WARRENVILLE, Ill. – On a beautiful fall morning amid the scenery of autumn foliage at St. James Farm, the 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Women’s Cross Country Championship saw North Central College win its 10th CCIW title with 48 points.

The Cardinals placed two runners in the top five on the brisk morning, with Mariangela Popoca finishing second in 21:50.9 and Dylan Moeller placing third in 21:53.4. North Central’s other scoring runners, Lily Anderson, Tessa Hart and Molly Sheridan, placed 11th, 12th and 20th, respectively. Popoca also claimed the CCIW’s First Year Student-Athlete of the Year Award for being the competition’s top first year finisher.

The 2026 pre-championship poll favorite, Illinois Wesleyan University, finished second with 61 points. The Titans were fueled by three scoring runners in the top 10, Maddie Morgan, Jordan Sutter and Alexia Spatz, but the Cardinals’ early advantage with two runners in the top five was too much to overcome.

Jessica Solar of Elmhurst University finished first, earning the individual championship and conference Student-Athlete of the Year honors. Solar dominated the field, winning the race with a commanding nine-second margin over the runner-up in 21:41.2. She paced the Bluejays to a third-place finish with 74 points.

Augustana College finished fourth with 84 points, Carthage College finished fifth with 142 points and Wheaton College was sixth with 150 points. Rounding out the final results were Millikin University in seventh (162), Carroll University in eighth (190) and North Park University in ninth (283).

At the conclusion of the championship, Keira Nelson was named the CCIW Women's Cross Country Elite 26 Award recipient with a 4.00 cumulative GPA. The CCIW's Elite 26 Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA competing at the championship of their respective sport. All GPAs are based on a straight-grading scale to ensure consistency among nominees. All ties are broken by the total number of credit hours completed through the most recently concluded semester.

Nine student-athletes were presented with the CCIW's RESPECT Award. The CCIW RESPECT Award recognizes individuals who embody the core values of the conference: Responsibility, Enthusiasm, Service, Pride, Excellence, Collaboration and Teamwork. The honorees were Rosa de Lima Arroyo (Augustana), Paola Orozco (Carroll), Arianna DeLeon (Carthage), Anna Wickersheim (Elmhurst), Skyler Tomecki (Illinois Wesleyan), Emily Urbanski (Millikin), Arielle Manas (North Central), Erika Ver Beek (North Park) and Abby Kauffman (Wheaton).

All-CCIW First Team honors were awarded to the top 10 finishers at the championship, led by individual champion Jessica Solar of Elmhurst with a 6K time of 21:41.2. North Central's Mariangela Popoca finished second in 21:50.9, followed by teammate Dylan Moeller in third at 21:53.4. Illinois Wesleyan's Maddie Morgan placed fourth in 21:55.6, followed by Carroll's Allena O'Connell in fifth at 22:03.5 and Elmhurst's Sarah Hahn in sixth at 22:05.3. Carthage's Kylie Florance finished seventh in 22:06.6, Illinois Wesleyan's Jordan Sutter placed eighth in 22:07.3 and Wheaton's Sophia Huber finished ninth in 22:12.1. Illinois Wesleyan's Alexia Spatz rounded out the First Team honorees with a 10th-place finish in 22:28.2.

All-CCIW Second Team honors were awarded to finishers placing 11th through 20th. North Central's Lily Anderson led the Second Team honorees with an 11th-place finish in 22:31.8, followed by teammate Tessa Hatt in 12th at 22:32.3. Augustana's Keira Nelson finished 13th in 22:32.8, followed by teammates Norah Wright in 14th at 22:37.0 and Ryan Jednachowski in 15th at 22:39.9. Illinois Wesleyan's Matylda Maciejczyk placed 16th in 22:44.2, while Augustana's Renee Jednachowski finished 17th in 22:45.4. Elmhurst's Paige Rewerts placed 18th in 22:47.7, followed by teammate Morgan Ashcroft in 19th at 22:50.0. North Central's Molly Sheridan rounded out the Second Team honorees with a 20th-place finish in 22:51.5.

