NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Carroll University was selected as the 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Women’s Bowling preseason favorite in a poll voted on by the league’s seven head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own team.
The Pioneers received 62 points with five first-place votes. Carroll is led by head coach Mason Petrin, who enters his fifth season with the team and third as head coach. Petrin returns two First Team All-CCIW honorees in Miley Brooks and Ava Butt. Both returners posted average scores of around 180, 180.97 and 180.13, respectively. The 2026 season saw the Pioneers grab their first-ever championship, and they will look to back that up this spring and defend their title.
Marian University was picked to finish as the league’s runner-up, gathering two first-place votes and four second-place votes. Eighth-year head coach Dan Mueller returns three of the Sabres’ four All-CCIW selections from last year. 2026 First Team honoree Kaitlyn Kesle boasts a 190.6 average score and will look to lead the squad as it seeks to return to the top of the standings this upcoming season.
In third is Augustana College with 24 points. The Vikings finished fourth in last year’s tournament, but backed by head coach Martie Resner, the Vikings look to make some noise this season. The Vikings don’t return any All-CCIW honorees, but have a mix of veteran leadership from senior Cassie Kontos and a strong young core of Molly Singleton and Anna Ricci returning, all of whom average scores of more than 170.
Carthage College was selected to finish fourth, right behind the Vikings with 22 points. The Firebirds are coming off a third-place finish at last year’s conference tournament with third-year head coach Dale Lehman at the helm of the squad. Carthage returns its only All-CCIW selection from last year in Airie Frost and looks to make a push for a strong upcoming campaign.
Aurora University and Elmhurst University tied for fifth in the poll with 14 points apiece. Richard McElmeel enters his ninth year as the head coach of the Spartans, while current Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) member Kevin McCune enters his first season with the Bluejays. Both teams return one All-CCIW honoree in Mary Graves from Elmhurst and Annie Honsik from Aurora.
Illinois Wesleyan University was selected to finish seventh, picking up seven total points. Gary Robinson enters his first season with the Titans, looking to shake up the standings with a young core of players and a trio of first-years who have all posted top scores of 250-plus in Illinois High School Association (IHSA) competition.
The 2026-27 CCIW Bowling Championship is set for March 20-21 in Bloomington, Illinois, hosted by Illinois Wesleyan. Competition will get underway much sooner, with Marian and Illinois Wesleyan competing next weekend. The Titans will compete at the Columbia 300 Western Shootout, while the Sabres will compete at the Great Lakes Bowling Event #1.
The rest of the league will get into action the following weekend, with teams set to compete at the NCAA Division III Midwest Round Up in Waukegan, Illinois.
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The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.), Carroll University (Waukesha, Wis.), Carthage College (Kenosha, Wis.), Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, Ill.), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, Ill.), Millikin University (Decatur, Ill.), North Central College (Naperville, Ill.), North Park University (Chicago, Ill.) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.).