WAVERLY, IOWA - MAY 14, 2026 - Illinois Wesleyan University softball vs #23 Wartburg College in game five of the 2026 NCAA DIII Softball Regional in Waverly.

AJE Photography 2026

Fifteen Titans Named Easton NFCA Scholar Athletes

IWU one of two CCIW programs recognized

8/26/2026 11:58:00 AM

NFCA Team GPA Rankings

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team tied for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin lead with 15 student-athletes named Easton National Fastpitch Coaches Association Scholar Athletes announced by the NFCA Aug. 12. The Titans carried a 3.712 team grade point average, good for 13th-best across Division III and the second-highest of any team that made the NCAA postseason.

Illinois Wesleyan was represented by freshmen Macy Iwanus (Manteno, Ill.-Manteno) and Hannah Burns (Charlestown, Ind.-Charlestown), sophomores Tessa Bittner (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community), Jillian Bollard (Roselle, Ill.-Saint Viator), Ella Hermes (Peru, Ill.-Saint Bede Academy), Riley McDoniel (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg), Maddie Pool (Wheaton, Ill.-Wheaton Warrenville South), Grace Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett), and Julia Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett), juniors Annika Brown (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community), Margo Geary (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North), and Mallory Holland (Shelbyville, Ill.-Shelbyville), and seniors Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North), Caroline Gatchell (Grayslake, Ill.-Carmel Catholic), and Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia). The Titans' 15 honorees tied Elmhurst for the most in the CCIW.

Illinois Wesleyan finished the season with a 31-15 record on the year. IWU claimed the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Regular Season Championship with a 15-1 league record, and went on to claim the league's tournament title and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Titans advanced to the championship game of the Waverly Regional, before bowing out with a 6-4 loss to eventual national champion University of Redlands.

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