McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University women's track and field team has been placed third in the annual College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Pre-Championships coaches' poll. The championships, hosted by North Central College, will take place in Naperville, Illinois on May 2-3. Events will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium and continue on Saturday from 9:30 a.m.

Illinois Wesleyan gathered 45 points in the coaches' poll, following the leader Elmhurst with 64 points, which received all eight first-place votes, and North Central, which earned 57 points and a single first-place vote. Augustana and Carthage completed the top five with 42 and 38 points respectively, followed by Wheaton, North Park, Carroll, and Millikin.

Previously, Illinois Wesleyan secured a fifth-place finish at last year's outdoor championships. They improved to third place at the 2025 indoor meet, accumulating 77 points. As they head into the upcoming weekend, Illinois Wesleyan leads in six events.

Senior Annalese Chudy, from Libertyville, held the fastest 10,000m time at 26:52.47, and also carried the third fastest time in the 5,000m at 17:46.82. Junior Adriana Crabtree stood atop the 1500m field with a time of 4:33.64.

Sophomore Imani Ogunribido from Hanover Park was leading the triple jump with a 12.23m mark, ranking fifth nationally and leading the conference field by over two feet.

Senior Lauren Huber, an athlete from Lombard, was a standout with top marks in the heptathlon (4821) and the high jump (1.67m, or 5'5.75"). Huber's heptathlon rank was eighth in Division III, while she also ranked No. 12 in the high jump. Furthermore, senior Carlyssa King from Decatur led in the women's hammer throw with a school record mark of 53.94m, ranking ninth nationally.

Illinois Wesleyan also held strong rankings in the 800m and the 4-by-400m relay, with sophomore Alex Reinhart of Normal holding the second-fastest time in the 800m and Mackenzie Huber, also from Lombard, ranking third. The 4-by-400m relay team consisting of Bella Gonzalez, Jordynn Griffin, Reinhart, and Lauren Huber achieved the second-best time in the conference at 3:57.84.

For those interested in attending the CCIW Championships, tickets are priced at $10 per day for adults, and $5 per day for seniors, students, and children aged 6-14. Children aged 5 and under, as well as current students at a CCIW institution with a student ID, can attend for free.