“New Year Splash: Men’s Swimming Faces Off Against North Carolina’s Challenge”

Hickory, N.C- Even though it is a new year, the Wheeling University Men’s Swimming Team (8-3), (2-1) is determined to maintain their excellent performance this season. They commenced the new year with an away trip to North Carolina to compete against the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears in a dual meet. Despite earning five medals, it wasn’t sufficient as the Cardinals suffered a defeat with a score of 136-47 while away.

Wheeling began and concluded their day on a positive note. They set an early pace by clinching a gold medal in the 200-yard Medley Relay with their A-Team, which included Euan Macleod, Gustav Lofqvist, Evan Yost, and Brian Kirby. They outpaced the Bears by two seconds, finishing with a time of 1:40.42. To cap off the meet, they secured a second-place finish in the 200-yard Freestyle Relay. The Cardinals were merely six seconds shy of victory, as Sarp Killic, Nate Yost, Alberto Kofinke, and Nathan Reigal were awarded the silver medal.

On an individual level, the Cards brought home one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal. In the 50-yard Freestyle, Macleod missed the gold by just six milliseconds, posting a finishing time of 21.97. Following that, Killic and Macleod faced off in the 100-yard Freestyle, where Sarp Killic emerged victorious ahead of his teammate, touching the wall first. Nathan Reigal also competed in the 500-yard Freestyle, finishing third with a time of 5:29.30.

The Wheeling University Men’s Swimming Team will seek to reorganize as they gear up to race against a familiar rival from the Mountain East Conference, the Fairmont State Falcons, on January 18th at the McDonough Center. The exact meeting time is yet to be determined, but it will be announced as the event approaches.