McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's and women's cross country and track and field teams have been recognized for their academic achievements. Eight athletes from the teams were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Teams, as announced on June 18. The women's team had five honorees, while the men's team had three.

Among those honored, senior Lauren Wong, junior Annalese Chudy, and sophomore Adriana Crabtree will advance to the Academic All-America ballot. To qualify for the CSC Academic All-District recognition, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50 and rank within the top 50 in their region in a track and field event or finish within the top 50 at their respective cross country regional championship.

In addition to Wong, Chudy, and Crabtree, junior Evelyn Wilson and senior Amanda Wilson were also recognized on the women's side. On the men's side, juniors Brooks Johnson, CJ Ladewig, and Matthew Wagner received honors for the first time in their careers.

Wong is noted for her consistent performance both academically and athletically. "Wong... was a 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field qualifier," highlighting her prowess in events such as triple jump where she ranked sixth indoors in the Midwest region.

Chudy maintained a strong academic record with a GPA of 3.85 while achieving notable athletic accomplishments including being "the only Titan on the women's side to qualify for back-to-back cross country NCAA Championships."

Crabtree excelled academically with a GPA of 3.87 while earning accolades such as "Women's CCIW Student-Athlete of the Meet" during her sophomore year.

Evelyn Wilson achieved Academic All-District honors with a GPA of 3.97 as she performed strongly in high jump events.

Amanda Wilson concluded her collegiate career with a first-time honor due to her performance in distance running events alongside maintaining a GPA of 3.56.

Brooks Johnson earned his recognition through his performance in long jump events combined with maintaining an accounting major's GPA of 3.68.

CJ Ladewig stood out with his performance in hammer throw alongside holding a business and finance major's GPA of 3.92.

Matthew Wagner excelled particularly in shot put events while holding a business major's GPA of 3.59.

"Wong, Chudy, and Crabtree will advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot," marking another step forward for these athletes whose academic excellence matches their athletic dedication.

The announcement of CSC Academic All-America honorees is scheduled for July 9.