Wheeling, W. Va. - With three weeks standing between the Wheeling University Outdoor Track & Field team and the 2026 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the stretch run officially kicks off. On Friday, the run begins when the Cardinals travel up I-79 to Wilmington, Pennsylvania to begin the Westminster Invitational. It will be the final two-day event of the outdoor season for the Cardinals as they look to continue improving ahead of the conference championship event.
Last time out, the Cardinals traveled to their second NCAA DI meet of the year when they competed at the Cherry Blossom Invitational. It was the first one-day event of the year, and the young Cardinals responded with several top five finishes on the day. On the track side of things, it was the distance runners leading the way, with the Cardinals thriving in both the 800-Meter run and the 3000 Steeplechase, with each event picking up a top five finish on the day. However, it was the field events that would take center stage, grabbing three of the five top five finishes to pace the Cardinals. The throwers and Pole Vaulters would lead the charge, taking the two highest finishes of the event with both a first and second place finish under their belts. With much of that success coming from the freshman class, the Cardinals look to continue their growth throughout the season.
The top performer on the day for both the men and women was freshman Autumn Kerchner, who competed in two events throughout the day. She began the effort with the only individual championship of the day for the team, when she competed in the Women's High Jump. She was one of three athletes to clear the 1.52 meter mark and claimed the top spot in the field by needing one jump to clear the height. She would come back in the Discus, where she added her second top 10 finish of the day, placing sixth with a distance of 36.24 meters. On the track, it was fellow freshman Luci Banks leading the way as she competed in the 3000 Meter Steeplechase. She would set a new PR, running a time of 13:57.10, keeping pace with her 1500 Meter Steeplechase time that she set earlier in the season.
On the men's side, freshman Alexander Rodriguez continued to lead the way in the Men's Pole Vault, taking second place to lead the way. The freshman would clear the 4.00 meter mark for the second time this season, setting a new outdoor season high with a height of 4.40 meters. It was .15 meters higher than the mark he set at the Marty Pushkin Invitational earlier this season and just .40 meters away from the PR that he set at the MEC Indoor Track & Field Championships. On the track, it was once again Magnus Polkner leading the way, as he tackled the 800-Meter Run. He grabbed the second top five finish of the day for the men, finishing third overall and second among NCAA DII runners. He would hit a time of 1:54.54, finishing .62 seconds shy of his PR of 1:53.82. Polkner has had a breakout season on the track this year, and is looking to continue his success on the track as the season moves on.
With just two meets remaining on the regular season schedule, the Cardinals look to peak at the right time in their specialized events. As they enter the final stretch of competition, the Cardinals have two athletes leading their respective events, while putting five other athletes in the top five of their respective events. Included in that list is one of just 11 athletes across the conference to have hit the MEC Provisional Mark in their event, with Felix Manyani hitting the mark in the men's javelin. Last Outdoor season, the men's and women's teams combined to put two athletes on the podium and replicated that number at this year's Indoor Championship event. Not only are the Cardinals looking to put more on the podium at the conference level, but they hope to send their first National Qualifier since the 2024 season.
Event Schedule
The two-day Westminster Invitational will kick-off with one event Friday, the Men's and Women's Hammer Throw. The Cardinals will have just one competitor on the first day, with Mariah Pelkey looking to set the tone in the Hammer Throw for the women. The rest of the competition will take place on Saturday, with the Discus event kicking things off at 9:45 AM. Running events will also begin that day at 9:45 AM, and will run on a rolling schedule, with one event right after the other. The throwers look to start the event strong, and open the door for the rest of the team throughout the weekend.
The Details
Day one of the Westminster Invitational is scheduled for Friday, April 10th, beginning at 2:30 PM at Slippery Rock University. Follow along with Live Results by clicking HERE.
