Contact: Brock Reisler, Assistant Executive Director, breisler@midwestconference.org
 
OSHKOSH, Wisconsin – For the ninth time in school history, and the fifth consecutive year, Grinnell College has claimed the Midwest Conference Women’s All-Sports Award. The Pioneers earned 61.5 points to lead all institutions and keep the Ralph Shively Cup.
 
During the 2025-26 school year, the Pioneers won five MWC titles – cross country, tennis, swimming and diving, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field, as those five sports accounted for 43 of Grinnell’s points.
 
Illinois College took second with 53.5 points. The Lady Blues won the Midwest Conference softball title, earning runner-up finishes in soccer, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field.
 
Third place went to Cornell College (49 points). The Rams won the MWC volleyball title and earned top three finishes in cross country, indoor track and field, tennis and outdoor track and field.
 
Coming in fourth place was Lawrence University. The Vikings finished in the top third in the league in volleyball, soccer and women’s basketball. Ripon College followed closely behind with 46.5 points, as the Red Hawks won the MWC crown in basketball and took third in cross country.
 
Lake Forest College came in sixth, accumulating 41.5 points. The Foresters won the conference title in soccer and finished in the top third of the MWC in swimming and diving, tennis and softball.
 
Rounding out the women’s all-sports standings were Monmouth College (40 points), Beloit College (19 points) and Knox College (16 points).
 
All-Sports points are awarded on a 9-8-7, etc. basis in all sports except for tennis, which follows a 7-6-5, etc. format.
 
The All-Sports trophies are named for Ralph Shively, former chair of the mathematics department at Lake Forest College. Shively was actively involved in the MWC as a Faculty Athletic Representative beginning in 1974, before becoming the Conference Commissioner in 1982. He held the commissioner post until 2004.