Wheeling, W. Va. - With the full slate of winter sports back on campus and competing, it is full speed ahead towards the Winter Sports championships. On Wednesday, the Wheeling University Athletic Department announced their weekly Cardinal High Flyer of the Week awards, with a pair of strong individual efforts securing the awards. Wheeling Women's Swimmer Gabby Baiano earned the Female High Flyer of the Week award, while Wheeling Track & Field athlete Magnus Polkner earned the Male High Flyer of the Week honors.
The week would begin with doubleheader action on the hardwood, as Men's and Women's Basketball played host to Concord. The Women started things off with a 66-54 loss in the opener, while the men were led by offense in a 108-100 defeat to round out the day. Saturday was the big day of action, with Track & Field starting things off at the Muskie Meet #1. The Cardinals had three individual event winners, and strong performances all around across both the track & field events. The Wheeling Swimming teams would keep things going with a trip to Fairmont State as the Cardinals split the day. The women would fall in a close 108-88 battle, while the men earned their eighth win of the season 122-71. The weekend events would round out in Glenville, West Virginia with another doubleheader on the court. Women's Basketball picked up an upset victory over the Pioneers 69-66, and Men's Basketball rounded things out with an 86-80 win.
Gabby Baiano is taking home her first Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award this season, after leading the Cardinals against Fairmont State. Despite the loss, Baiano would pick up two of her team's three wins at the event, with both of those coming in long distance swims. Up first was the 1000 Freestyle, where she tried something different with her stroke and it paid off. She would win the event with a time of 7:58.61 as she continues to prepare for the championship event. She would come back with her biggest win of the day in the 500 Freestyle, beating out the field by 16.35 seconds. She posted a time of 5:31.27, rounding out a strong individual performance. She would also anchor the 200 Freestyle Relay team, swimming her leg in 26.92 to round out the day.
Magnus Polkner earns his second Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award of the season, and his first of the Track & Field season. After a strong Cross Country season, Polkner continued his work in the long distance events, competing in the 1000-Meter Run for his lone event of the day. Not only would he take the top spot in the field, but he would set the Wheeling Track & Field program record in the 1000 Meter, running a time of 2:34.05. It was a close battle between Polkner and Mountain East Conference (MEC) rival Francis Toohey from West Liberty, with a late kick leading Polkner to victory. He would beat the field by nearly a second, and looks to continue his growth in the distance events throughout the season.
Gabby Baiano took home the second Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award for the Women's Swimming program, while Magnus Polkner earns the first award for the Men's Track & Field team. Baiano joins teammate Lacie Langmyer in earning honors, while Polkner wins his first award since taking honors during the Cross Country season back on September 30th, 2025.
The next Wheeling University athletic event is scheduled for Friday, January 23rd, when the Wheeling Track & Field team takes on the Judd Logan Invitational, hosted by Kent State University.
