Wheeling, W. Va. - During the 2025 season, the Wheeling University Acrobatics & Tumbling team embarked on their first season on the mat, competing in the Mountain East Conference (MEC). Many of the women on the roster had never competed in the sport, but gained experience and skills throughout the year that saw the team grow. With that experience in hand, the Cardinals head into year two with an expanded roster, featuring 21 athletes, who look to continue their growth and continue to grow the Cardinal's standing in the MEC.
In 2025, the Cardinals had their share of growing pains as a young team, but those early pains led to success as the season went on. They competed in their first-ever match on February 2nd, 2025, when they hosted West Liberty in "The Battle for Wheeling." The Cardinals put up a respectable 185.170 points on the day, but fell to the Hilltoppers to open the year. Their next three matches would come against the best of the best that the MEC had to offer, and Wheeling was off to a 0-4 start to the season. However, they would hit their turning point with their first win in program history against West Virginia State, where they picked up a 215.255-203.555 win. They would add one more win before the season rounded out, finishing 2-6 overall and 1-5 in MEC play, but sent their Trio Pass team to the MEC Event Finals. The Cardinals would take third in the event, with a score of 5.525 to round out a strong first season.
As they enter 2026, the Cardinals still feature a young roster, with 12 of their 21 athletes being either freshmen or sophomores, but several of those young players were key contributors last season. Sophomore Gianna Bjorn was one of the Cardinal's leading scorers a season ago, competing as a top as well as being a regular in the six-element Tumbling Pass. Bjorn would also be one of the three Cardinal athletes to hit the postseason stage, competing in the MEC Event Final qualifying Trio Pass. The base group will be led by the combination of Mariah Pelkey and Ashleigh Aston, serving as two of the senior leaders for the program. Pelkey was a regular for the Cardinals last season, helping the team to one of the best Compulsory Toss Scores in the conference. While Aston missed all of last season due to injury, the senior has plenty of experience in the sport, competing two seasons at Emmanuel University.
Along with the returning success, the Cardinals welcome in a class of 12 freshmen and transfer athletes for the 2026 season, accounting for more than half of their roster. Included in the group are a variety of skillsets in Gymnastics, Cheerleading, and other sports that will translate to the mat. Leading the group of transfers is Savannah Poulos who competed the previous two seasons at Southeast Missouri State. She would miss each of the last two seasons due to injury but brings with her an extensive gymnastics background from high school. She was a State Champion on the Beal and Finishes 1st place in her region. The freshman class includes eight freshmen, competing in cheerleading, dance, and gymnastics throughout their high school careers. They look to translate those skills to the mat with Wheeling and help the program continue their growth into the future.
As they enter the 2026 season, the Cardinals will start things off with a bang, competing at the Glenville State Tri-Meet on February 12th. They will battle the host Pioneers and Bluefield State to officially open their conference schedule. They then hit the road to face West Liberty on February 16th, before rounding out their season-opening road trip at the Frostburg State tri-meet, where they will battle the Bobcats and Fairmont State. The Cardinals open their home schedule as the calendar turns to March, hosting Canisuis on March 1st. They follow that up against West Virginia State on March 15th, before rounding out the season on the road against Kutztown.
The Wheeling University Acrobatics & Tumbling team opens the 2026 season on Thursday, February 12th, when they travel to the Glenville State tri-meet, beginning at 6 PM.
