Wheeling, W. Va. - In the pool, it was a historic season for the Wheeling University Men's and Women's Swimming teams with both reaching new heights. That success would continue into the classroom, with both teams producing Grade Point Averages of 3.30 or higher. As a result of their success, both programs were recognized by The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) as Spring 2026 Scholar All-America programs.
This season, 714 teams from across 418 institutions were recognized, representing 16,680 student-athletes from across all collegiate divisions. In order to be selected as a Spring 2026 Scholar All-America Team, the cumulative GPA for the Spring 2026 semester must be 3.00 or higher. Both Cardinal swim programs are no strangers to academic success, with both earning Scholar All-America team honors in five of the past six semesters, with both programs also taking home honors for the Fall 2025 semester. The academic success has been driven by a young Cardinal roster, as they look to continue their academic success and their success in the pool throughout their careers.
The Wheeling Women's Swimming program is earning their fifth Scholar All-America award in the last six semesters, and the 11th time in program history. The Wheeling Women's Swimming team was led by Head Coach Will Hughes in his first season, and put together a cumulative GPA of 3.76. They raised their team GPA from the fall semester by 11 points, while wrapping up what was a historic season in the pool. The women would finish third among their Mountain East Conference (MEC) opponents at the 2026 MEC/Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Swimming & Diving Championships. They would end up bringing home eight All-MEC honors at the event, led by a pair of First Team All-MEC honors from freshman Giulia Liberti. They would produce the highest team GPA in the conference, and look to build on that success into 2026-2027.
The Wheeling Men's Swimming program is also earning its fifth Scholar All-America award in the last six semesters and its 11th award in program history. The Men's Swimmers were also led by Head Coach Will Hughes, and produced a 3.35 GPA through the Spring semester, falling just one point shy of their Fall GPA. They would finish as one of two MEC teams to earn the distinction, finishing 29 points behind Davis & Elkins for the top spot in the conference. In the pool, Wheeling would end up finishing second among their MEC opponents at the MEC/G-MAC Swimming & Diving Championships. It was the highest conference finish since the team joined the MEC, and they would add to that history with a program record 11 All-Conference honorees. Leading the way was freshman Segmen Duygun, who took home three First Team All-MEC honors in the long-distance swims.
The Cardinals are one of three MEC programs to be recognized in the Scholar All-America awards, joining Davis & Elkins and Fairmont State in being honored. The Cardinals put together the top GPA on the women's side, while Wheeling and Davis & Elkins were the only two programs to earn honors on the men's side, with the Cardinals finishing second.
"This recognition celebrates the remarkable commitment these student-athletes make to excellence both in the classroom and in competition," said CSCAA Executive Director Samantha Barany. "The 714 teams honored this spring represent the very best of collegiate swimming and diving, demonstrating that academic success and athletic achievement go hand in hand. We congratulate every student-athlete, coach, and institution recognized."
The Wheeling University Men's and Women's Swimming teams continue their off-season preparations as they look to come back strong in 2026-2027.
