MONMOUTH, Ill. – The Cornell Rams are your Midwest Conference Men's Indoor Track & Field Champions.
 
Nearly 40 years after Ocie Trimble guided the program to championship heights, the Rams are back on top under third-year head coach Jerry Monner.
 
Cornell piled up 120 points over the two-day competition at Huff Athletic Center and needed nearly all of them in a tight team battle that went down to the wire Saturday with Monmouth (115), Ripon (112) and Illinois College (100.5).
 
A runner-up finish by the 4x400 relay (3:23.29) of Chase Staker, Jaxin McGuire, Currey Jacobs and anchor Jensen Meeker sealed Cornell's first conference indoor team title since 1989, and fifth championship overall.
 
Monner and assistants Jerry Frawley, Haley Harms-Frawley, Mark Dutro, Cait Goeller, Jake Goeller and Alejandro Sanchez were named MWC Coaching Staff of the Year.  
 
Junior distance star Isaac vanWestrienen accounted for 30 points in three individual races. He won Saturday's 3000 in 8:29.26, to go along with Friday's victories in the mile and 5000. VanWestrienen now owns five MWC indoor titles in just two seasons.
 
The Rams also captured gold Saturday in the distance medley relay. The quartet of Isaac Morris, Currey Jacobs, Jamie Briggs and Tyler Bilskie clocked a winning time of 10:38.33, one second ahead of Lawrence.
 
Gabe Soda was runner-up in the 3000 (8:31.17) and Fisher Isaacson took second in the 800 (1:56.92). Meeker broke his own school record in the 400 (49.63) with an all-MWC third-place effort.
 
Cornell earned all-conference honors in 10 total events, but also scored critical points in the 4-8 places throughout.
 
Hadley Beaty (22.54) and Meeker (22.59) placed fifth and seventh, respectively, in the 200. Beaty was eighth in the 60 (7.14). In the 800, Hunt crossed fourth (1:57.89) and Isaak Hutchings seventh (1:58.77).
 
McGuire took seventh in the 400 (51.24). Caleb Schopen was seventh in the 3000 (8:51.88). Michael Bahu picked up an eighth in the weight throw (52-9.25).