NAPERVILLE — A change is in place at the top of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s lacrosse preseason coaches’ poll. Elmhurst was selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2026 conference title on Thursday following a vote of the league’s head coaches, ending a nine-season run in which Illinois Wesleyan held the top position.

2026 CCIW Preseason Men's Lacrosse Coaches' Poll

Team (First-place votes)	Points
1. Elmhurst (4)	24
2. Illinois Wesleyan (2)	22
3. Carthage	17
T4. Carroll	11
T4. North Central	11
6. Augustana	5

Elmhurst received 24 points and four first-place votes after a 2025 season that included runner-up finishes in both the regular-season standings and the CCIW Championship. Under the direction of 14th-year head coach Mark Morrell, the Bluejays return a pair of major award winners in CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year Eli Spence and Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year Tony Vazquez. Spence led the conference in points in 2025 with 111, while Vazquez led the league in ground balls and face-off percentage.
 
Illinois Wesleyan was picked second with 22 points and two first-place votes. The Titans, led by 2025 CCIW Coach of the Year Zach Iannucci, have won seven consecutive regular-season league championships.
 
Carthage placed third with 17 points. The Firebirds, coached by David Neff, won or shared the CCIW regular-season title from 2015 through 2017. 
 
Carroll and North Central tied for fourth with 11 points apiece. Augustana rounded out the poll in sixth with five points.
 
The preseason poll is voted on by the league’s head coaches, with coaches not permitted to vote for their own program.
 
Two teams will be in action this Saturday and CCIW play is scheduled to begin when Augustana hosts Illinois Wesleyan on March 10. The top four teams in the final regular-season standings will qualify for the CCIW Championship. Semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, April 29, with the championship final set for Saturday, May 2.