Wheeling Swimming & Diving Takes Young Gifted Roster to 2026 MEC/GMAC Championships

Wheeling, W. Va. – During the 2025-2026 season, the Wheeling University Men’s and Women’s Swimming groups have been battling in opposition to a few of the prime competitors throughout the Mountain East Conference (MEC). Numerous that success has been led by the younger expertise added to the group over the low season, and that younger expertise now appears to be like to shine on the convention championship stage. On Tuesday, the Cardinals will start their run on the 2026 MEC/Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) Swimming & Diving Championships, the place they give the impression of being to construct off the success that each applications had a season in the past, and compete for a convention championship. 

Both groups have had two weeks to relaxation and get better, final taking the pool for his or her senior day swim in opposition to Bethany College and Fairmont State again on January twenty third. On the lads’s aspect, it was a historic day within the pool because the Cardinals earned a 197-0 victory over Bethany and a 154-80 victory over Fairmont State. The twin meet sweep would assist the Cardinals break the single-season twin meet win report, enhancing to 10-2 total. As a group, the Caridnals picked up 9 first place finishes on the occasion, together with having two totally different swimmers earn three or extra wins on the occasion. On the ladies’s aspect, it was a bounce again for the Cardinals after they’d dropped back-to-back twin meets prior. The girls defeated Bethany College 172-0 and Fairmont State 120-112, led by six first place finishes within the pool. 

Leading the best way for the ladies was senior Gabby Baiano, who picked up a pair of first place finishes as she continued to indicate her versatility within the pool. She began the day within the 500-Yard Freestyle, selecting up her largest win of the day with a time of 5:22.28 seconds. She would beat out the remainder of the sphere by 7.36 seconds and got here again sturdy within the short-distance swims. She got here again within the 100-Yard Butterfly to safe her second first place end with a time of 1:03.94. It was a season-best effort for the senior, beating her previous mark by 0.40 seconds. The different multi-event winner for the Cardinals was Niki Chrysafi, who picked up wins in each the 100-Yard Backstroke and the 200 Individual Medley. She gained the IM by 3.21 seconds with a time of two:21.61, and adopted that with a 1.63 second win within the 100-Backstroke with a time of 1:02.11. 

On the lads’s aspect, Archie Pigott would prepared the ground as one in every of two swimmers with three occasion wins on the day. His largest would come within the 200-Yard Breaststroke, the place the freshman swam a time of two:17.50. He would beat out the remainder of the sphere by 11.48 seconds, marking one in every of two wins by six seconds or extra. The different could be within the 200 IM, the place he swam a time of 2:02.23 to beat the sphere by 6.68 seconds, and rounded out the day with a time of 1:00.82 within the 100 Breaststroke. Segmen Duygun could be the highest level scorer for the Cardinals, placing up 509.5 factors throughout three occasions. He would set a brand new PR within the 200 Yard Butterfly, swimming a time of two:01.48, and added his largest win of the day within the 500-Yard Freestyle, the place he swam a time of 5:01.44 to beat the sphere by 17.82 seconds. 

The 2026 MEC/GMAC Swimming & Diving Championships comes again to the C.T. Brannin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio, serving as the house pool for the Malone University Swimming group. The 4 day competitors will start on Tuesday, with occasions being held in each the morning and the night every day. The competitors subject will characteristic 4 groups from the GMAC (Findlay, Malone, Ashland, and Hillsdale (girls solely)) and 6 groups from the MEC (Wheeling, Davis & Elkins, Fairmont State, Frostburg State, Salem, and West Virginia Wesleyan). On the lads’s aspect, the Cardinals enter because the MEC chief in each the Dual scoring (575.70) and Championship scoring (484.66), whereas the ladies sit third in Championship (402.91) and third in twin (525.20). Both will likely be competing for his or her first ever MEC title, throughout the 4 days of competitors. 

Last Year’s Event 

Women: At the 2025 MEC/GMAC Swimming & Diving Championships, the Cardinals would end fifth total and 2nd amongst MEC groups within the competitors subject. It was their highest end on the championship occasion and program historical past, and their highest standing within the MEC. Individually, the Cardinals took residence 13 All-MEC honors throughout the 4 days of competitors, led by two particular person MEC Champions of their respective occasions. Former Cardinal Jade Miller would win the 200-Yard Backstroke, swimming a time of two:08.67, and Gabby Baiano gained the 200-Yard Freestyle, with a time of 1:56.52, to say the 2 championships. 

Men: The Wheeling Men’s Swimming group additionally put collectively a historic efficiency on the 2025 occasion, ending fifth total and third among the many MEC subject of competitors. Like the ladies, the lads additionally produced their highest end each total and within the convention in program historical past, and introduced residence 5 All-MEC honorees. Included in that subject was this system’s first-ever MEC Champion, when former Cardinal Gustav Lofqvist gained the 50-Yard Freestyle with a time of 21.24. He would find yourself taking residence each particular person All-MEC honors, whereas the 200-Yard Freestyle Relay earned 2nd Team All-MEC honors, and the 800-Yard Freestyle Relay group would earn Honorable Mention All-MEC honors with a time of seven:20.36. 

The Details 

Day one of many 2025 MEC/GMAC Swimming & Diving Championships are scheduled for Tuesday, February tenth, with the morning session starting at 10 AM adopted by the night session at 6 PM. You can watch the occasion reside by clicking HERE or comply with together with Live Stats by clicking HERE.