BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University track and field season gets underway Saturday, Jan. 30, as the Titans host Millikin University and Augustana College in IWU's first of five Titan Triangulars. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the day will be split with the men competing in the first session, beginning at 10 a.m. Action on the women's side will get going around 3 p.m.

Due to state and local restrictions, as well as campus visitor policies, no spectators will be permitted at any indoor Illinois Wesleyan University sporting events at this time under the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin spectator policy. All CCIW members are fully focused on maintaining the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and campus communities.

IWU's men's squad returns several All-CCIW performers from a season ago, including Jake Mahaffey (Plainfield, Ill.-Providence Catholic), Drew Tatlock (North Pekin, Ill.-Pekin Community), Cole Parady (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East), and Davis Nguy (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community). Additionally, the Titans will also benefit from the return of Zach Anderson (Algonquin, Ill.-Westminster Christian), who missed the 2020 season due to injury. 

Paraday is coming off a fifth-place showing in the shot put at last season's CCIW indoor meet. Meanwhile, Nguy nabbed sixth in the heptathlon and Mahaffey and Tatlock tied for eighth in high jump at last season's CCIW Indoor Championships.

Anderson, who earned All-American honors after finishing seventh in the weight throw at the 2019 NCAA Division III Championships, was the CCIW's Field Athlete of the Meet at the 2019 indoor league championships. He swept both the weight throw and shot put, claiming the conference title in each.

On the women's side, the Titans return several key members of the 2019-20 squad that finished runner-up at the CCIW Indoor Championships. 

The conference's 5000 meter individual champion returns for IWU in the form of senior Katie North (Aurora, Ill.-Metea Valley). Lexie Dorsey (Mahomet, Ill.-Mahomet-Seymour) also earned a podium spot in the 5000 meter run.

North also claimed runner-up in the 3000 meter run, ahead of all-conference teammates Jenna Mirande (Peoria, Ill.-Limestone) and Dorsey, who took sixth and eighth place, respectively. 

IWU returns All-CCIW sprinter Addison Bendery (Chicago, Ill.-Loyola Academy), who finished second in the 60 meter dash a year ago. She added a fifth-place finish in the 200 meter dash. Kelsey Wyman (Monmouth, Ill.-Monmouth-Roseville) is back for her senior season following a runner-up finish in the 800 meter run. Junior Katie Vogler (Quincy, Ill.-Quincy) is back after gaining experience in the pentathlon, which culminated in a fifth-place finish at the CCIW meet.

The Titans also return three legs of its third-place 4x400 relay by way of Wyman, Bendery, and junior Jorri Sandage (LeRoy, Ill.-LeRoy).

In the field events, the Titans return NCAA Championship qualifiers Ayana Blair (Wheeling, Ill.-Wheeling) and Cora Wilkinson (Verona, Ill.-Seneca Township), as well Kinlee Miller (Tuscola, Ill.-Tuscola). 

Blair led the throwers for the Titans, earning all-league honors in both the shot put (third) and weight throw (seventh). She earned USTFCCCA All-American honors in the shot put.

Wilkinson paced the IWU jumpers, qualifying for the NCAA Division Championships in long jump, which led to her earning All-American status. At the CCIW meet, she finished third, with junior Emma Helferich (Monticello, Ill.-Monticello) just behind her in sixth. Miller is also IWU's top-returning triple jumper, after finishing in sixth-place.

A full schedule of events can be found below. Additionally, the men's portion of the competition will be streamed on Titans All-Access. Live results for both sessions will be available here.