The second full season since I 2016-17 kicks off for the Wheeling University Swimming team on Friday when they open day one of the West Virginia State Games. It is also the first two-day event of the year for the Cardinals as they compete against some of the top swimmers from around the area. It will be a chance for both teams to show what they can do and set their baseline marks for the season.
In 2021-22, the Cardinals were gaining experience in the pool after restarting the program for it's first full season since that 2016-17 campaign. They had several standout performances throughout the season as they built up for the 2022 Mountain East Conference (MEC)/Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) Championships. They had one individual MEC Championship and several personal best and program record finishes. With that experience now on their belts, the Cardinals are looking to build on those as many enter their second season of collegiate swimming, with a few standout freshmen looking to make an immediate impact in the pool.
Leading the way on the women's side is sophomore Jade Miller, who was the Cardinal's lone MEC Champion last season. She won the award in the 200-yard backstroke, where she was able to swim a 2:08.3 to finish sixth overall and first among MEC opponents. She will be joined by fellow returner Meredith Mandal, who took home fifth and sixth place finishes at last year's event. In total, the Cardinals bring back five returners to the pool, along with three newcomers as they build the foundation for the program moving forward.
On the men's side, the roster is still small, with three swimmers total, but they continue to focus on individual successes in the pool. Junior Ethan Banks returns as the veteran of the group after proving to be a strong distance swimmer for the team. He wrote his name in the Wheeling Swimming history books when he posted the fifth fastest time ever at the 2022 MEC/GMAC Championships, swimming a 10:13.73 in the event. Nathan Yost also showed success, swimming in the shorter events. He also had a Cardinal's record setting performance when he placed ninth in program history, swimming a 22.98. They are joined by freshman Tadiwa Tayali as they try to build the foundation of the swim program.
The West Virginia State games will be a good test for the Cardinals to start the season as they compete against competition from all three levels of the NCAA. It will be the first two-day event of the season as they get to show off their skills in several different events. With a young team on his hand, Head Coach Cory Kephart isn't as concerned about the team results, but rather the individual growth of each swimmer in the pool.
The Matchup
The West Virginia State games will be held at Mylan Park in Morgantown, West Virginia, and will feature competition from all three levels of the NCAA. The first session is a night swim, beginning at 6 PM and the second day of competition begins at 11 AM on Saturday. Both days will feature different events with the total team scores being tallied on the final day of competition.
This will be Wheeling's first time competing in the West Virginia State Games since the 2016-2017 season, when they placed third among the eight teams in attendance. In that event, the men had a strong showing from former Cardinal Thomas Caixeta, who placed in four different races on the day. For the women, they did not have a competitor in that year's event, and they are appearing for the first time since the 2015-2016 WV State Games.
The Details
The West Virginia State Games kick off on Friday at the Mylan Park Aquatics Center in Morgantown, WV at 6 PM. Stay tuned to wucardinals.com for a full recap of each day of competition.
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