West Virginia University Athletics

2023-24 (5th)

• NCAA All-American
• NWCA Scholar All-American
• Eighth-place finisher at the NCAA Championships 
• Eighth WVU wrestler to be named an All-American multiple times 
• NCAA Qualifier at 125 pounds 
• CSC Academic All-District
• Academic All-Big 12 First Team
• Team's Most Outstanding Wrestler Award winner
• Team's Mountain Man Award winner 
• Team Captain
• Defeated No. 15-seed Brett Ungar in the blood round to clinch a spot on the podium at the NCAA tournament (March 16-18) 
• Knocked off No. 5-seed Caleb Smith of Appalachian State and No. 21-seed Jore Volk of Wyoming to reach the NCAA quarterfinals
• Sixth-place finisher at the  58th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30)
• Led off with 5-3 decision over Colton Camacho in the 24-11 victory over No. 21 Pitt (Jan. 8)
• Scored a 3-2 decision over No. 22 Joey Prata of Oklahoma (Jan. 20)
• WVU Student-Athlete of the Week (March 20)
• Earned the No. 1 seed in the 125-pound weight bracket at the Big 12 Championship
• Earned the No. 28 seed as an at-large berth in the 125-pound weight bracket at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships

2021-22 (r-Sr.)

• NWCA Scholar All-American
• Top-12 finisher at the NCAA Championships
• NCAA Qualifier at 125 pounds
• Big 12 Champion
• Academic All-Big 12 First Team
• Started and recorded a 16-3 overall record at 125 pounds, including a 9-1 record against Big 12 competition
• Led the team with 10 wins over ranked opponents
• Defeated No. 21 Taylor LaMont of Utah Valley, 10-8, in sudden victory to advance to the NCAA quarterfinals (March 18)
• Claimed an 8-3 decision over 2021 Big 12 Champion Brody Teske of Northern Iowa in the finals of the Big 12 Championship (March 6)
• Collected four straight wins, including three bonus-point victories, en route to a runner-up finish at the prestigious Southern Scuffle (Jan. 1-2)
• Earned the No. 5 seed in the 125-pound weight bracket at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
• Closed out the season ranked in the top 15 of several wrestling publications
• WVU Student-Athlete of the Week (March 7)
• Team’s Mountain Man Award winner
• Team Captain
• Earned his bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorder as part of the WVU School of Medicine

2020-21 (r-Jr.)

• NCAA All-American
• NWCA Scholar All-American
• Scholar All-American Team member (WVU: first time since 2009)
• NCAA Qualifier at 125 pounds
• Placed seventh at the NCAA Championships
• Took third at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship
• Led the team with a 17-6 record, including eight wins over ranked opponents
• Went 9-2 in his first year against Big 12 competition
• Recorded two 9-1 major decisions, with the first coming against Cleveland State’s Jake Manley (Jan. 23) and the second coming against Fresno State’s Anthony Molton at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship (March 6)
• WVU Student-Athlete of the Week (March 22)
• Closed out the season ranked in the top 20 of several wrestling publications
• Entered his first season at WVU after spending three seasons at Old Dominion

2019-20 (r-So.) – At Old Dominion

• Mid-American Conference (MAC) All-Academic Team
• NCAA Qualifier at 125 pounds
• National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division I All-America Honorable Mention
• Finished the season ranked in the top 15 of several wrestling publications
• Advanced to the 2020 MAC Championship finals in the 125-pound weight bracket
• Led the team in wins with a 25-9 record, including six victories over ranked opponents
• Was twice named MAC Wrestler of the Week

2018-19 (r-Fr.) – At Old Dominion

• MAC All-Academic Team
• Competed at 133 pounds for most of the season, posting a 12-18 overall record
• Recorded four wins by decision, one major decision, three tech. falls and one pin

2017-18 (Fr.) – At Old Dominion

• Redshirted and wrestled unattached at 125 pounds in open tournaments
• Ended the year with an 18-10 mark
• Met eventual 2018 NCAA National Champion Spencer Lee of Iowa at Midlands

Prep

• Recorded 160+ wins at Brentsville District High
• Three-time Virginia state finalist (2015-17)
• Two-time state champion (2015 and 2017)
• Fargo All-American

Personal

• Son of Joshua Cardinale and Jennifer Preston
• Father wrestled at George Mason
• Mother was a three-year member of the Patriots softball team
• Birthday is Dec. 7
• Has two brothers
• Majoring in communication science and disorders
• Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll
• Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll