fastest of Spencer's career, besting his old time by 21 seconds, and he earned his third tech fall of the season.
Kenzie Dalton brings home the sixth Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award for the Women's Basketball team, while Bradley Spencer earns the third award for Wrestling. Dalton has won two awards and joins teammates Emilia Sierra Lacosta (2), Layla Merriweather, and Emma Reynolds in being honored. Spencer joins teammates Gavin Harper and Jack Dinwiddie in having previously been honored for their work on the mat. Last week, the department handed out their first awards of the 2026 calendar year, honoring Sierra Lacosta and Dinwiddie for the start of their second semesters.
The next Wheeling University Athletic event is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14th, when the Wheeling Women's Basketball team battles Concord at 5:30 PM.
