NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- North Central was predicted to win its 47th-consecutive College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men's cross country title according to the results of the conference's annual coaches' poll announced Tuesday.
After a one year hiatus, the CCIW Cross Country Championship is back Saturday, October 30 at St. James Farm in Warrenville, Il, hosted by Wheaton College. The men's race will kick off at noon, followed by the women's race at 12:45p.m.
The Cardinals won the poll with 64 points and eight first place votes as they enter this weekend's championship having won 53 conference titles in program history. Their 46-straight CCIW men's cross country titles date back to 1974. Additionally, the program has won 19 NCAA Division III national titles and finished second at the NCAA Championships in 2019.
Millikin University placed second in the poll with 54 points and one first place vote, following a third place finish in 2019. It was the Big Blue's best finish at the conference championship in decades.
Augustana was third with 49 points, followed by Carthage (43), Wheaton (39), Carroll (30), Illinois Wesleyan (20), Elmhurst (17), and North Park (eight).
Voting is done by the CCIW's head men's cross country 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.
Following next weekend's conference championship, CCIW teams will take part in the NCAA Division III Regionals on Saturday, November 13 with some teams headed to Rock Island, Il. while others will compete in Eau Claire, Wi.. The NCAA Championship will be held in Louisville, Ky on November 20, 2021.
2021 CCIW Men's Cross Country Championship Coaches' Poll
| Rank |
Institution |
Points (1st Pl. Votes) |
| 1 |
North Central |
64 (8) |
| 2 |
Millikin |
54 (1) |
| 3 |
Augustana |
49 |
| 4 |
Carthage |
43 |
| 5 |
Wheaton |
39 |
| 6 |
Carroll |
30 |
| 7 |
Illinois Wesleyan |
20 |
| 8 |
Elmhurst |
17 |
| 9 |
North Park |
8 |
2019 CCIW Men's Cross Country Championship Standings
| Place |
Institution |
Points |
| 1 |
North Central |
15 |
| 2 |
Wheaton |
67 |
| 3 |
Millikin |
105 |
| 4 |
Carroll |
108 |
| 5 |
Augustana |
115 |
| 6 |
Illinois Wesleyan |
142 |
| 7 |
Carthage |
193 |
| 8 |
Elmhurst |
233 |
| 9 |
North Park |
293 |
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 Universit (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).