NAPERVILLE – The 2023 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Cross Country Championship will return to St. James Farm Forest Preserve in Warrenville, Ill. on Saturday afternoon. The men’s 8K race will begin at noon, followed by the women’s 6K race at 12:45 p.m.
 
Live results of Saturday’s races will be available at this link: https://timingmd.net/Results/xc/cciw_10_28_23/Race%20Length%20cciw.html.
 
2023 CCIW Men's Cross Country Pre-Championship Coaches' Poll

Team (First-place votes)	Points
1. North Central (8)	64
2. Carthage (1)	57
3. Augustana	46
4. Millikin	44
5. Wheaton	39
6. Carroll	28
7. Illinois Wesleyan	23
8. Elmhurst	15
9. North Park	8

In the men’s race, North Central is the coaches’ pre-championship favorite to win its 49th consecutive league title with eight first-place votes and a maximum 64 points. The Cardinals, who will enter the event as the nation’s top-ranked team according to last week’s USTFCCCA Division III poll, won last season’s CCIW Championship with a minimum team total of 15 for the fifth time since 2016. 
 
NCC’s Connor Riss returns after winning last season’s CCIW Championship, while teammate Max Svienty owns the league’s fastest 8K time this season, a 23:51.3 showing at the Live in Lou Classic on Sept. 30 in Louisville, Ky.
 
Carthage received the other first-place vote and was picked second in the coaches’ poll. The Firebirds were the team runner up a year ago in Warrenville. Augustana – which ranked ninth in last week’s USTFCCCA Midwest Region rankings – was voted third in the CCIW poll.
 
Millikin, which returns All-CCIW performer Bradyn Olmstead, was voted fourth as a team in the poll released Wednesday.
 
2023 CCIW Women's Cross Country Pre-Championship Coaches' Poll

Team (First-place votes)	Points
1. Illinois Wesleyan (5)	61
2. North Central (2)	51
3. Wheaton (2)	50
4. Millikin	45
5. Augustana	37
6. Carthage	32
7. Elmhurst	22
8. Carroll	18
9. North Park	8

On the women’s side, Illinois Wesleyan is favored in the coaches’ poll to win its first CCIW title since 2012. The Titans, ranked sixth in the USTFCCCA Midwest Region rankings last week, were driven by five first-place votes for their point total of 61. Sophomore Adriana Crabtree, who was named CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week on Oct. 17, owns the conference’s fastest 6K time in 2023 with a 21:56.8 at the Augustana Interregional Invite on Oct. 14 in Rock Island. 
 
Annaleese Chudy of IWU is the league’s top returner from last season’s championship race after earning second place in 22:32.7.
 
North Central collected two first-place votes to be voted second in the poll with 51 points, one point ahead of defending champion Wheaton. The Thunder also earned two first-place votes on the coaches’ ballot. Millikin was fourth, followed by Augustana and Carthage.