NAPERVILLE – The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s indoor track and field season moved into a key stretch last weekend, as student-athletes competed across multiple states in a series of invitationals. 
 
The weekend produced a national top-five performance in the weight throw, multiple program records and updated national positioning as teams continue preparations for the conference championships.
 
Throwing Their Weight Around: Wells and Adams Set the Heavy Standard
Throwing events produced several of the conference’s top marks last weekend.
 
Augustana senior Magnus Wells earned CCIW Men’s Indoor Field Student-Athlete of the Week honors after winning the weight throw at the Wartburg Indoor Select with a lifetime-best 19.12 meters, a mark that ranks fifth nationally in NCAA Division III. Wells also placed second in the shot put at 15.20 meters. Augustana swept the top four places in the weight throw at Wartburg, followed by Landon Wierenga (17.29m), Julian Molitor (16.28m), and Evan Santilli (16.01m).
 
At the Keck DIII Select in Bloomington, North Central freshman Riley Adams won the weight throw with a 15.11-meter mark that established a new program freshman record and broke a 17-year-old standard.
 
At the Tadd Metzger Invitational in Kenosha, Carthage senior Tyler Rose won the weight throw at 19.19 meters, the top distance in the CCIW this season, and placed second in the shot put at 15.92 meters. Carroll senior Brady Reusser won the shot put with a 15.99-meter mark that ranks second on the CCIW performance list.
 
Going the Extra Mile(s): Distance Units Clock National Marks
Distance and middle-distance events also produced notable results across the weekend’s meets.
 
Millikin’s Julio Hernandez Lopez won the 5,000-meter run at the Keck DIII Select in 15:44.90. In the mile at the same meet, Millikin’s Reece Peters placed second in 4:22.69, while Illinois Wesleyan senior Zach Marquardt finished third with a personal-best 4:24.44. North Central recorded three top-10 finishes in the mile at Keck, led by Owen Dare in fifth (4:25.81).
 
In the national listings, North Central’s BJ Sorg holds the fourth-fastest Division III time in the 5,000-meter run at 14:15.43. Carthage’s Jacob Curulewski ranks third in the CCIW in the mile with a converted 4:19.28 following his win at the Tadd Metzger Invitational.
 
Carthage posted depth in the middle distances during its home meet, sweeping the top four places in the 800-meter run – led by Harlan Matson (1:59.26) – and the top five places in the 1,000-meter run, led by Luke Davey (2:42.22).
 
Passing the Baton: NCC Relay Leads Sprints and Hurdles Surge
North Central’s 4x400-meter relay of Zach Anderson, Gabe Parker, Dakota White and Jake Juneau earned CCIW Men’s Indoor Track Student-Athlete of the Week recognition after running 3:25.22 at the Keck DIII Select. The time leads the conference this season. Millikin placed second at the meet in the event with a 3:27.16.
 
In sprints, Augustana’s Tyreke Fortney took second in the 60-meter dash at Wartburg in 6.94 and added a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash with a personal-best 22.45. At the Tadd Metzger Invitational, Carthage’s Landon Voye won the 200-meter dash in 22.34, while Christopher Seals placed second in the 55-meter dash with a season-best 6.64. Carroll’s Brian Smith won the 400-meter dash in a personal-best 49.44.
 
In hurdles, Millikin’s Emmanuel Nwatu placed third in the 60-meter hurdles at Keck (8.66), while Augustana’s Brayden Veil finished third at Wartburg with a personal-best 8.49.
 
Leaps and Bounds: Cadet and Oleson Take Flight in Jumps and Vault
Jump events produced several of the conference’s highest national placements from the weekend.
 
Carroll freshman Carlos Cadet won the triple jump at the Tadd Metzger Invitational with a personal-best 14.59 meters, moving to No. 14 nationally in Division III. Cadet also placed third in the long jump at 6.83 meters.
 
North Central’s Cole Oleson continues to rank among the national leaders in the high jump, with a season-best 2.06 meters that stands sixth nationally. At the Keck DIII Select, Illinois Wesleyan senior Matt Lindberg won the high jump following a jump-off after clearing 2.00 meters.
 
In the pole vault, Elmhurst senior Logan Turney cleared a season-best 4.75 meters at Keck, a height that ranks 19th nationally. Carthage’s Hayden Rollins won the pole vault at the Tadd Metzger Invitational with a 4.51-meter clearance.
 
In multi events, Wheaton’s Ben Maher placed third in the heptathlon at the Tadd Metzger Invitational with 4,295 points. North Central’s Travis Hoffman totaled 4,209 points in the heptathlon at Keck, moved into fourth on the program all-time list, and set school heptathlon records in the 60-meter (7.22) and 60-meter hurdles (8.85).
 
Host With the Most: Carthage Wins Home Invite as Rankings Shift
In team scoring, Carthage won the Tadd Metzger Invitational with 259 points. Carroll finished second with 115 points, and Wheaton placed third with 92 points. Nationally, North Central is listed No. 16 in the latest USTFCCCA Track & Field Ratings Index.
 
The CCIW schedule continues through mid-February. On Friday, Illinois Wesleyan is scheduled to compete at the GVSU Big Meet in Allendale, while Elmhurst, North Central and Wheaton will attend the Chicagoland Indoor Championships in Naperville. 
 
On Saturday, North Park is scheduled for the second day of the GVSU Big Meet, Carthage will compete at the Midwest Elite Invitational in Whitewater, and Augustana and Illinois Wesleyan will attend the Roger Haynes Invitational in Monmouth. Carroll is scheduled to compete at the Dick Hendricks Invitational in Ripon.