McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's and women's cross country teams are preparing to start their 2023 season at Millikin University's H.W. Wright Classic on Friday, September 1. The event will be a triangular race featuring the Titans competing against Millikin and Illinois College at the Scovill Golf Course in Decatur, Illinois.

This marks the first team competition for the Titans since last season's NCAA Regional Championship. The women's race, a two-loop 4k, is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men's three-loop 6k race at 6:05 p.m.

Junior Annalese Chudy from Libertyville, Illinois, is returning as IWU's top athlete after a notable sophomore year where she became the first sophomore from IWU to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA National Championships. She placed 96th at the championships with a time of 23:24.90. Chudy secured her national bid by finishing 20th at last season's Regional Championship and earning all-region honors. Additionally, she achieved a second-place finish at the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) championship in 2022, earning First-Team All-CCIW recognition.

Sophomore Adriana Crabtree from Normal, Illinois, is expected to contribute significantly to the women's team this year after receiving Second Team All-CCIW honors with her 13th-place finish in last year's conference meet.

On the men's side, junior Nick Fisch from Woodridge, Illinois, returns as the leading performer for both the CCIW and Regional championships. Fisch received a Second Team All-CCIW accolade following his 17th-place finish in the conference meet.

Results from the meet will be available on IWUsports.com after both races conclude.

For updates on IWU cross country activities, follow @IWU_XCTF on Twitter and @IllinoisWesleyanXCTF on Instagram.