WAUKESHA, Wis. – From the opening race of the season, Carroll University Cross Country has worked toward being at its best when championship season arrived. On Saturday, the Pioneers will have their opportunity to put that season-long progression to the test when Carroll hosts the 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Cross Country Championships at St. James Farm in Warrenville, Illinois.
The women's 6K championship race will begin at 11 a.m., followed by the men's 8K at 11:45 a.m. The Al Carius and Paul Olsen Co-ed Open Race will follow at 12:30 p.m., with the awards ceremony scheduled for 1:15 p.m.
Carroll enters the championship weekend picked seventh among nine programs in the men's pre-championship poll and eighth on the women's side, but the Pioneers have spent the fall building toward an opportunity to put together their best performances when the stakes are highest.
That approach has been at the heart of head coach Shawn Thielitz's message throughout the season. Entering the year, Thielitz emphasized a program identity built around work ethic, taking care of the small details and continuing to stack successful days until everything could come together during the conference and regional portions of the schedule.
Saturday provides the first opportunity to see that process play out.
On the women's side, freshman Allena O'Connell has quickly established herself at the front of Carroll's lineup during an impressive debut season. O'Connell made an immediate impact in her first collegiate race at the Gil Dodds Invitational, finishing 17th among 179 runners with a 6K time of 22:57.9. The performance earned the Reedsville, Wisconsin native CCIW Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week honors. At the time, her mark was also the fastest 6K time in the conference.
Rather than allowing that debut to stand as the highlight of her freshman campaign, O'Connell continued to build from it. She earned her first collegiate individual victory at the Green Knight Open, completing the 6K in 23:31.2 and finishing more than 50 seconds ahead of the runner-up as Carroll took second in the team standings. Freshman Norah Yang, sophomore Kyla Laabs, junior Paola Orozco and senior Sarah Tinder joined O'Connell in Carroll's scoring five that day.
O'Connell then delivered another impressive performance at the Gene Davis Invitational, lowering her 6K time to 22:48.8 and finishing fifth overall. She was second among scoring collegiate runners in the race and once again led a Carroll squad that finished fourth with 71 points.
The Gene Davis race also showcased some of the depth the Pioneers will look to carry into the championship. Junior Hana Smith finished 13th overall in 23:45.8, while Yang crossed in 24:49.1 and Orozco followed in 25:07.9. Laabs completed Carroll's scoring five, giving the Pioneers several runners who have contributed throughout the season.
While O'Connell has provided an immediate presence at the front, Carroll's lineup has featured a mix of experienced runners and underclassmen throughout the fall. That balance will become particularly important in a championship setting where each position can impact the team standings.
The Carroll men have similarly relied on contributions throughout their lineup while continuing to develop over the course of the fall.
Junior Julian Bica Harrison has emerged as one of the Pioneers' top runners, highlighted by his performance at the Gene Davis Invitational. The Fall Creek, Wisconsin native paced Carroll with an 8K time of 27:53.4, placing 40th overall and 25th among scoring runners. Freshman Zach Ploszaj followed in 28:39.9, while junior Donovan Menningen crossed in 28:42.9. Senior Rogan Leistiko and freshman Desmond Nieto completed Carroll's scoring five.
Earlier in the season, Carroll demonstrated the type of pack running that could prove valuable Saturday when the Pioneers earned a runner-up finish at the Green Knight Open. Menningen led the group that day with a 10th-place finish in 28:41.9, with Leistiko and Bica Harrison crossing almost together in 29:16.9 and 29:17.1 to finish 16th and 17th, respectively. Sophomore Luke Adams followed in 21st at 29:47.3 before Ploszaj completed Carroll's scoring group in 23rd at 30:12.6.
That result showed the potential of a Carroll lineup running collectively, something that becomes increasingly important in championship competition. Bica Harrison, Menningen and Leistiko provide experience within the group, while runners such as Ploszaj, Adams and Nieto have added further options to the Pioneer lineup during the season.
Saturday's venue will provide familiar championship surroundings. St. James Farm will host the CCIW Cross Country Championships for the ninth time, most recently serving as the championship course in 2024. The course is predominantly flat to slightly rolling, taking runners across grass and forest trails along with sections of dirt trail and crushed limestone.
The women will navigate three loops for their 6K championship race, while the men's 8K will consist of four loops. The course records for the CCIW Championships both date to 2018, when North Central's Dhruvil Patel completed the men's 8K in 23:55.3 and Wheaton's Hannah Roeske ran 21:27.1 in the women's 6K.
All nine CCIW institutions will compete Saturday, with championship distances mirroring those contested at the NCAA Division III Championships.
For Carroll, however, the focus remains less on pre-championship polls and more on what the Pioneers can accomplish when the championship gun goes off.
Championship Schedule
11:00 a.m. CT – Women's 6K Championship
11:45 a.m. CT – Men's 8K Championship
12:30 p.m. CT – Al Carius and Paul Olsen Co-ed Open Race
1:15 p.m. CT – Awards Ceremony
Location: St. James Farm, 2S541 Winfield Rd., Warrenville, IL 60555
Host: Carroll University
Championship Website: https://cciw.org/tournaments/?id=94
