Wheeling, W. Va. - The 2026 portion of the schedule is off and running as Wheeling University Athletics' winter sports got things going on Saturday. Women's Basketball, Men's Basketball, and Wrestling all got their second half's going on Saturday, and the Wheeling University Athletic Department followed suit with the announcement of their first High Flyer of the Week awards of the new year. Wheeling Wrestler Jack Dinwiddie earned the Male High Flyer of the Week award, while Women's Basketball Player Emilia Sierra Lacosta took home the Female High Flyer of the Week award to lead the effort.
Teams made their way back from the Christmas break during the week, with all three programs beginning practices on December 29th. It all led up to Saturday, with things starting off on the wrestling mat at the Fairmont Open. The Cardinals had six total placers at the event, including four in the top four of their respective weight classes and one individual weight class champion. They would end up finishing second overall in the team standings, scoring 93.0 points as they kicked off their run to the Mountain East Conference (MEC) wrestling championships with a bang. The day concluded with a basketball doubleheader in Buckhannon, West Virginia as Men's and Women's Basketball took on West Virginia Wesleyan. On the women's side, the Cardinals had the advantage heading into halftime, but the Bobcats battled back on their way to a 72-67 win. The men got out to an early lead and were able to weather the storm as they earned a 78-72 win to earn a doubleheader split.
Dinwiddie is taking home his first Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award of the season, after earning the 141-pound championship at Fairmont State. He was one of the few wrestlers who did not receive a first round bye, and he started strong with an 11-5 win. He would use that momentum in his first MEC match of the night, beating West Liberty's Matt Englehardt in a 17-2 tech fall. As he moved on to the semifinals, he battled Ethan Mitchell to a 4-2 decision, before claiming the 141-pound title with an injury default. The 4-0 effort helped improve Dinwiddie's record to 15-6 on the season, putting him second on the team in wins. It was the first collegiate weight-class championship for Dinwiddie, and the second time that he has placed in the top four in a tournament this season.
Sierra Lacosta is taking home her second Cardinal High Flyer of the Week award this season, after leading the Cardinals in their battle against West Virginia Wesleyan. She would finish with 18 points in the effort, while shooting 6-21 from the floor and 3-12 from three-point range in the effort. Of those 18 points, nine came during the game's first half as she helped lead the Cardinals to a 37-33 halftime lead. Sierra Lacosta has been surging over her last seven games, hitting double digits each time and scoring at least 18 points in six of those seven games. During that stretch, she has averaged 18.3 PPG and has been the driving force to the Cardinal's offensive success. Along with her offensive success, Sierra Lacosta also made her presence felt across the court, finishing with three rebounds, three assists, and a block in the effort.
Jack Dinwiddie is the second Wheeling Wrestler to take home High Flyer of the Week honors this season, while Emilia Sierra Lacosta won Women's Basketball's fifth award of the season. Dinwiddie joins teammate Gavin Harper in having won the award, while Sierra Lacosta's second award joins Kenzie Dalton, Emma Reynolds, and Layla Merriweather in being honored. Before the Christmas break, Wheeling honored Women's Basketball Player Layla Merriweather and Men's Basketball player Ayden Goll with the honors.
The next Wheeling University athletic event is scheduled for Wednesday, January 7th, when the Wheeling Women's Basketball team battles Fairmont State with tip-off at 5:30 PM.
