Wheeling, W. Va. - With the fall sports already underway, it was time to get the winter sports season going on Tuesday afternoon inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. The Wheeling University Athletics Department held their second annual Winter Sports Media Day, where all six winter sports coaches previewed their upcoming 2026-2027 seasons. It was a day of celebration as the Cardinals prepare to take the competition arena this winter and represent Wheeling University.

Coaches we are grateful for your dedication to your programs and your student-athletes, and for aligning your programs with the mission of our catholic university, Life, Leadership, and Service with and Among Others," said Wheeling University President Dr. Dianna Vargo. Coaches and student-athletes, we look forward to another exciting winter season. Play with pride, passion, and Cardinal sportsmanship, and always know that your Cardinal family is right behind you."

After opening addresses by both Athletic Director Carrie Hanna and Vargo, the previews began for each of the six winter sports programs. First up to the podium was the Men's and Women's Swimming team, with both programs coming off breakout performances. On the men's side, the Cardinals put together their highest conference finish in program history, taking 4^th overall and second among Mountain East Conference (MEC) programs at the 2026 MEC/G-MAC Swimming and Diving Championships. They would end up with a team record 11 All-MEC honorees, including three individual MEC event championships from Segmen Duygun.

On the women's side, the Cardinals would have a successful season of their own, taking sixth overall at the championship event and third overall at the MEC/G-MAC Championship event. Like the men, they were a young unit, in the swimming pool, but they were able to pick up eight All-MEC honorees at the event. They were led at the event by freshman Giulia Liberti, who earned a pair of First Team All-MEC honors at the event, taking home individual titles in both the 100-Yard Breaststroke and the 200-Yard Breaststroke. As they enter the 2026-2027 season, the Cardinals have continued to add on to their roster, with 48 swimmers combined between the men's and women's programs and they look to use that growth to their advantage in 2026-27.

"Morale is very strong right now and I think the team is training really hard," said Wheeling University Head Swimming Coach Will Hughes. "We have had some great practices so far and I am really looking forward to how things progress as we grind through this first part of the season before we split for break. Then, we are excited to venture down to Morgantown and compete at the Mylan Park Aquatic Center for our conference championship event."

Up next to the podium was the Wheeling Men's & Women's Indoor Track team, who were also coming off a year of growth. With several of their athletes in their first collegiate seasons, the Cardinals would show growth on both sides throughout the season. In total, the programs combined to have five athletes in the top five of their respective events, including Alexander Rodriguez, who hit the NCAA DII Indoor Provisional mark in pole vault with a height of 4.80 meters. At the 2026 Indoor Track & Field Championships, the Cardinals would have two athletes earn All-MEC honors, with Rodriguez taking home the Indoor Pole Vault Championship, while Autumn King earned Honorable Mention All-MEC honors. They have added to that young unit, with several more young stars coming in to make their impact, as both sides looks to climb the MEC ladder in 2026.

"We have a big chance this year to go up in placement, and we are hoping to finish 5^th or 6^th this season," said Wheeling University Head Track & Field Coach Ben Healy. "A lot of that is going to come from the events that we have depth in now. We have brought in athletes like men's and women's hurdlers who we did not have last year that are going to score in those events. We are going to go into the season ready to compete and fight to be on the conference championship and national levels individually."

Up next was the newest Wheeling University Athletic Program, Wheeling Women's Wrestling. After being announced as the 23^rd intercollegiate varsity sport at Wheeling University back in January, the Women's Wrestling program began the road to their first varsity season. Lily Sherer was named the first Head Women's Wrestling coach in program history, and she has brought in a group of nine wrestlers ready to take the mat for the Cardinals. It is a big transfer class for Wheeling, with all nine wrestlers coming from other programs across the country. Savannah Isaac leads this year's squad from the 207-pound weight class, who won an NAIA National Championship a season ago, and 3X Ohio State Champion Jaydyn McKinney. Sherer is excited to start the program from the ground up and establish the culture she wants for the Cardinals moving forward.

