NAPERVILLE — Record-setting efforts and nationally-ranked marks highlighted a busy weekend for College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s indoor track & field programs.
 
The notebook also includes school-record results for Carthage, multiple event wins for Augustana and strong team and individual showings from Carroll and Millikin, along with updated national rankings and a look ahead to the next slate of meets.
 
Lowder Volume: A Record-Breaking Shout in Allendale
Illinois Wesleyan produced several notable performances at the GVSU Big Meet on Friday in Allendale, Mich.. Senior Evan Lowder set a new conference all-time indoor record in the invitational 400-meter dash, finishing second with a career-best 47.56 to break the previous mark of 47.70. Lowder’s time leads the CCIW and ranks fifth nationally in NCAA Division III this season. He also posted a season-best 21.92 in the invitational 200-meter dash and was selected CCIW Track Student-Athlete of the Week on Tuesday.
 
Freshman Dylan Hodges placed eighth in the open 400 (50.72), while senior Isaac Whitaker finished second in the pole vault after clearing 4.67 meters.
 
Myles Ahead: Leaping into the National Rankings
North Central College the Chicagoland Indoor Championships last weekend at Al B. Carius Track, highlighted by senior Prentice Myles’ winning long jump of 7.22 meters (23'8.25"). The mark improved Myles’ personal best by more than a foot, leads the CCIW and ranks 13th nationally in Division III. Myles, tabbed CCIW Field Student-Athlete of the Week on Tuesday, also placed second in the triple jump with a personal-best 13.81 meters. 
 
On the track, junior BJ Sorg won the 3,000-meter run in 8:31.18, while sophomore Danny Eloe was runner-up in the 60-meter dash in 6.89, moving to third in program history and third in the CCIW. In the 5,000-meter run, Rylan Deichen (15:26.97) and Nolan Crooks (15:29.64) placed second and third, respectively.
 
Firebirds on Fire: Carthage Rewrites the Script in Whitewater
Carthage competed at the Midwest Elite Invitational hosted by Wisconsin-Whitewater last Friday and Saturday, with three school records established during the meet. Dylan Parker won the 400-meter dash in 48.77 (converted to 48.01), a mark that ranks 18th nationally in Division III and second in the CCIW. Freshman Landon Voye set a school record in the 60-meter dash, running 6.90 in the preliminaries to rank fourth in the CCIW. Senior Jacob Curulewski lowered the school 5,000-meter record by 14 seconds, finishing in 14:30.47 (converted to 14:21.25), which ranks 24th nationally. 
 
Sophomore Harlan Matson placed fourth in the mile with a personal-best 4:20.23 (converted to 4:16.96), moving to second in the CCIW. In the high jump, Jack Tilton and Euphrates Willis each cleared a personal-best 1.97 meters, tying for third in the conference.
 
Viking Conquest: Augustana Sweeps the Field in Monmouth
Augustana posted multiple event wins at the Roger Haynes Invitational in Monmouth on Saturday. Sophomore Tyreke Fortney won the 60-meter dash in 6.87, the top time in the CCIW this season, and anchored the winning 4x400-meter relay with AJ Banks, Mohamed Benbrahim, and Ryan Schmidgall (3:27.64). 
 
The Vikings also placed four athletes in the top five of the mile, led by Daniel Prochaska’s win in 4:29.88, while Ben Milner claimed the 800-meter title in 2:02.63. In the field events, Magnus Wells won the weight throw with a mark of 18.59 meters. Earlier in the weekend, Augustana entries at the Midwest Elite 5K included season-best performances from Isaac Schuda (15:57.84) and Christian Haywood (16:12.01).
 
Pioneer Progress: Carroll Navigates Competitive Waters
Carroll finished second in the team standings at a multi-team meet in Ripon last Saturday with 97 points. Freshman Brian Smith won the 200-meter dash in a personal-best 22.10 and added a second-place finish in the 60-meter dash (7.01). Senior Brady Reusser was runner-up in both the shot put and weight throw, and the Pioneers won the men’s distance medley relay. 
 
Millikin sent a limited squad to the Blue Demon Alumni Invite the same day, where Joey McGinn (4:21.84) and Matt Gowen (4:22.19) placed in the top 25 of the mile. Sophomore Aaron Mohr led Millikin in the 800 meters, placing 17th in 1:56.87.
 
Running the Numbers: National Recognition for the CCIW
The USTFCCCA released its latest rankings checkpoint on Tuesday, with North Central listed at No. 25 nationally. 
 
Several CCIW student-athletes remain among the national leaders by event, including BJ Sorg at No. 6 in the 5,000 meters (14:15.43) and Cole Oleson at No. 6 in the high jump (2.06 meters).
 
Additional national event placements noted this week include Carthage’s Dylan Parker at No. 18 in the 400 meters and Elmhurst pole vaulter Logan Turney at No. 20 after clearing a personal-best 4.88 meters (16') at the Chicagoland Championships.
 
Mark Your Calendars: The Road to the Shirk Center Continues
Conference teams return to action with multiple meets on Friday. North Central and Elmhurst will remain in Naperville to host the F. Lee Slick Invitational beginning at 4:30 p.m. 
 
Illinois Wesleyan, North Park and Millikin are scheduled to compete at the Friday Night Tri in Bloomington at 4:30 p.m., while Augustana travels to Dubuque for the Solomon Butler Classic starting at 3:00 p.m. 
 
On Saturday, Carroll is slated for the UW-Oshkosh Titan Challenge, and Carthage will compete at the Parkside Classic in Somers.