Illinois Wesleyan University Men's Track

Greg Huffaker became the head cross country coach for men and women and assistant track coach at Illinois Wesleyan University in April 2005. In 2025, Adriana Crabtree posted the best season in women's cross country history becoming the first woman to earn First Team All-American honors by finishing 17th at the 2025 NCAA Division III National Championships. Crabtree's season included four individual victories, including her second career CCIW Championship, matching a 22-year-old meet record and setting the program record with a time of 21:05.1.  In 2015, Erin McCarey became the second individual woman to earn All-American status in women's cross country, finishing 21st at the NCAA Division III national championships.   In 2013, Carmin Beck was the third individual woman to qualify for the NCAA Division III championships, finishing 116th against a field of 280 runners. Other Titan woman to compete as individuals in the national meet were Kerri Devitt in 2009 and Melinda Sprague in 2005.   Huffaker’s entire 2012 women’s team qualified for the first time for the NCAA Division III championships, where the Titans finished 24th and won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship for the first time in school history. Rachel Williams was the winner of the CCIW championship race and placed 45th at the NCAA Division III championships.   In 2011, Huffaker coached the Titans to a fourth-place finish in the CCIW and 15th at the NCAA Midwest Regional for the men and a second-place finish in the CCIW and an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional for the women’s team.   In 2010, Huffaker led IWU to a fourth-place finish at the men’s CCIW Championship and a 12th-place showing at the Regional. For the women, Huffaker coached the Titans to a second place team showing at the CCIW Championships and ninth place Regional spot for the women.   In 2009, the Titan women’s team ranked No. 8 in the final Midwest Regional rankings and in 2008, the Illinois Wesleyan women's team was No. 35 in the Oct. 15 national Division III rankings done by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, marking the first time an IWU squad has ever achieved that national recognition.   Also in 2009, Kerry Devitt became the first IWU woman to win the CCIW championships and she went on to finish ninth in the NCAA Division III regional and 74th in the NCAA Division III national meet. Devitt was the second women ever to qualify for the national meet.   In 2005, Huffaker’s first season, he coached Melinda Sprague to NCAA Division III All-America status in as she finished 33rd as the first IWU woman ever to qualify for the national meet.   Huffaker is a 1999 graduate of North Central and came to IWU from Elmhurst, where he was head men's cross country coach and head men's track and field coach from 2002 to 2005.   At Elmhurst, Huffaker guided the men's cross country team to a second place finish in the 2004 CCIW meet and to third place finishes in 2002 and 2003. In 2004 Elmhurst finished sixth in the Midwest Regional meet, the school's best finish ever at the time, and Mark Heintz became the school's first cross country All-American with his 19th place finish in the NCAA Division III championships.   Prior to coaching at Elmhurst, Huffaker was a cross country and track assistant coach at North Central. He also coordinated student-athlete recruitment with the office of admissions and oversaw all aspects of the incoming student-athletes' transition into college. He was also assistant director of the North Central summer cross country camp.   In 2000, Huffaker was the head men's cross country coach and assistant men's track and field coach at the University of Dubuque, where he prepared the cross country operating budget and assisted in the administration of the NCAA Division III outdoor championships.   Huffaker, who has a Level I coaching and Level II endurance and jumps certifications from USA Track and Field, earned a bachelor's degree in biology from North Central, where he was a four-year varsity letterman in both cross country and track and a member of national champion cross country teams in 1997 and 1998. In 1998, he was the CCIW champion in the steeplechase and served as a captain of the Cardinal cross country team.   Huffaker also serves as an assistant coach for the Illinois Wesleyan track teams, helping the IWU women’s team capture the NCAA Division III outdoor championships in 2008 and 2010.   Huffaker and his wife, Beth, are the parents of Luke, Kylie, Allie and Ben.     Updated July 16, 2015  

Becharas joined the Illinois Wesleyan staff full-time in fall 2014 after spending two seasons as a graduate assistant coach for cross country and track (2012-14). Becharas was a four-year cross country and track and field runner at DePauw University, where she graduated in 2012 with a degree in  sport and exercise science . In addition to being captain in both sports as a senior, she was all-conference in cross country during the 2010 season. She also earned m ost improved athlete for cross country and track in field the 2010-2011 seasons. She obtained a master's degree in biomechanics from Illinois State University in 2014 and also h as the National Strength and Conditioning Association Personal Trainer certification and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. completed a summer internship at St. Vincent's Sports Performance . She knows all the words to all the Taylor Swift music. In the summer of 2016, she placed first in the local Tri-Shark Triathlon women's elite race (1:08:32.1) and also won the Bloomington-Normal July 4 Park 2 Park five-mile race.(32:47.5).   Lisa Becharas Assistant Cross Country, Track Coach OFFICE Lisa Becharas joined the Illinois Wesleyan staff full-time in fall 2014 after spending two seasons as a graduate assistant coach for cross country and track (2012-14). Becharas was a four-year cross country and track and field runner at DePauw University, where she graduated in 2012 with a degree in  sport and exercise science . In addition to being captain in both sports as a senior, she was all-conference in cross country during the 2010 season. She also earned m ost improved athlete for cross country and track in field the 2010-2011 seasons. She obtained a master's degree in biomechanics from Illinois State University in 2014 and also h as the National Strength and Conditioning Association Personal Trainer certification and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. completed a summer internship at St. Vincent's Sports Performance . She knows all the words to all the Taylor Swift music. In the summer of 2016, she placed first in the local Tri-Shark Triathlon women's elite race (1:08:32.1) and also won the Bloomington-Normal July 4 Park 2 Park five-mile race.(32:47.5).  

