CCIW Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Championships Preview

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Championships makes its way to Normal, Ill., October 27 at the Illinois State University Golf Course.

The championships begin at noon with the women running a 6K race, while the men will run an 8K immediately following the women’s race. A men’s and women’s open race will start at 1:30 with an awards ceremony concluding the day’s events.

Coming into the championships, three CCIW men’s cross country teams were named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association national poll as North Central (eighth), Augustana (15th) and Wheaton (19th) all placed in the poll.

The North Central men’s and women’s team are the defending champion as the men have won 33 straight dating back to 1974. The women’s title was the fourth in school history and first since 1995. The women certainly have the momentum heading into this weekend’s championships as five of the top seven runners from the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invite on October 19 were from North Central. Megan Andracki finished first with a time of 19:23.31, while Sarah McMillan was second (19:37.24). Sarah Scanlin (19:55.55), Colleen Oakes (20:01.42) and Lauren Mitchell (20:03.04) finished fifth through seventh respectively.

The North Central men recently place third at the Brooks Invitational in Oshkosh, Wis., on October 13 as Ryan Carrigan finished ninth with a time of 24:37. Kyle Brady was 16th with a time of 24:46, while Nate Hird was 18th (24:48), John Lancaster was 20th (24:57) and Brian Lesiewicz was 27th (25:09). North Central was one of six men’s teams from the CCIW to compete in the 8K at the Brooks Invitational, while three CCIW women’s teams took part in the 6K event.

The Augustana men’s team was a fifth place finisher at the Brooks Invitational as Dan Bailey led the way with a 24th place finish (25:05). Dan Leonard was 26th with a time of 25:06, while Andy Kubiak was 31st (25:14).

The Augustana women recently defeated Coe in a dual meet 22-38 as Hannah Hottle won with a time of 15:37 in a 4K race. Ellen Adams was third with a time of 16:06. Earlier this month, the Vikings traveled to London, Ontario to compete in the Mustang Open. Liz Driscoll won the individual title with a time of 14:38, while Hottle was fifth (15:11).

As for Wheaton, the Thunder men placed sixth as a team at the Brooks Invitational as Brandon Mull finished eighth with a time of 24:36. Matt Field was a 23rd place finisher (25:02). On the women’s side, Wheaton placed eighth as Lisa Baumert was the Thunder’s top runner as she placed ninth with a time of 21:58. Marah Borgman placed 27th with a time of 22:49.

Elmhurst’s Marisa Mele, a two-time individual conference champion, put forth a solid effort at the Brooks Invitational as she placed 12th with a time of 22:08. Elmhurst placed 10th as a team. The Elmhurst men were 12th as a team as Mike Ptack placed 12th with a time of 24:39.

The Millikin women were 12th at the Brooks Invitational as Ashley Thomasma was 58th with a time of 23:50, while on the men’s side Sam Chwalek was 83rd with a time of 26:05. The Millikin men were 17th as a team at the Brooks Invitational.

The Carthage Red Men were a 14th place finisher in Oshkosh, Wis., as Mike White was the top runner for his team. White finished 30th with a time of 25:12. Mike Bubolz was 37th with a time of 25:20.

The Carthage women recently won the Wisconsin Private College Cross Country Championship on October 13. It was the Lady Reds’ seventh state title, all since 1993. Karen Jackson won the individual title in the 5K with a time of 18:55.1, while Laura Pearson was fifth with a time of 19:50.9.

North Park’s Laura Papageoriou earned a personal best at the Brooks Invitational with a time of 24:42, which ranks her seventh all-time in school history for the 6K. On the men’s side, North Park finished 22nd as a team while Chris Roe was the top Vikings runner with a time of 27:46. His time was the sixth best in school history for the 8K.

Illinois Wesleyan completed its regular season at the Jim Drews/Tori Neubauer Invitationals in LaCrosse, Wis. The women were 21st, while the men placed 22nd. Mary Ellen Barron was the top finisher for the Titan women (24:11), while Lane Coonrod (27:31) led the men.