Story by Ellie Manderfeld, CCIW Intern
NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- Wheaton was picked to win the 2019-20 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) women's basketball title based upon the results of the conference's annual preseason coaches' poll announced Wednesday.
The Thunder (22-6, 15-1) won the poll with 64 points and eight first place votes after winning their fourth title in the last five years last season. Wheaton has won 10 conference titles in its history including the last four under head coach Kent Madsen (2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019). The Thunder also advanced to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship for the fifth-straight year in 2018-19 and was ranked 25th in the final D3hoops.com Top 25.
Illinois Wesleyan (23-5, 14-2) came in second in the coaches' poll with 55 points and one first place vote. The Titans have won eight conference titles in program history, all under the direction of head coach Mia Smith, who led her team to a national title in 2012. Illinois Wesleyan placed 22nd in the final D3hoops.com Top 25 at the end of last season.
Carthage (17-10, 10-6) was ranked third with 52 points following the Lady Reds' second-straight appearance in the CCIW Women's Basketball Tournament last season.
North Park (11-16, 6-10) placed fourth with 33 points after the Vikings made their first CCIW Tournament appearance since 2006.
Augustana (14-12, 8-8) was fifth with 30 points, followed closely behind by North Central (7-18, 5-11) with 29 points, and Elmhurst (10-16, 6-10) with 26 points. Millikin (8-17, 4-12) and Carroll (9-16, 4-12) rounded out the poll with 22 and 13 points respectively.
Voting is done by the CCIW's head women's basketball coaches. Each coach votes for the eight other schools in the conference in order of predicted finish. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (eight points for first, seven for second, etc.). Coaches do not vote for their own teams.
2019-20 CCIW Preseason Women's Basketball Poll
| Rank |
Institution |
Points (1st Pl. Votes) |
| 1 |
Wheaton |
64 (8) |
| 2 |
Illinois Wesleyan |
55 (1) |
| 3 |
Carthage |
52 |
| 4 |
North Park |
33 |
| 5 |
Augustana |
30 |
| 6 |
North Central |
29 |
| 7 |
Elmhurst |
26 |
| 8 |
Millikin |
22 |
| 9 |
Carroll |
13 |
2018-19 CCIW Women's Basketball Standings
| Institution |
CCIW |
Overall |
| Wheaton |
15-1 |
22-6 |
| Illinois Wesleyan |
14-2 |
23-5 |
| Carthage |
10-6 |
17-10 |
| Augustana |
8-8 |
14-12 |
| North Park |
6-10 |
11-16 |
| Elmhurst |
6-10 |
10-16 |
| North Central |
5-11 |
7-18 |
| Carroll |
4-12 |
9-16 |
| Millikin |
4-12 |
8-17 |
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). During the 2017-18 academic year, the CCIW honored over 2,100 academic all-conference recipients, 15 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 28 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients, and over 100 all-Americans.