"I am beyond excited and blessed to be in this position,"  said Sherer. "My team and I have a lot of really big goals this year and we look forward to doing it with Wheeling Athletics by our side. Three weeks into workouts I think we all have the right attitude and we are hungry to make this program our own. I just want my girls to be leaders on and off the mat and showcase Women's Wrestling with all the pride and grit that they have."

The Wheeling Men's Wrestling program was up next, coming off their best season since the 2018-2019 season. They finished 6-4 in their dual meet schedule, which included a perfect 4-0 record on their home mat and a 3-1 record in MEC play. On the tournament scene, the Cardinals would pick up two top 10 finishes against regional competition, with their highest finish being a third place finish at the Fairmont State Invitational. As they moved into the MEC Men's Wrestling Championships, the Cardinals would finish fifth as a team, but it was the individuals who made the history. The Cardinals had their first two wrestlers to ever qualify for MEC Championship matches when Jaxon Burcher (197) and Gavin Harper (285) competed for MEC titles at their respective weight classes. With their leaders coming back, and young talent looking to step in, Shane Brown and his team are looking to continue build on their success.

"I am very excited for what we got going this year,"  said Brown. "We have the biggest roster that we have had since 2019, and we have a lot more veterans this year and I am excited to see how that mends and molds our younger incoming freshmen this year. We have a good roster and we are going to be looking to build on the success that we have had and hopefully punch a few tickets to the National Championship event."

The final two sports programs would head to the court, starting with the Women's Basketball team. The Cardinals continued their recent string of success in 2025-2026, finishing 17-12 overall and 12-8 in MEC play. It was enough to earn them the #6 seed in the MEC Women's Basketball tournament, earning the first round bye for fourth season in a row. They were led by their defensive effort, allowing just 59.2 points per game to lead the MEC. They would place two on the All-MEC Team, including former Cardinal Kenzie Dalton earning MEC Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second season in a row. Despite graduating two of their five starters, the Cardinals return Emilia Sierra Lacosta and Layla Merriwether at the guard position, and Emma Reynolds at forward as they look to continue their winning tradition in 2026-2027.

"This year, we welcome in nine freshmen, three transfers, and have no seniors, so our goal right now is finding where players fit, establishing roles, and creating competition everyday,"  said Wheeling University Head Women's Basketball Coach Ella Skeens. "I really look forward to all the expectations this season, they are really high and we have a lot of work to do. But, I believe in this team and I can't wait to see who we become by the end of this season."

The final team to speak at the podium was the Wheeling Men's Basketball team, and seventh year Head Coach Chris Richardson. The Cardinals are coming off a breakout year on the basketball court, putting together their best season since 2017-2018 season. They finished 19-9 overall and 14-6 in MEC play, earning them the #3 seed in the MEC Men's Basketball Tournament. They would win the final five regular season contests heading into tournament play and would earn the first round bye. The Cardinals would be honored with two All-MEC players, with Ayden Goll winning MEC Freshman of the Year and Richardson taking home the MEC Men's Basketball Coach of the Year. Goll returns to lead the way in 2026-2027, joined by fifth-year senior Alex Smith, as the Cardinals chase down their first MEC title since that 2017-18 season.

"When we were putting this team together we were thinking how are we going to take the next steps,"  said Richardson. "I think before you look forward, you have to look back and understand how much this program is not to just our school but to the alumni and people who always stuck by your side. We are so proud to be the stewards of our program at the current time and we just want to make everyone that came before us proud of it.

"The first thing you'll notice when you come to one of our games this season is our size and our length,"  added Richardson. "We are just working to make sure now that it doesn't just stand out in warm-ups, but when they tip the ball off and get to play, they are actually big and athletic."

As the Cardinals prepare to take the competition arena this season, the day could be summed up by the quote from Pope Leo XIV provided by Chris Richardson.

"Life is not a race to show off on our own, but a path we learn to walk together,"  quoted Richardson. "Anyone who does not know how to pass the ball, even if they have talent, has not yet understood the game. Anyone who does not know how to live life with and for others, does not know the game of life."

The Wheeling University Winter sports teams start their season when Wheeling Swimming heads to the Salem Relays on Saturday, September 26, at 1 PM.