Warrenville, Ill. – The Wheaton cross country teams competed in the 2024 CCIW Cross Country Championships on Saturday at St. James Farm Forest Preserve. The Wheaton women's cross country team finished first in the eight-team competition to earn its league-best 16
th CCIW Women's Cross Country Championship. Wheaton's last CCIW Championship heading into today's 6,000-meter race came in 2022. Wheaton head coach
David Walford (PICTURED LEFT) and his staff were honored as the 2024 CCIW Women's Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year.
Wheaton's top five runners finished in the race's top-20 today in earning All-CCIW honors. Wheaton's overall depth earned the Thunder the first-place finish with 50 points. Illinois Wesleyan finished second with 65 points, North Central scored 83 points in third place, Carthage tallied 92 points in fourth place, Augustana was fifth with 103 points, Carroll registered 132 points in sixth place, Elmhurst finished seventh with 133 points and defending CCIW Champion Millikin was eighth in scoring 191 points.
Augustana's Emma Odle finished first with a time of 21:30.41 as she was honored as the CCIW Student-Athlete of the Meet. North Central's Julia Benes finished second in 22:00.34, followed by Illinois Wesleyan's Adriana Crabtree in 22:18.87.
Wheaton graduate student
Caroline Stetina (PICTURED RIGHT) was the top finisher for the Thunder as she led five Wheaton runners in the top-15. Stetina posted a time of 22:33.63 in the 78-woman field to pace the way for Wheaton.
Sophia Huber was eighth in 22:43.59 and teammate
Elizabeth LaBrin was 10
th with a time of 22:51.17. The trio of Stetina, Huber and LaBrin each earned First Team All-CCIW accolades by finishing in the top-10 at the conference meet.
Senior
Natalie Conrad closely trailed LaBrin in 11
th place with a time of 22:52.38.
Louisa Brorson finished 15
th with a time of 23:04.51. Conrad and Brorson each earn Second Team All-CCIW honors for their respective finishes at the CCIW Championship today.
Laura Prothero finished 42
nd with an effort of 24:26.07, teammate
Lily Lebo was 47
th in 24:52.04.
Julia Snider posted a time of 25:07.79 in 53
rd place and Abby Rickard was 68
th in 26:18.95.
The Wheaton cross country teams return to action on November 16 at the 2024 NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Championships in Rock
