McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's cross country team is preparing for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championships, scheduled for Saturday, November 2, at St. James Farm in Warrenville, Illinois. This marks the second time this season that the team will compete on this course. North Park University will host the 2024 championships.

According to the CCIW Pre-Championship Coaches Poll released on October 31, Illinois Wesleyan is predicted to finish sixth in the competition. The team received a total of 29 points in the poll. North Central is expected to secure its 50th consecutive conference title after receiving all eight possible first-place votes and totaling 64 points. Augustana follows with one first-place vote and 56 points, placing them second. Carthage (50), Wheaton (38), and Millikin (37) complete the top five predictions.

The championship will feature regionally and nationally ranked teams, with North Central ranking second in the region and fourth nationally, while Augustana ranks fifth regionally and 29th nationally.

Senior Nick Fisch has been leading Illinois Wesleyan's efforts this season as their top finisher in all four races. His best performance was at the Gil Dodds Invitational on September 21, where he placed 11th overall with a time of 25:59.4. More recently, he achieved his season's best time of 25:36.0 at the Augustana Interregional on October 19.

Junior Zack Daniel has consistently been IWU's second-best runner, achieving his best placement and time at the Division I Redbird Invite in September where he finished 46th with a time of 27:00.5.

The men's race is set to start at 12:45 p.m., following the women's race at noon. Open races will follow with an awards ceremony concluding the event. Official results will be available on iwusports.com after all races have concluded.