As part of UIS Athletics' 15 Years of NCAA Division II Membership celebration, the department is highlighting 15 standout teams and 15 standout student-athletes who have shaped the program's Division II era. Each week, UIS features one team and one player, honoring the accomplishments, championship moments, and legacy-building performances that have defined Prairie Stars Athletics.

The 2022-23 UIS men's track & field team authored one of the most remarkable distance-dominant seasons in program history. Competing in a limited number of events, the Prairie Stars finished fourth at both the GLVC Indoor and Outdoor Championships — proving that quality and championship firepower could outweigh quantity. The season represented the culmination of years of steady growth for the UIS distance program. After building depth and experience across multiple seasons, the young program saw that foundation fully materialize in a breakthrough year, carrying momentum from a historic cross country season in the fall into a dominant track campaign.

At the GLVC Indoor Championships, UIS finished fourth out of 12 teams while competing exclusively in distance events. The Prairie Stars scored a program-high 66 points — an extraordinary total considering they did not enter a single sprint or field event.

One highlight of the weekend was the GLVC Championship performance in the distance medley relay (DMR). Chris Cherry ran the lead leg, followed by Ryan Jones on the 400 meters, Matt Moler on the 800 meters, and Noah McIntyre anchoring the mile with the fastest anchor split in the field. The quartet captured the conference title and set the tone for a dominant meet.

Cherry went on to win both the mile and the 3,000 meters, earning three gold medals and being named the GLVC Track Athlete of the Year. In the mile, UIS swept All-GLVC honors as Moler finished second and McIntyre third. Moler also took second in the 800 meters, finishing 0.05 seconds ahead of the top seed.

Cort Ross added a runner-up finish in the 5,000 meters in just his second race of the indoor season, while Gabe Martinez earned his first career All-GLVC honor with a third-place finish in the 3,000 meters. 

All-GLVC honors during the indoor season were earned by Ryan Jones, Matt Moler, Noah McIntyre, Chris Cherry, Gabe Martinez, and Cort Ross.

The Prairie Stars carried that momentum into the GLVC Outdoor Championships, finishing fourth out of 10 scoring teams while entering just eight of 22 events. UIS won four event titles, scoring in five events, and again proved its distance depth was unmatched.

Wyatt McIntyre opened the championship meet with a statement performance in the 10,000 meters. The fifth-year distance runner earned his first conference track title with a provisional mark of 29:58, winning by more than 30 seconds. Cort Ross added a bronze medal in the event. McIntyre later completed the distance sweep by winning the 5,000 meters, securing two GLVC titles on the weekend.

In the 1,500 meters, Chris Cherry broke the GLVC Championship record — previously held by Noah McIntyre — winning the event by six seconds. Matt Moler finished second to give UIS a dominant 1-2 finish. Less than 90 minutes later, the duo returned for the 800-meter final, where Moler captured his first GLVC title and Cherry finished second by just two hundredths of a second. Moler and Cherry combined for 36 of the team's 72 points, while Wyatt McIntyre contributed 20 points of his own.

UIS also scored in the field events, as Jacob Hanna finished fourth in the high jump in just his second collegiate track meet, adding five crucial team points.

Cherry's outdoor campaign included NCAA provisional marks and UIS program records in the 1,500 meters and 800 meters, along with the program's No. 2 all-time mark in the 10,000 meters. Cherry and Jacob Hanna both earned All-Region honors.

The 2022-23 track & field seasons followed a historic fall in which many of the same distance runners powered UIS to its first-ever GLVC Cross Country Championship and a sixth-place finish at the NCAA National Championships. Wyatt McIntyre, the GLVC Cross Country Champion, was later named the UIS Male Athlete of the Year, underscoring the program-wide excellence of the Prairie Stars.

Competing in less than half of the championship events at both conference meets yet finishing fourth each time, the 2022-23 UIS men's track & field team demonstrated unmatched efficiency, depth, and championship poise. Powered by distance dominance and guided by first-year head coach Emmons King, the Prairie Stars delivered a season that solidified their place among the most impactful teams of the NCAA Division II era at UIS.

Explore the growing list of NCAA Division II 15 Years Anniversary honorees celebrating the legacy of Prairie Stars Athletics.