WARRENVILLE, Ill. — The Carthage men's cross country team placed second at the 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Cross Country Championships on Saturday, scoring 85 points in the 8K race. The Firebirds finished ahead of Millikin, Wheaton and Augustana in the nine-team field.
Carthage finished second with 85 points. North Central (Ill.) won the team title for the 52nd consecutive year with 16 points, followed by the Firebirds. Millikin placed third with 93 points, Wheaton finished fourth with 94, and Augustana rounded out the top five with 140 points.
Harlan Matson led the Firebirds, finishing eighth overall with a time of 25:22.0. Luke Davey followed closely in 10th at 25:24.3. LJ Higgs placed 18th with a time of 26:13.4, while Andrew Schaer finished 20th in 26:21.4. Matthew Momper rounded out Carthage's scoring five, finishing 36th with a time of 27:03.8.
Matson and Davey earned First Team All-CCIW honors for their performance, while Higgs and Schaer earned Second Team All-CCIW honors. Caleb Zabinski was named the recipient of the CCIW RESPECT Award for the 2026 season.
Post-race with Head Coach Josh Henry:
Carthage finished second overall with 85 points, just ahead of Millikin, Wheaton and Augustana. How pleased were you with the team's ability to compete near the top of the conference, and what do you think was the biggest factor in securing that runner-up finish?
"We knew coming into the meet that we were going to be challenged by Millikin and Wheaton. I think the biggest reason we were able to hold them off was the mental approach of our guys. This group has really thrived when the pressure is on and they did a great job of executing our race plan despite being pressed early by Millikin and late by Wheaton."
Harlan Matson led Carthage with an eighth-place finish in 25:22.0, followed closely by Luke Davey in 10th at 25:24.3. What did you see from those two leading the pack, and how important was having them finish so close together?
"Luke's race plan was actually to sit back and start cautiously and he did an incredible job of doing that. He made a very strong move around the three mile mark that got him up into top ten position and I think it really helped Harlan run strong over the final mile. They closed well together and both earned first team honors with their strong finish."
You had five runners finish inside the top 36, with LJ Higgs (18th), Andrew Schaer (20th) and Matthew Momper (36th) rounding out the scoring five. How did the team's depth contribute to today's performance, and what areas do you want to build on heading into the postseason?
"Truthfully, Andy didn't have his best day today but he fought hard to finish in an all-conference position for the team. LJ, sat back similarly to Luke and was very helpful for Andy late in the race to help bring him home. The guys did a great job of feeding off each other and getting the best out of themselves. Similarly, Matt was crucial to the team's success today. He made an aggressive move at three miles to put himself in our scoring-five position and he didn't relent from there. Him stepping up and running his best at the conference meet as a freshman was the difference between second and fourth today. I'm really proud of him stepping up like that in his first post season meet and it bodes well for what he can do for our team for years to come."
"Overall I'm really proud of the guys today. They worked incredibly well together and put it all out there today. Many of the guys who factored into our scoring five have made massive jumps over the last year. It's a comment on their dedication and relentless effort. I'm excited to see how much further this group can grow and develop together."
The Firebirds return to action on Saturday, Nov. 14 for the 2026 NCAA Division III North Region Cross Country Championships at St. Olaf Cross Country Course in Northfield, Minn. For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.
