Jade Miller Shines Bright: MEC Women’s Swimmer of the Week on Her Momentous Senior Day

Wheeling, W. Va. – Saturday witnessed a day of festivities inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center as Wheeling Swimming celebrated their seven seniors who played a vital role in developing the program. On Monday, the festivities continued for one of those seniors as the Mountain East Conference (MEC) announced their weekly Players of the Week, in association with The Healthplan. Senior swimmer Jade Miller was recognized as the MEC’s Women’s Swimmer of the Week, after contributing to four gold medal performances on Saturday.  

Overall, it was a momentous day for the Cardinals on Saturday, achieving first place finishes in 11 out of the 14 events they participated in. Before the meet commenced, the team honored their seniors, five women and two men, during a distinctive pre-meet ceremony. This cohort was unique as it included some of the first members who joined the program upon its return in 2020-2021, and today, they have transformed it into one of the top programs in the conference. Success came early for the team, who achieved victories in each of the first three events of the day before Fairmont State managed to score. The Cardinals featured three multi-event victors on the day, two of whom won in three distinct events, culminating in a 164-87 triumph over the Falcons. 

Miller was determined to showcase her abilities on the day, competing in all three of her events from 200 yards or more. She initiated the day with the 200-Yard Backstroke, starting strongly with a time of 2:20.23, which was sufficient to outpace the rest of the competitors by four seconds. It was a swift transition for the senior, who returned to the pool two events later for the 200-Yard Breaststroke. She proceeded to widen her lead over her competitors, achieving a time of 2:35.48, beating the field by six seconds for her second victory of the day. In what turned out to be her final regular season swim in the Alma Grace McDonough Center Natatorium, the senior competed in the 400-Yard Individual Medley. She capped her home career in style, posting a time of 5:04.18 to claim victory in her last home race. Her other event included the 200-Yard Medley Relay, where she assisted the Cardinals in securing a win with a time of 1:55.10. 

Miller brings home her second MEC Women’s Swimmer of the Week accolade this season, marking the 33rd Player of the Week award earned by the Cardinals this season. Miller is among three women swimmers to receive the award, with Gabby Baiano winning it three times and Lacie Langmyer gaining honors earlier this season. Last week, the Wheeling Women’s Track & Field team swept the accolades, with Deja Ryals and Joshua Boehm receiving the honors. 

The Wheeling University Women’s Swimming team is set to return to competition on Saturday, February 1st, when they swim against PSU-Behrend and Alfred State at 1 PM.