Track and Field Announces 2025 Team Awards

45 Titans earn letters

6/18/2025 2:00:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. –The Illinois Wesleyan University men's and women's track and field teams announced the 2025 awardwinners at the team banquet earlier this spring, as seven Titans received team awards.

Junior Evan Lowder (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) was named the men's team "Most Valuable Performer" while sophomore Imani Ogunribido (Hanover Park, Ill.-Lake Park) and senior Carlyssa King (Decatur, Ill.-Forsyth-Maroa) were voted "Co-Most Valuable Performer" on the women's side.

Lowder earns MVP honors for the third consecutive year after a phenomenal junior season. The Bloomington, Ill. native notched bids to both the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships in the 400-meter and brought home First Team All-American hardware from both championships. Lowder finished eighth indoors and seventh outdoors, bringing his total All-American number to four. Just this season, Lowder has set new school records in the indoor 200m (21.87 all-conditions), the indoor 400m (48.04), and the outdoor 400m (46.55) and became the only Titan in school history to break 47 seconds in the 400m. Lowder swept the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin indoor and outdoor 400m and 4x400m crowns this season.

A standout sophomore season for Ogunribido earned her MVP honors after setting numerous school records in the indoor and outdoor triple jump. Ogunribido became a NCAA national champion in the women's triple jump with a monstrous school record jump of 12.96m (42'6.25"). She ranks third all-time in Division III and is fourth on the Division III all-conditions outdoor list. Ogunribido also holds the record for the indoor triple jump at 12.28m (40'3.50"), good for 24th in Division III all-time indoors. The sophomore claimed All-CCIW honors in the indoor triple jump and 55m races before taking the CCIW crown in the outdoor triple and earning an All-CCIW nod in the 4x100m relay.

King closed out a stellar senior season that featured trips to both indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships, two school records, and a CCIW Championship title in the hammer throw to earn her team MVP honor. The senior set a school record in the weight throw of 17.62m (57'9.75") before claiming the hammer throw record with a mark of 53.94m (177'0") outdoors. King earned All-CCIW honors in the weight throw indoors and won the hammer throw title outdoors. She also ranks seventh all-time in IWU laurels in the indoor shot put.

Freshman Nick Walker (Metamora, Ill.-Metamora) was named the "Best Newcomer" for the men's team. Walker had clutch performances at the CCIW indoor and outdoor championships to win both high jump titles as a freshman. He also ran on the winning 4x400m relay indoors and secured All-CCIW honors in each of the league long jump competitions. In IWU history, Walker ranks third in both the indoor (2.05m, 6'8.75") and outdoor high jump (2.03m, 6'7.75") and sits ninth in the indoor long jump (6.71m, 22'0.25") all-time. Walker qualified for the indoor NCAA Championships in the high jump and claimed the first All-American honor of his career as he landed on the second team.

Lowder, Ogunribido, King, and Walker each earned all-region honors in their respective events.

Sophomore transfer Alex Reinhart (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) was named the women's team "Best Newcomer" after a strong first season donning the Green and White. An 800m specialist, Reinhart ranks third in program history in the outdoor 800m (2:12.78) and sits fourth in the indoor event (2:15.25). She was the conference runner-up in the 800m both indoor and outdoor, while also earning All-CCIW honors in the outdoor 4x400m relay and was a part of the CCIW Champion distance-medley relay team.

Junior Jordynn Griffin (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) and freshman Jack Demakis (Crystal Lake, Ill.-Prairie Ridge) received the team's "Be At Your Best" awards. Serving as a captain of the women's team, Griffin earned three All-CCIW honors in addition to a CCIW title with the DMR this season. Demakis was Illinois Wesleyan's CCIW RESPECT Award recipient at the indoor conference championships.

Serving as captains for the 2024-2025 season were King, Griffin, senior Annalese Chudy (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville), and junior Adriana Crabtree (Normal, Ill.-University High) on the women's side, while Lowder led alongside seniors Nick Fisch (Woodridge, Ill.-Montini Catholic), Sam Okewole (Tinley Park, Ill.-Tinley Park), and Matthew Wagner (Normal, Ill.-Central Catholic) as the men's team captains.

A total of 45 Titans received letters for the 2024-2025 season.

Print Friendly Version