Eight Track & Field Athletes Earn CSC Academic All-District Honors

Five from women’s team, three from men’s earn academic award

5/31/2023 11:40:00 AM

CSC Release

GREENWOOD, Ind. - The Illinois Wesleyan University cross country and track and field teams saw eight members be named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District teams Wednesday, May 31. Five from the women's team, while three on the men's side, picked up the academic award.

Senior J.D. Barrett (Tuscola, Ill.-Tuscola) and sophomores Brooks Johnson (Elburn, Ill.-Kaneland) and Sam Okewole (Tinley Park, Ill.-Tinley Park) represented the men's team, all earning the award for the first time. On the women's side, junior Lauren Wong (Morton, Ill.-Morton), along with sophomores Annalese Chudy (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville), Marissa Hagler (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal West), Franchesca Smith (Chicago, Ill.-Bloomington), and Evelyn Wilson (Geneseo, Ill.-Geneseo) also picked up Academic All-District honors for the first time in their careers.

A business administration major, Barrett was a member of the men's cross country and track and field teams all four years. During the cross country season, he was the top finisher for the Titans in four of the six races. He finished with indoor best times of 9:19.15 in the 3,000 meter run, and 15:46.02 in the 5,000 meter run. In the outdoor portion this year, Barrett posted season-best times of 15:59.60 in the 5,000 meter run, and 32:30.08 in the 10,000 meter run.

Johnson, an accounting major, earned All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin honors in both the indoor and outdoor season, as he finished sixth in the long jump at both CCIW meets. The sophomore recorded season-bests of 21' 4" indoor and 21' 9.5" outdoor in the long jump.

Majoring in computer science, Okewole earned All-CCIW honors in the triple jump after a third-place finish at the CCIW Indoor Championship. He recorded indoor bests of 7.73 seconds in the 60 meter dash, 19' 4.75" in the long jump, and 44' 4" in the triple jump. At the CCIW Outdoor Championship meet, Okewole also notched a third-place finish in the triple jump to garner All-CCIW honors, jumping an outdoor season-best 43' 9".

Wong, a finance major, wrapped up an impressive junior campaign at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with an 11th-place finish in the triple jump. She was the CCIW triple jump champion at both the indoor and outdoor Championship meet, and also won the outdoor long jump to finish with three CCIW Medalist honors. Wong also received All-Region honors during the outdoor season from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. She recorded a personal-best triple jump of 39' 0.75" at the NCAA Championship, the second-best jump in IWU history.

A neuroscience major, Chudy made IWU history during the cross country season, as she became the first Titan sophomore to qualify for the NCAA Championship race. The Libertyville, Ill. native earned All-CCIW honors after a second-place finish at the CCIW Cross Country Championship meet, finishing with a time of 22:32.73. She finished 20th at the Midwest Regional meet to garner Midwest All-Region honors. Chudy was the top finisher for the Titans at all seven meets in the 2022 season. In the indoor portion of the track and field season, she earned All-CCIW honors with a sixth-place finish in both the 3,000 meter and 5,000 meter race. She capped off her breakthrough sophomore season at the CCIW Outdoor Championship with a second-place finish in the 5,000 meter race and a third-place finish in the 10,000 meter race to add two more All-CCIW honors to her season.

Majoring in elementary education, Hagler earned All-CCIW honors in the 400 meter hurdles with a fifth-place finish with a season-best time of 1:09.35 at the CCIW Outdoor Championship. She is the founder and host of a podcast, Hurdling Through Hard Times, that focuses on mental health and lifestyle. On top of advocating for mental health, she is the president of the Student Education Association at Illinois Wesleyan.

Smith, a political science major, garnered All-CCIW honors in the triple jump at both the CCIW Indoor and Outdoor Championship. At the indoor meet, the sophomore earned a fifth-place finish and had a season-best mark of 35' 4.5" in the triple jump. Smith notched a third-place finish at the outdoor meet to collect All-CCIW honors at both Championship meets in the triple jump. She currently sits 10th all-time in IWU history in the outdoor triple jump with a personal-best mark of 37' 2.75".

A marketing major, Wilson collected All-CCIW honors in the high jump at both CCIW Indoor and Outdoor meets this season. She cleared 1.53 meters at the indoor meet to notch a second-place finish in the high jump. At the outdoor championship, she secured a fourth-place finish by clearing 1.53 meters.

The eight Titans will now advance to the ballot for Academic All-America, with awardees being announced in late June.

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