McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's track and field team is preparing for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championships, entering as the No. 2 seed according to the CCIW Pre-Championships coaches' poll. The event will be hosted by Carthage College from February 28 to March 1 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

In last year's championships, the Titans secured three conference titles and had 17 athletes named All-CCIW honorees, tying for second place with Carthage. Evan Lowder, then a sophomore, won both the 400m and 200m races. Matt Lindberg achieved a personal best in high jump, finishing second and earning All-CCIW honors. Sam Okewole also performed notably in the triple jump.

Lowder is currently leading the conference in the 400m with a time of 48.76 seconds as he enters this year's championships.

Illinois Wesleyan holds top-three positions in several events. Lindberg ranks second in high jump with a mark of 2.04m, Ethan Godsey is second in triple jump at 14.30m, and Ernie Waterson holds second place in the 800m with a time of 1:55.32. The relay team comprising Lowder, Alex Harvey, Reece Dusek, Noah Sadowski, Luke Alberstett, and Nick Walker has posted the second-fastest CCIW time at 3:20.39.

Nick Walker and Isaac Whitaker are also among IWU's top-three seeds for high jump and pole vault respectively.

The Titans were predicted to finish second overall according to the annual CCIW Pre-Championship Coaches' Poll with North Central leading with eight first-place votes out of nine total votes cast.

The championships will take place at Carthage's Tarble Athletic and Recreation Center starting on Friday morning at 10:30 a.m., continuing into Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m.

Tickets for adults are priced at $10 per day; seniors (65+), students, and children aged 6-14 can enter for $5 per day; children under five receive free admission along with current students from CCIW institutions who present valid student IDs.

The meet will feature live results and streaming options available through links provided on iwusports.com.