Will Ross wins national title in triple jump

Will Ross ’25 had an incredible season this spring for the men’s track and field team as a first-year. Ross broke the 24-year-old school record in the triple jump, previously set by Lonnie Williams ’01 in 1998. He first set the new record at the Monmouth College Invitational with a mark of 47’9”, and would go on to beat his own record two more times before qualifying for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. 

Ross was exceptional at the national meet, claiming the national title in the triple jump and breaking his own school record once again with a mark of 50’2.75”. He received All-America honors for his efforts from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Ross finished the season winning the triple jump in six of the seven outdoor meets that he competed in. 

Softball earns second consecutive MWC title

The Lady Blues softball team took home the MWC championship this spring for the second year in a row, defeating Grinnell College with a final score of 6-4. This advanced the Lady Blues to the NCAA Division III Softball Regional. IC recorded their first win in the NCAA tournament in program history after defeating Alma College in the first regional game with a final score of 4-0.

IC finished the season with an overall record of 23-14-1 and a MWC record of 12-3-1. Emma Newton ’23 was a standout for the team earning First Team All-MWC and First Team All-Region from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Newton led the team in multiple statistical categories finishing the year with a .450 batting average, .705 slugging percentage and .493 on base percentage, and breaking the IC record for most doubles recorded in 
a single season with 15. 

Fall sports highlights

The Lady Blues golf team had an outstanding showing in the SLIAC Women’s Golf Championship. The team finished second overall with a team score of 971. Kate Burr ’25 and Sandie Norville ’23 were awarded First Team All-Conference, and Alyvia Burr ’25, Amy Fowler ’25, and Olivia Quigley ’26 received Second Team All-Conference. 

IC women’s volleyball made their fourth consecutive MWC Tournament appearance, making it to the semifinal match. The team was led by Jen Humbolt ’23, who finished the season leading the team with 596 digs and 5.62 digs per set. Humbolt reached the career milestone of 1,000 career digs earlier this year. 

The Blueboys and Lady Blues cross country teams put together a memorable season. The men’s team finished fourth and the women’s team finished seventh in the MWC Championship, earning their highest team finishes in the conference meet in program history. During the regular season, the Blueboys’ Devin Boggs ’24 and Elgin Scherff ’24 broke the 27-minute barrier in the 8K race for the first time in College history with times of 26:48.70 and 26:58.80, respectively. Boggs later set the school record at the conference meet, finishing 10th with a time of 26:33.99. Both Boggs and Scherff earned All-Conference. 

Lady Blues tennis reached a historic milestone for their program. The team finished in the top four spots in the Midwest Conference to qualify for the team tournament for the first time in program history.

Clay target team announced

The Illinois College athletic department this summer announced the addition of a clay target team as the College’s 24th varsity sport. The team is scheduled to begin competition in the spring of 2023. Jacksonville Sportsman’s Club will be the home site for the team, which will be co-ed and will compete in events such as trap, sporting clays and five stand.