The Illinois Wesleyan cross country teams traveled to Rock Island, Ill., for the NCAA Division III Regional Championships on Saturday, November 16. The women’s team pulled off a fifth-place finish, with three runners earning All-Region honors. The men’s team finished 16th, with senior Nick Fisch earning All-Region honors.
The women’s team went into the race ranked eighth in the region, and their fifth-place finish marks the highest finish in the Midwest Regional for the Titans since 2012, where the team placed third. Sophomore Adriana Crabtree, first-year Maddie Morgan and senior Annalese Chudy brought home their All-Region Medals, placing 13th, 25th, and 27th.
In the six-kilometer race, Chudy earned her third All-Region award of her career, with a time of 22:36.4, not far behind Morgan. The first year earned her first All-Region title with a personal record time of 22:30.2.
“I am proud of achieving All-Region this year, but I am more thankful for my coach and teammates who helped make it possible with their support, hard work, and dedication,” Morgan said, “We always pushed each other to be our best.” With her success so early in her career, Morgan will be one to watch in the coming seasons. “I am looking forward to continuing to build on our team’s success both on and off the field,” Morgan said.
Crabtree, who beat her 21st-place finish from the previous year, started off the race in 15th and pushed her way to 13th in the last three kilometers. Her time of 22:03.6 earned her the second All-Region award of her career and a ticket to the Division III Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind.
Crabtree’s 13th-place finish is the highest placement for the Titans since Erin McCarey’s 12th-place run in 2015. She is also one of only three CCIW runners to qualify for the Championship, alongside Julia Benes from North Central and Emma Odle from Augustana.
Nick Fisch brought the men’s team their regional award in the eight-kilometer race. Fisch sat at 42nd place for the first half of the race, until he climbed his way to 32nd to finish. His 25:19.1 time was three seconds short of his personal best but earned him the first All-Region award of his career.
The men’s team’s second and third runners, senior Ernie Waterson and first-year Jack Thomas finished out the race for the Titans. Waterson finished 83rd with a time of 26:40.6 and Thomas finished 91st with a time of 26:47.3.
The NCAA Division III Championships will take place on November 23 and will conclude the cross-country season for the Titans. Crabtree’s race will begin at 11 a.m. at the Wabash Family Sports Centre at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology at the LaVern Gibson Championships Cross Country Course. Fans of the cross country program can also look forward to the upcoming track and field season, which will begin with the Titan’s First Chance meet on December 7, hosted at the Shirk Center at Illinois Wesleyan.