Jordynn Griffin in 4x400m relay 12-05-2026 Titan First Chance

ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO

Track and Field To Host Senior Day, Alumni Meet

Three Titans sit in top 10 nationally in four events

1/15/2026 2:00:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's and women's track and field teams return to the Shirk Center Indoor Track after a holiday hiatus as the Titans host the Coach Shoe Invitational Saturday, Jan. 17. The meet will also serve as senior day with seniors being recognized prior to competition, which is slated to begin at 11 a.m.

The meet will also serve as alumni day, where IWU track and field alumni are welcomed back to Bloomington. Saturday's race will mark the first iteration of the Coach Shoe Invitational, named after longtime IWU head men's and women's track and field coach, Chris Schumacher. Schumacher served as head coach from 1997-2023 and produced nearly 300 All-Americans, 18 individual national champions, and four team national championships.

The Green and White will be one of nine teams in the field, along with Aurora, Dominican, Elmhurst, Eureka, Heartland, Illinois College, Illinois Tech, and Missouri Baptist.

Illinois Wesleyan most recently hosted the Titan First Chance meet Friday, Dec. 5, as several Titans staked top spots in the national ranks. Junior Imani Ogunribido (Hanover Park, Ill.-Lake Park) owns the best mark in Division III in the triple jump after her opening jump of 12.53m, which is the best indoor jump in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin history. Ogunribido also sits eighth in the nation in long jump with a 5.60m mark at the Titan First Chance meet. Ogunribidio's performance Friday, Dec. 5 earned her CCIW Field Athlete of the Week honors.

Freshman Gwendolyn Boettinger (Hickory Hills, Ill.-Stagg) got her career donning the Green and White off to a hot start, as her 1.63m mark at the Titan's opening meet in the high jump ranks her eighth in Division III.

Senior Evan Lowder (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) also earned a nod from the CCIW, claiming Runner of the Week honors with his win at the Titan First Chance meet in the 400m dash. Lowder's time of 48.57 currently ranks him 10th in the country.

Overall, Titans claimed 12 events in the first meet of the season. Sophomore Kamden Reynolds (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community) claimed the fastest time in the 60m hurdles, as Lowder and junior Mackenzie Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard East) swept the men's and women's 400m dash. In the women's 200m, senior Jordynn Griffin (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) claimed a win, and junior Reece Dusek (Peoria, Ill.-Dunlap) also notched a victory in the 800m.

In men's distance races, senior Zach Marquardt (Minneapolis, Minn.-Washburn) won the mile race, while fellow senior Seth Hamerski (Mount Vernon, Ill.-Webber) took the title in the 5000m. The Titans dominated in field events as Ogunribido won women's triple and long jump, and senior Ethan Godsey (Manteno, Ill.-Manteno) won the men's triple jump. Junior Matt Lindberg (Springfield, Ill.-Glenwood) claimed the men's high jump, while senior Isaac Whitaker (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) won the men's pole vault.

The meet is set to begin at 11 a.m. with senior day activities preceding at 10 a.m. A livestream of the event will be provided and can be found here, while live stats can be found here.

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