McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's and women's cross country teams are set to compete at the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championship. The event will take place on Saturday, October 28, at St. James Farm in Warrenville, Illinois. The men's eight-kilometer race will start at 12 p.m., followed by the women's six-kilometer race at 12:45 p.m.

According to the CCIW Pre-Championship Coaches Poll released on October 25, the IWU women's team is favored to win. They secured 61 points and five first-place votes in the poll. North Central and Wheaton follow closely with two first-place votes each, totaling 51 and 50 points respectively. IWU ranks highest among CCIW institutions in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association regional rankings, moving up three spots to sixth place.

The IWU men's team is predicted to finish seventh according to the pre-championship poll, with a total of 23 points. North Central leads with eight first-place votes and 64 points, while Carthage holds second place with one first-place vote and 57 points.

Sophomore Adriana Crabtree has been a standout for the IWU women's squad this season. She recorded a conference-leading time at the Augustana Interregional Invitational on October 14, finishing twelfth with a personal best of 21:56.8. This performance earned her the CCIW Runner of the Week award on October 17. Junior Annalese Chudy also achieved a personal best at Augustana with a time of 23:09.1.

On the men's side, six Titans delivered season-best performances at Augustana two weeks ago. Sophomore Zack Daniel achieved his best time of 26:29.6, while junior Nick Fisch recorded his top time of 26:49.5 during this season.

Live results from the races will be available online, and official results will be posted on IWUsports.com after all races conclude.