NAPERVILLE — The final full weekend of January delivered a clear snapshot of where the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s indoor track and field season is headed. From record-setting sprints to nationally relevant throws and controlled depth performances across multiple events, several programs continued to separate themselves while others positioned key athletes for a strong championship push.
 
Reed-ing Between the Lines: North Central Sprints to History
North Central senior Randy Reed delivered the weekend’s headline performance at the Aurora Grand Prix last Saturday. Reed broke a 22-year-old school record in the 200 meters, clocking 21.57 to place second in a nationally competitive field. The mark leads the CCIW and currently ranks eighth in NCAA Division III.
 
Reed also placed third in the 60 meters at 6.91, narrowly off his conference-leading season best of 6.88. North Central’s sprint depth continued to show in the relays, as the Cardinals’ 4x400 (Will Splant, Jake Juneau, Keydric Fulton-Wilson, Arturo Martinez) finished second in 3:29.45, while the 4x200 squad placed top-five at 1:33.95. North Central currently holds seven of the top 10 times in the CCIW 60-meter rankings.
 
Heavy Metal: Rose and Wells Anchor the Throws Group
Carthage senior Tyler Rose continued his strong start to the season at the Ripon Red Hawk Opener last Friday. Rose posted a personal-best 19.10 meters in the weight throw, finishing second and moving to third on Carthage’s all-time list. The mark ranks fourth nationally and earned Rose his second consecutive CCIW Field Student-Athlete of the Week honor. He also placed fourth in the shot put at 15.11.
 
Augustana’s Magnus Wells remained close behind in the national picture, winning the weight throw at the Hilltop Invitational with a season-best 18.42, currently 10th in Division III. Wells added a fourth-place shot put finish at 14.59. Viking depth showed earlier in the week at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational, where Landon Wierenga threw a personal-best 17.81 (11th nationally) and Evan Santilli added a 16.07 performance.
 
Firebirds on the Rise: Parker Extinguishes Long-Standing Record
Carthage junior Dylan Parker produced another major moment at the Aurora Grand Prix, breaking a 23-year-old school record in the 400 meters. Parker ran 48.80 to finish second, moving to 14th nationally in Division III.
 
Carthage’s jumps group also contributed at Ripon, totaling 33 team points. Hayden Rollins cleared 4.55 to place third in the pole vault, while Kedrick Johnson III finished third in the triple jump at 13.85. Freshman Euphrates Willis added a fifth-place finish in the high jump at 1.90, a mark tied for fifth in the CCIW this season.
 
Big Blue’s Podium Party: Millikin Sweeps the Mid-Distance
Millikin controlled the middle-distance events at the IC Snow Bird Invite last Saturday, highlighted by a full podium sweep in the 800 meters. Aaron Mohr won in 1:58.48, followed by Ryne Norton (1:59.47) and Reece Peters (1:59.57). Mohr’s converted season best of 1:56.81 ranks third in the conference.
 
The Big Blue also went one-two in the mile, with Joey McGinn winning in 4:30.93 just ahead of Matt Gowen (4:30.99). In the 3,000 meters, Julio Cesar Hernandez Lopez and Josh Holloway placed third and fourth, both ranking top-five in the CCIW. Freshman Tyler Hensley added a third-place pole vault finish at 3.95.
 
Sprints, Jumps and Strategic Gains: Carroll and IWU Performance Notes
Carroll turned in a strong weekend at the Karl Schneider Invitational. Freshman Brian Smith won both the 200 (22.54) and 400 (50.01), while holding the conference’s third-best marks this season in both events. Brady Reusser won the shot put with a personal-best 15.63, ranking third in the CCIW, and freshman Carlos Cadet placed second in the long jump at 6.87, the league’s second-best mark.
 
Illinois Wesleyan recorded 10 top-10 finishes at the Aurora Grand Prix. Isaac Whitaker placed third in the pole vault (4.45), Matt Lindberg took third in the high jump (1.91) and Seth Hamerski ran a personal-best 4:19.04 mile to move into fifth on IWU’s all-time list. Evan Lowder added a third-place finish in the 400 at 48.86.
 
Pacing the Pack: Statistical Leaders and the Road Ahead
Several student-athletes continue to set the conference pace heading into February. North Central’s BJ Sorg leads the CCIW and ranks fourth nationally in the 5,000 meters (14:06.37), while freshman Drew Patterson tops the league in the 800 following a 1:56.18 performance. Jayden Leise leads the conference in the triple jump at 14.34, ranking 21st nationally.
 
The schedule remains demanding, with key meets ahead this weekend. Millikin heads to the ONU Invitational, Illinois Wesleyan hosts the Jason Dennis Memorial and North Central, North Park, Carthage and Elmhurst travel to the Squig Converse Invite. Augustana and Wheaton will compete at the Windy City Rumble.