The Illinois Wesleyan University men’s and women’s track & field teams secured eight event victories on the final day of the 2026 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Indoor Track & Field Championships, held at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Illinois. Both teams finished third overall, with the men’s team scoring 86 points and the women’s team earning 94.33 points.
Throughout Saturday’s competition, the Titans collected 19 All-CCIW selections, including six individual champions and two relay wins. Over both days of the championship, a total of 26 athletes from Illinois Wesleyan received all-conference honors.
Senior Adriana Crabtree was named CCIW Track Student-Athlete of the Meet after winning two events. She is the first Titan to receive this recognition for women’s track since Tara Clemens in 2013. Freshman Gwendolyn Boettinger earned CCIW First-Year Field Athlete of the Year following her runner-up finish in the high jump.
Crabtree won both the mile (4:58.64) and 3000m events, making her “the lone harrier to crack five minutes” in the mile and finishing more than ten seconds ahead in the longer race. Her three event wins contributed to her top student-athlete award.
On the men’s side, senior Evan Lowder defended his title in the 400m with a time of 48.40 seconds, marking his fourth consecutive win in this event—a first for any male athlete at Illinois Wesleyan or within CCIW history.
Juniors Mackenzie Huber and Imani Ogunribido also claimed titles for IWU. Huber won her third CCIW title over two days by finishing first in both individual races and relays; she took gold in Saturday’s women’s 800m with a time of 2:13.67 as well as part of victorious distance medley relay and 4x400m relay squads.
Ogunribido set a new CCIW Championship record by winning her second indoor triple jump title with a mark of 12.19 meters, surpassing last season’s best jump.
Sophomore Jacob Pinkston captured his first career CCIW title by winning the men’s 800m (1:55.69), becoming IWU’s first-ever champion for that indoor event after moving up from mid-pack during his final lap.
Both men’s and women’s teams also secured conference championships in their respective 4x400m relays. The men’s team—composed of Lowder, Carson Green, Alex Maas, and Dylan Hodges—finished four seconds ahead of North Central with a time of 3:21.91. The women’s squad—Jordynn Griffin, Bella Gonzalez, Huber, and Mallory Short—won their relay with a time of 3:56.20.
Several Titans are scheduled to compete at Last Chance meets on March 6 before qualifying athletes head to Birmingham, Alabama for NCAA Division III National Championships on March 13-14.
Illinois Wesleyan Titans Men’s Track and Field program hosts its indoor competitions at Shirk Center Indoor Track, which serves as a dedicated facility for track events in Bloomington. The program competes as part of NCAA Division III within the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Student-athletes range from freshmen through seniors. The team participates regularly in intercollegiate athletics.
Other awards distributed during Saturday’s championships included:
“Women’s Track Student-Athlete of the Meet Adriana Crabtree, Illinois Wesleyan”
“Women’s Field Student-Athlete of the Meet Madison Payne, Carthage”
“Women’s First-Year Track Student-Athlete of the Meet Dylan Moeller, North Central”
“Women’s First-Year Field Student-Athlete of the Meet Gwen Boettinger, Illinois Wesleyan”
“Women’s Coaching Staff of the Year Elmhurst”
“Women’s CCIW Elite 26 Award Winners Hana Smith (Carroll), Jenna Weis (Carroll), Sarah Hahn (Elmhurst), Molly Roberts (Elmhurst), Pola Kubrak (North Central)”
“Women’s RESPECT Award Recipients McKenzie Meirhaeghe (Augustana), Kaitlyn Gregory (Carroll), Ellie Horton (Carthage), Julietta Contreras (Elmhurst), Taylor Fleury (Illinois Wesleyan), Alyssa Andreatta (Millikin), Hannah Galletti (North Central), Elsa Swanson (North Park), Meredith Eisses (Wheaton)”
“Men’s Track Student-Athlete of the Meet Jacob Curulewski, Carthage”
“Men’s Field Student-Athlete of the Meet Tyler Rose, Carthage”
“Men’s First-Year Track Student-Athlete of the Meet Brian Smith, Carroll”
“Men’s First-Year Field Student-Athlete of the Meet Carlos Cadet, Carroll”
“Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year North Central”
“Men’s CCIW Elite 26 Award Winners Reece Peters (Millikin), BJ Sorg (North Central)”
“Men’s RESPECT Award Recipients Jacob Brown (Augustana), Jerome Sassoe (Carroll), Kade Jaros (Carthage), Rashard Wraggs (Elmhurst), Jeffery Woodard (Illinois Wesleyan), Brody Robers (Millikin), Jacob Ahlberg (North Central), Leonardo Gonzalez (North Park), Josh Schuurman(Wheaton)”
