The Illinois Institute of Technology men’s cross country team has earned multiple end-of-season awards from the Association of Division III Independents (AD3I). Head Coach Joel Williams has been named Coach of the Year, Samuel Wietlispach has been named Runner of the Year and First Team All-Independent, and both Cole Dammeier and Quentin Shipley-Mellon have been named Second Team All-Independent.

Williams, who took the reins of the Cross Country program in early August, wasted no time in building a successful team. He guided the men’s team to several strong showings, including a 20th place finish at the large UW-Oshkosh AAE Invitational in October and a 13th place finish at the USCAA Championships on November 6. Men’s cross country earned three Player of the Week awards (two from AD3I, one from the USCAA) during the season. Williams was also named Women’s Cross Country USCAA Coach of the Year two weeks ago.

Wietlispach earns Runner of the Year and First Team All-Independent honors after a strong senior season. The Joliet West product’s 26:38.7 8k time at the Benedictine University Invite in October ranked near the top of the Association of Division III Independents and earned him a season-best ninth place finish at the event. He was also one of just two runners in AD3I to record five 8k times below 28:00.0. Wietlispach was a two-time Player of the Week winner (one in AD3I, one from the USCAA) this season.

Dammeier earns Second Team honors as just a freshman. The Arlington Heights, Ill. native joins Wietlispach as one of two runners with five times below 28:00.0, making him one of the most consistent runners in the association. Dammeier’s top time of the season came at the College of DuPage Invite, where he recorded a 27:29.2 and placed 31st in the field. The freshman also took AD3I Player of the Week honors in September.

Shipley-Mellon, a junior and team captain, earns Second Team honors after showing steady improvement throughout the season. Shipley-Mellon improved from his previous time in four different races this season, including his 27:53.1 8k season-best mark at the UW-Oshkosh AAE Invite (a 128th place finish in a large field).