Naperville, Ill. -- The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) announced its latest round of winners in the weekly track & field awards on Wednesday afternoon. Wheaton junior Grace Crowder earned the league's recognition as the field athlete of the week honor for her recent performance at the Drake Relays. Today's CCIW Women's Outdoor Track Student-Athlete of the Week nod marks the first time in Crowder's career that she has earned the recognition. Her award marks the first time Wheaton's first weekly award winner in track & field since distance runner Susannah Bennett earned the track athlete of the week award on April 26, 2023. Crowder is the first Wheaton women's student-athlete to pick up the league's field athlete of the week award in outdoor track & field since Heidi Considine earned the honor on March 26, 2019.

Last Saturday, Crowder set a school record in the outdoor women's high jump at the Drake Relays with a mark of 1.71 meters (5' 7-1/4") that topped the old school record of 1.68 meters that had stood since 2013. Crowder was the highest finishing Division III competitor at Drake last week in the women's high jump and finished fourth overall in the 23-woman field. Her effort at Drake tied for fifth in Division III this year and the best mark by a CCIW high jumper this season

Crowder's effort of 1.71 meters is the best mark by a CCIW women's high jumper since Illinois Wesleyan's Molly McGraw had an effort of 1.77 meters at the 2017 CCIW Outdoor T&F Championships. Crowder now holds Wheaton's indoor & outdoor high jump records as she set a new school record indoors this February at the CCIW Indoor T&F Championships.