Student-Athlete of the Year:

Jessica Solar, Elmhurst

First Year Student-Athlete of the Year:

Mariangela Popoca, North Central

Elite 26 Award:

Keira Nelson, Augustana 

All-CCIW First Team:

1. Jessica Solar, Elmhurst (21:41.2)

2. Mariangela Popoca, North Central (21:50.9)

3. Dylan Moeller, North Central (21:53.4)

4. Maddie Morgan, Illinois Wesleyan (21:55.6)

5. Allena O'Connell, Carroll (22:03.5)

6. Sarah Hahn, Elmhurst (22:05.3)

7. Kylie Florance, Carthage (22:06.6)

8. Jordan Sutter, Illinois Wesleyan (22:07.3)

9. Sophia Huber, Wheaton (22:12.1)

10. Alexia Spatz, Illinois Wesleyan (22:28.2)

All-CCIW Second Team:

11. Lily Anderson, North Central (22:31.8)

12. Tessa Hatt, North Central (22:32.3)

13. Keira Nelson, Augustana (22:32.8)

14. Norah Wright, Augustana (22:37.0)

15. Ryan Jednachowski, Augustana (22:39.9)

16. Matylda Maciejczyk, Illinois Wesleyan (22:44.2)

17. Renee Jednachowski, Augustana (22:45.4)

18. Paige Rewerts, Elmhurst (22:47.7)

19. Morgan Ashcroft, Elmhurst (22:50.0)

20. Molly Sheridan, North Central (22:51.5)

RESPECT Award:

Rosa de Lima Arroyo, Augustana College
Paola Orozco, Carroll University
Arianna DeLeon, Carthage College
Anna Wickersheim, Elmhurst University
Skyler Tomecki, Illinois Wesleyan University
Emily Urbanski, Millikin University
Arielle Manas, North Central College
Erika Ver Beek, North Park University
Abby Kauffman, Wheaton College

Coaching Staff of the Year:

North Central Women's Cross Country Coaching Staff

Mahesh Narayanan – Head Women's Cross Country Coach

Rebecca Kaefring – Assistant Women's Cross Country/Track and Field Coach

Austin Kling – Graduate Assistant Women's Cross Country Coach

Jenna Fiore – Volunteer Assistant Women's Cross Country Coach

Katelynne Hart – Volunteer Assistant Women's Cross Country Coach

Sam Poglitsch – Volunteer Assistant Women's Cross Country Coach

Reilly Revord – Volunteer Assistant Women's Cross Country Coach

Amy Narayanan – Volunteer Assistant Women's Cross Country Coach

 

2026 CCIW Women's Cross Country Championship – Team Standings

1. North Central College – 48 points

   • Finishes: 2, 3, 11, 12, 20 (26, 27)

2. Illinois Wesleyan University – 61 points

   • Finishes: 4, 8, 10, 16, 23 (34, 43)

3. Elmhurst University – 74 points

   • Finishes: 1, 6, 18, 19, 30 (41, 46)

4. Augustana College – 84 points

   • Finishes: 13, 14, 15, 17, 25 (29, 32)

5. Carthage College – 142 points

   • Finishes: 7, 21, 37, 38, 39 (49, 51)

6. Wheaton College – 150 points

   • Finishes: 9, 24, 28, 44, 45 (50, 52)

7. Millikin University – 162 points

   • Finishes: 22, 31, 33, 36, 40 (48, 54)

8. Carroll University – 190 points

   • Finishes: 5, 35, 42, 53, 55 (57, 58)

9. North Park University – 283 points

   • Finishes: 47, 56, 59, 60, 61 (62)

Game One | Shop Official CCIW Cross Country Championship Gear

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CCIW Championship Central
Championship Central provides direct access to each CCIW sport's championship page, where sport-specific championship information can be found. Information will be updated throughout the year and is subject to change. Visit the Cross Country championship page for the most up-to-date event information. 

 

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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.).