Schumacher has been the head men's and women's track and field coach at Illinois Wesleyan since 1997. Through May of 2016, under Schumachers direction, the Titans have produced 253 All-Americans including three relay teams and seventeen individual national champions. In addition to winning four NCAA championships (2016 Outdoor, 2010 Outdoor, 2008 Indoor and Outdoor); his womens teams have finished in the top 20 nationally on 17 other occasions 2015 (3rd Indoor, 4th Outdoor); 2014 (19th Outdoor), 2013 (17th indoor); 2012 (sixth Indoor, ninth outdoor); 2011 (sixth indoor); 2009 (fourth indoor, seventh outdoor); 2007 (10th indoor, 19th outdoor); 2006 (fourth indoor, 17th outdoor); 2004 (sixth indoor, 11th outdoor); 2003 (13th indoor); and 2000 (eighth indoor). The IWU womens 4x4 relay team has been to the outdoor national championship 13 of the past 14 seasons posting a school record 3:44 along the way.  Schumachers mens teams have also yielded six national finishes 2008 (14th indoor, 25th outdoor); 2007 (18th outdoor); 2000 (eighth indoor); and 1999 (ninth indoor, 15th outdoor.). The IWU men have the CCIW record in the 4x4 relay at 3:13.33. The IWU track and field staff was voted College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Staff of the Year in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2016. Schumacher was named Division III "Coach of the Year" by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association in 2008, 2010, and 2016. He was also named Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012, 2015, and 2016.  Schumacher is a 1991 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, where he was an All-American for three years in track, competing on teams that won three national championships. He was also a four-year letter winner in football and played in two national championship games. Schumacher, who earned a masters degree in physical education in 1992 at Wisconsin-LaCrosse, was promoted to associate professor of physical education at IWU in February 2003 and to full professor in 2013.  In the fall of 2006 he was inducted into the UW-LaCrosse Wall of Fame, an award that honors those individuals who have displayed exceptional ability while on campus and since graduation. In the fall of 2002 Schumacher earned the UW-LaCrosse Multi-Cultural Alumni Award, which is given to multicultural graduates who have achieved distinction in their field. Schumacher and his wife, Amy, have a daughter, Kienna, a 2016 Illinois Wesleyan graduate with a degree in accounting and a four-year letterwinner on the IWU track and field team; and a son, Keondre.   Chris Schumacher Head Track and Field Coach Go here for article on "Coach Shoe" in Summer 2010 Illinois Wesleyan Magazine Chris Schumacher has been the head men's and women's track and field coach at Illinois Wesleyan since 1997. Through May of 2016, under Schumachers direction, the Titans have produced 253 All-Americans including three relay teams and seventeen individual national champions. In addition to winning four NCAA championships (2016 Outdoor, 2010 Outdoor, 2008 Indoor and Outdoor); his womens teams have finished in the top 20 nationally on 17 other occasions 2015 (3rd Indoor, 4th Outdoor); 2014 (19th Outdoor), 2013 (17th indoor); 2012 (sixth Indoor, ninth outdoor); 2011 (sixth indoor); 2009 (fourth indoor, seventh outdoor); 2007 (10th indoor, 19th outdoor); 2006 (fourth indoor, 17th outdoor); 2004 (sixth indoor, 11th outdoor); 2003 (13th indoor); and 2000 (eighth indoor). The IWU womens 4x4 relay team has been to the outdoor national championship 13 of the past 14 seasons posting a school record 3:44 along the way.  Schumachers mens teams have also yielded six national finishes 2008 (14th indoor, 25th outdoor); 2007 (18th outdoor); 2000 (eighth indoor); and 1999 (ninth indoor, 15th outdoor.). The IWU men have the CCIW record in the 4x4 relay at 3:13.33. The IWU track and field staff was voted College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Staff of the Year in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2016. Schumacher was named Division III "Coach of the Year" by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association in 2008, 2010, and 2016. He was also named Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012, 2015, and 2016.  Schumacher is a 1991 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, where he was an All-American for three years in track, competing on teams that won three national championships. He was also a four-year letter winner in football and played in two national championship games. Schumacher, who earned a masters degree in physical education in 1992 at Wisconsin-LaCrosse, was promoted to associate professor of physical education at IWU in February 2003 and to full professor in 2013.  In the fall of 2006 he was inducted into the UW-LaCrosse Wall of Fame, an award that honors those individuals who have displayed exceptional ability while on campus and since graduation. In the fall of 2002 Schumacher earned the UW-LaCrosse Multi-Cultural Alumni Award, which is given to multicultural graduates who have achieved distinction in their field. Schumacher and his wife, Amy, have a daughter, Kienna, a 2016 Illinois Wesleyan graduate with a degree in accounting and a four-year letterwinner on the IWU track and field team; and a son, Keondre.