Contact: Chassidy Holloway, Assistant Executive Director, holloway@midwestconference.org
 
GRINNELL, Iowa – Monmouth College was tabbed by the league’s head coaches to win the Midwest Conference (MWC) Women’s Track & Field Championships in the preseason poll announced Friday.
 
The Fighting Scots picked up six first-place votes and 61 points to lead all teams. Monmouth will be seeking its 19^th league indoor title and its first since 2014. Last Spring, the Scots won the 2021 South Division Outdoor Track & Field title.
 
Ripon College received two first-place votes and 54 points to place second, while the remaining first-place vote and 43 points went to Illinois College in third place.  
 
Tied for fourth place with 40 points each, Cornell College and Grinnell College rounds out the top half of the poll.
 
The indoor track and field season kicks off today with Ripon College hosting its Winter Open event at 11:00 a.m. The league’s last indoor season was in 2020 prior to the interruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
 
Knox College will host the 2022 MWC Indoor Track & Field Championships scheduled for February 25-26, 2022. The MWC Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be hosted by Beloit College on May 13-14, 2022.
 
Full preseason poll results can be found below for all nine MWC teams. 
 
Team (First-Place Votes), Points
 
2021-22 MWC Women’s Track & Field Preseason Poll
1. Monmouth College (6), 61 points
2. Ripon College (2), 54 points
3. Illinois College (1), 43 points
T4. Cornell College, 40 points
T4. Grinnell College, 40 points
6. Lawrence University, 32 points
7. Beloit College, 23 points
8. Knox College, 22 points
9. Lake Forest College, 9 points

Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Brian Bliese (22^nd Season)
2020 MWC Indoor Finish: 6^th
2021 MWC Outdoor Finish: 3^rd North Division
 
Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Michael Friess (1^st Season)
2020 MWC Indoor Finish: 8^th
2021 MWC Outdoor Finish: 3^rd South Division
 
Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: Jeff Pedersen (2^nd Season)
2020 MWC Indoor Finish: 4^th
2021 MWC Outdoor Finish: 4^th South Division
 
Illinois College Lady Blues
Head Coach: Jason Haynes (8^th Season)
2020 MWC Indoor Finish: 5^th
2021 MWC Outdoor Finish: 2^nd South Division
 
Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Evander Wells (3^rd Season)
2020 MWC Indoor Finish: 10^th
2021 MWC Outdoor Finish: 5^th South Division
 
Lake Forest College Foresters
Head Coach: James Akita (1^st Season)
2020 MWC Indoor Finish: 7^th
2021 MWC Outdoor Finish: 5^th North Division
 
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Jason Fast (3^rd Season)
2020 MWC Indoor Finish: 9^th
2021 MWC Outdoor Finish: 4^th North Division
 
Monmouth College Scots
Head Coach: Roger Haynes (39^th Season)
2020 MWC Indoor Finish: 2^nd
2021 MWC Outdoor Finish: 1^st South Division

Ripon College Redhawks
Head Coach: Bob Wood (5^th Season)
2020 MWC Indoor Finish: 3^rd
2021 MWC Outdoor Finish: 2^nd North Division