WARRENVILLE, Ill. – North Central College senior BJ Sorg is the 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Men's Cross Country Elite 26 Award recipient, the conference announced Saturday at the conclusion of the 2026 CCIW Men's Cross Country Championship at St. James Farm.
Sorg earned the prestigious academic honor after maintaining a perfect 4.00 GPA while studying environmental science. This marks the third consecutive year Sorg has received the CCIW Elite 26 Award, having previously earned the honor in 2024 and 2025.
On the course, Sorg has played a key role in the Cardinals' success this season. At the CCIW Men's Cross Country Championship, Sorg claimed the individual title with a first-place finish in the men's 8K race, earning All-CCIW First Team honors. Behind his performance, North Central secured the team championship, continuing its streak of conference titles dating back to 1974.
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.
To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be sophomores or above and have participated in their sport at their institution for at least two years. They must also be active members of their teams and travel to and compete at the CCIW championship event or, for bracketed tournaments, be on one of the final two teams while also earning All-CCIW honors.
Game One | Shop Official CCIW Cross Country Championship Gear
Game One is the official merchandise provider of the CCIW. As one of the largest and fastest-growing sports equipment and apparel suppliers in the country. CCIW Cross Country fans can shop championship-branded apparel and gear through the CCIW's official Game One store. Click here to be taken directly to the Official CCIW Cross Country Championship Store!
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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.).