Monmouth College

Braun, Orwig Win Shot Put Titles at MWC Championships

Day two on Saturday

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (02/28/2026) — The Monmouth College men's and women's track and field teams won two events on the first day ot the Midwest Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday.. Kayla Braun (Evansville, Illinois) and Blake Orwig (Wyoming, Illinois) both won conference titles as the Scots swept the shot put events for the third time in four years. The women are in fifth place after 8 of 18 events and the men are in sixth place after six events.

WOMEN

Braun got things started with a win in the shot put as her first throw of the day sailed a season-best 13.33m. This is Braun's first Midwest Conference title and the 18th shot put title in Monmouth history. Braun finished second to teammate Maddie Boley in both the indoor and outdoor MWC Championships last season.

Jillian Toth (El Paso, Illinois) finished second with a season-best 12.45m and Kyra Bivins (Esmond, Illinois) was fifth at 11.39m. Lauren Orwig (Wyoming, Illinois) earned a point with an eighth place finish at 10.93m.

Maddie Rusk (Annawan, Illinois) picked upi five points in the long jump with a fourth place finish at 5.19m. She also qualified fourth for tomorrow's 60m dash final with a time of 8.10.

Hazel Hill (Pleasant Hill, Illinois) pole vaulted for the first time in her college career and cleared the opening height of 2.15m to earn 2.5 points in a tie for sixth place.

The Sprint Medley Relay team of Sophia Kern (Abington, Illinois), Hill, A'yiana Maxwell (Peoria, Illinois) and Melissa Bivolarov (Arlington Heights, Illinois) finished eighth and earned one point with a time of 4:45.86.

The 4x200m relay team of Rusk, Maxwell, Hill and Kern picked up two points with a seventh place finish in 1:52.84.

The Scots did not have any competitors in the high jump

Monmouth has 33.5 points to sit in fifth place. Host Grinnell leads the way with 72 points.

MEN

Orwig won the shot put with a new PR of 15.36m. This is Orwig's first title after a third place finish last season and second place finishes in 2023 and 2024. Monmouth has claimed 20 shot put titles all-time, including three of the last four. Gunner Bryant (Curryville, Missouri) placed seventh with a throw of 14.54m, earning two points.

Da'Von Patterson (Ponte Vedra, Florida) ran the fourth fastest 60m dash in school history and his PR of 7.00 qualified in the fifth position for tomorrow's final

The Sprint Medley Relay team of Johnny York (Elmwood, Illinois), Jerry Reed (Danville, Illinois), Patterson and Andrew Peterson (Galesburg, Illinois) finished third to earn six points with a season-best time of 3:34.13

The 4x200m relay team of York, Reed, Patterson and Maddux Clark (Monmouth, Illinois) also placed fourth with a season-best time of 1:30.41.

York picked up one point as he finished eighth in the long jump at 6.40m.

Kaden Foglesong (Ipava, Illinois) qualified fifth for tomorrow's final in the 60m hurdles with a new PR of 8.67.

The men are in sixth place with 24 points after six of 18 events. Grinnell leads the way with 43 points.

NEXT UP:
Day two of the Midwest Conference Championships starts at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday in Grinnell.

NCAA Division III National Rankings (as of 7:00 p.m. on 2/27/26)

T25 - Kayla Braun - shot put - 13.33m
36 - Jillian Toth - weight throw - 16.28m

Career Highs for indoor meets (does not include those participating in an event for the first time)

Competitor - event - new career high (old career high)
Fernando Avila Rubio - mile - 4:38.79 (4:43.02)
Maddox Clark - 60m - 7.04 (7.13)
Kaden Foglesong - 60m hurdles - 8.67 (8.88)
Blake Orwig - shot put - 15.36m (15.31m)
Da'Von Patterson - 60m - 7.00 (7.02)
Tatum Points - 60m hurdles - 10.69 (10.94)
Ben Ragon - 60m hurdles - 10.17 (10.55)
Asa Stegall - 60m hurdles - 9.06 (9.28)
Xander Stoub - 5000m - 16:06.36 (16:19.08)