Dive into Senior Day: A Thrilling Home Finale Against Fairmont State!

Wheeling, W. Va. – Following the conclusion of their winter training excursion, the Wheeling University Women’s Swimming teams have ventured north for the winter as they finalize the home segment of their regular season lineup. They will host Fairmont State at the Alma Grace McDonough Center natatorium on Saturday, returning to Mountain East Conference (MEC) competition with initial heats commencing at 1 PM. The Cardinals are set to recognize their class of seven seniors prior to the event, with Jade Miller, Maria Jones, Sofia Castillo, Ana Noguera Munoz, Elizabeth Strange, Alex Ferebee, Rua Karimazondo, and Nathan Yost all being honored beforehand.

In their last outing, the yearly winter training excursion concluded as the Cardinal swim teams journeyed to Lenoir-Rhyne. After a week of long-course training, which the team is unaccustomed to, the Cardinals took to the pool to challenge a Bears team that was on the rise. The Cardinals exhibited solid individual performances throughout the afternoon, although both squads ultimately fell short on the scoreboard. The men’s team lost 136-47, while the women faced a narrow defeat of 104-82 against the Bears. Collectively, the Cardinals celebrated five first-place finishes during the event and were honored as they swept the weekly Mountain East Conference (MEC) Player of the Week awards post-event.

On the men’s side, Euan MacLeod claimed the award, achieving the honor for the third time this season. Although he wasn’t able to secure an individual gold on this occasion, the freshman kept leading the way with two silver medals and a relay gold. In his individual events, MacLeod narrowly missed victory, finishing just .06 seconds behind with a time of 21.97 seconds to secure second place in the 50-Yard Freestyle. He would also log another second place alongside teammate Sarp Killic in the 100-Yard Freestyle. Additionally, MacLeod contributed as the first leg of the victorious 200-Yard Medley Relay team that clinched gold with a time of 1:40.42. Killic secured the other gold for the Cardinals that day, edging out MacLeod in the 100-Yard Freestyle.

For the women’s section, the accolade went to Gabby Baiano, who had an outstanding day securing two of her team’s three gold medals. She once more demonstrated her adaptability, triumphing in both the 500-Yard and 200-Yard Freestyle events. The long-distance events commenced first, with Baiano diving into the 500-Yard Freestyle, seizing the top position by eight seconds with a time of 5:29.43. After a brief intermission, Baiano returned for the 200-Yard Freestyle, adding her second victory of the day with a time of 1:05.65. She concluded her day as the second leg of the 200-Yard Freestyle Relay, where she delivered the fastest leg of the event with a split of 27.20 seconds, propelling the Cardinals to victory and capping off a remarkable day in the water. The other individual win for the Cardinals was achieved by Lydie Sprecher, who captured the 50-Yard Freestyle with a time of 27.19 seconds.

As they approach their final home event of the season, the Cardinals are honoring a remarkable senior class that has significantly revitalized the Wheeling Swimming programs. When these eight swimmers entered the program, it was undergoing a rebuilding phase, making its comeback to the Wheeling Athletics lineup for the first time since the 2016-17 season. Over the past four years, both programs have expanded immensely, with the Women winning back-to-back MEC Freshman of the Year titles and having the MEC Swimmer of the Year last season. The men’s team has grown to its largest roster since the revival, and was recently recognized as the #10 most improved program in NCAA DII by SwimCloud. They aspire to continue building on their legacies, with both teams vying for MEC Championships this season.

The Matchup 

Men: This Saturday marks the ninth encounter in program history between the Cardinals and the Falcons, with Fairmont State leading the all-time series at 5-3. The Cardinals have seen success at home in the historical series, holding a 2-1 record in three prior competitions, but will aim to break a five-meet losing streak against the Falcons. Their last meeting occurred on January 20th, 2024, when Fairmont State defeated Wheeling 112-77. The Cardinals were led by Patrick Kirby, who secured two victories in the 500-Yard Freestyle and the 200-Yard Freestyle.

Women: This Saturday also marks the ninth battle in program history between the Cardinals and the Falcons, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 6-2. The Cardinals remain undefeated at home in their historical matchup, boasting a 3-0 record, but are eager to rebound after their most recent defeat. The teams last clashed on January 20th, with Fairmont State winning 107-92. They were spearheaded by Jade Miller, who achieved two victories that day in the 200-Yard Individual Medley and the 100-Yard Backstroke.

The Details 

The meet on Saturday is scheduled to commence at 1 PM inside the Alma Grace Natatorium, with senior day celebrations kicking off at 12:30 PM. You can view the event live by clicking HERE.