North Panhandle Times

Dalton/Johnson Unwrap Final Cardinals High Flyers of the Week Awards Before Christmas

After the final whistle blew on Monday night, the seven-day NCAA Division II dead period began as the athletes, coaches, and staff break for the holiday season. Before the holidays officially begin the Wheeling University Athletic Department announces their final Cardinal High Flyer of the Week Awards Before Christmas. Women's Basketball Player Kenzie Dalton took home the Female High Flyer of the Week Award while Men's Basketball's Marcus Johnson wins the Male High Flyer of the Week. 

The final week before the holiday break saw both basketball teams, in action, and the Wheeling Wrestling team competed in their final tournament of the 2022 season. While the Cardinals did not pick up a win this week, they got good experience against some of the top ranked teams across the country and the Atlantic Region. Men's Basketball faced off against Slippery Rock, who received votes in the Regional Poll, and Women's Basketball got the chance to take on the #1 team in the nation in Grand Valley State. Both matchups gave the teams an opportunity to improve on the court as they prepare for the 2023 portion of their Mountain East Conference schedule. For Wrestling, they also got their share of ranked opponents as they continue to build the foundation of their program. 

Our first award winner is freshman Kenzie Dalton who won her first Female High Flyer of the Week Award this season. She may not have been the highest scorer for the Cardinals this week, but she made her impact felt finishing with a combined 18 points, 16 Rebounds, and nine assists across the two games played. She began her week against Grand Valley State, where she finished with six points, five rebounds, and two assists in what was a hard-fought battle. However, her best showing came the next day against Lake Erie where she flirted with a triple double. The freshman picked up her first career double-double, finishing with 12 points and 11 assists, and needed just three more assists to accomplish the feat. 

Marcus Johnson took home the Male High Flyer of the Week award for the first time this season. He finished the two-game stretch with 34 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists as he raised his season average to 17.2 points per game. His highest scoring game of the week came against Slippery Rock on December 13th, when the sophomore put up 18 points and shot 36.8% from the floor. He followed that up with a 16-point effort against Ohio Dominican yesterday, which included his best performance from three-point range. He went 4-7 from beyond the arc, hitting all four of those in the final 10 minutes of the game, as he was the lone Cardinal to hit double figures on the night. 

Both teams have had winners in weeks prior, with the Wheeling Women's Basketball team taking home their third High Flyer of the Week award winner while the Men's Basketball team gets their second winner. Lauren Calhoun, Shanley Woods, and Carla Torrubia Cano have each won the Female High Flyer of the Week Award this season while S.J. Hutchinson was the other Male High Flyer award winner. With the holiday season in full swing, the Wheeling Athletics Department wishes everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year as we head into this break. 

The next Wheeling University Athletic Event will be on Thursday, September 29th, when the Wheeling University Women's Basketball team hits the road against Salem with tip-off at 2 PM. 

Original source can be found here