Thunder football team is picked to repeat as league champions in the CCIW preseason poll

Wheaton, Ill. (7/30) - The Wheaton College

football team has been picked by the coaches of the College

Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) as the favorites to win

the league title. Wheaton has won the past two CCIW Championships and has

won three of the last four league titles. Wheaton has been undefeated in league

play for the past two seasons. The Thunder will open conference play at home

on Oct. 2 against North Central College with a streak of 17 consecutive league

victories on the line. The Thunder has not lost to a CCIW foe since a 31-13

defeat at Illinois Wesleyan on Oct. 20, 2001.

Each of the league's eight coaches vote in the preseason poll

and a coach cannot vote for their own team. Wheaton was the top vote-getter

with 44 points and five first-place votes, just edging Millikin in second

place with 43 points and three first-place votes. Augustana finished third

in the voting with 38 points, North Central was picked to finish fourth with

30 points, Illinois Wesleyan received 29 points in fifth place, Elmhurst was

picked sixth with 18 points, Carthage received 15 points in seventh place

and North Park finished eighth with seven points.