New Expertise Thrives as Males’s Swimming Kicks off 2025-2026 with Second Place End at WVU Games

Wheeling, W. Va. – On Saturday, the Wheeling University Men’s Swimming workforce kicked off the 2025-2026 season in opposition to a few of the prime colleges in West Virginia on the West Virginia University Games. With colleges throughout NCAA Division I and II in attendance, the Cardinals obtained the yr off to a robust begin as they took second total scoring 430.5 factors and ending as the highest workforce within the Mountain East Conference (MEC). It was the brand new period of expertise making their presence recognized within the opening meet, as the brand new period of Wheeling Men’s Swimming below Head Coach Will Hughes has begun. 

Leading the best way for the Cardinals was freshman Segmen Duygun, who was the Cardinal’s factors chief with 533.2 factors on the day. He picked up one bronze medal on the day and completed with two prime 5 finishes. He excelled within the Distance occasions, along with his prime exhibiting coming within the 500-Yard Freestyle, the place he completed third total with a time of 4:51.47. Duygun adopted that with a fifth place end within the 1000 Yard Freestyle as he was off and working within the pool. While most of his success got here within the distance occasions, Duygun was additionally in a position to present his expertise briefly distance, swimming within the 50-Yard Butterfly, the 100-Yard Butterfly, and the 200-Yard Butterfly. He completed seventh within the 200 Fly (2:02.91) and eighth within the 100 Fly (54.93) to spherical out a robust Cardinal debut within the pool. 

The different Bronze medal on the day got here courtesy of freshman Aristedis Dimakis, who would take residence the honour within the 100-Yard Back Stroke. Dimakis would publish a time of 55.41 within the effort, ending as the highest MEC competitor on the occasion. His different prime 5 end would come within the quick distance, the place he swam a time of 21.92 seconds to take fifth total. He would end the day with 433.2 factors on the day as he swam throughout the quick distance occasions. Rounding out the Cardinal leaders was Felix Norlin, who completed with 495.7 factors on the day. While he wasn’t in a position to medal, the freshman would choose up 4 tp 10 finishes within the effort. His prime efficiency got here within the 200-Yard Breaststroke, the place he completed eighth total with a time of two:22.60. The majority of his success got here within the quick distance occasions as he rounded out a robust Cardinal debut. 

As a workforce, the Cardinals had 5 swimmers end among the many prime 30 scorers within the occasion, with Nathaniel Olivares (501.0) and Nathan Reigel (368.8) rounding out the highest 30 scorers on the day. Olivares’s prime particular person efficiency got here within the 50-Yard Freestyle, the place he swam a time of twenty-two.26 to complete seventh, and he rounded out the day with two particular person prime 10 finishes. Reigel rounded out the day and, like Duygun, would swim within the long-distance occasions His prime occasion can be the 1000-Yard Freestyle, the place he swam a time of 11:18.35 to complete seventh total. 

In the relay area, the Cardinals would have three completely different groups take the pool, beginning with the 200-Yard Medley Relay. The workforce of Dimakis, Norlin, Meiko Schonekes, and Oliveras took sixth total with a time of 1:38.37. As the day went on, the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay workforce was up subsequent as Dimakis, Tom Currie, Patrick Kirby, and Oliveras would put collectively one other sixth place end with a time of three:19.88. The Cardinals would spherical out the day with their closing prime 10 end because the 200-Yard Freestyle Relay workforce of Dimakis, Currie, Oliveras, and Duygun took the pool. They would end seventh total with a time of 1:30.41 as they rounded out the day within the pool. 

The Wheeling University Men’s Swimming workforce returns to motion on Saturday, October eleventh, after they compete of their first tri-meet in opposition to Frostburg State and West Virginia Wesleyan at 1 PM.