CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Results of the American Rivers Conference's Women's Basketball Preseason Poll (as voted on by the league's head coaches):
| 2019-20 American Rivers Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll |
| Rank |
School (1st place votes) |
Points |
2018-19 Record |
| 1. |
Wartburg (7) |
63 |
27-4, 15-1 A-R-C (Reg. Season & Conf. Tournament Champion/NCAA Elite 8) |
| 2. |
Loras (2) |
58 |
22-6, 14-2 A-R-C (NCAA Qualifier) |
| 3. |
Simpson |
49 |
20-7, 11-5 A-R-C |
| 4. |
Luther |
41 |
12-13, 10-6 A-R-C |
| 5. |
Coe |
39 |
15-11, 9-7 A-R-C |
| 6. |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
27 |
12-14, 7-9 A-R-C |
| 7. |
Central |
24 |
7-18, 3-13 A-R-C |
| 8. |
Buena Vista |
12 |
7-18, 2-14 A-R-C |
| 9. |
Dubuque |
11 |
3-22, 1-15 A-R-C |
After claiming regular season and conference tournament championships the past three seasons, Wartburg College is the coaches' pick to win the 2019-20 American Rivers Conference title. The Knights earned 63 points in the poll, recording seven of the nine first-place votes. Loras College, who finished runner-up a season ago and last claimed a regular season conference title in 2013-14, finished second in the poll with 58 points and two first-place votes. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own teams. Capsules on all nine teams -- follow here:
New Coaches: David Wells, Buena Vista University. Wells spent the last seven years serving as the top women's basketball assistant at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He also served as an assistant with the program in 2010-11. From 2011-13, Wells was an assistant women's basketball coach at Millersville University (Pa.) where he also helped develop all phases of the strength and conditioning program as well helping with player development, recruiting and other administrative duties. He was an assistant coach for the Boulder Rockies Basketball Club (Colo.) from 2009-11. Wells is a native of Colorado and grew up in Lakewood while graduating from Green Mountain High School. He went on to attend the University of Northern Colorado and participated in track and field. His coaching career began at Golden High School where he served as head track coach, assistant football coach and assistant basketball coach. Wells earned a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Psychology from MSU Denver in 2011.
The Schedule: The 2019-20 season kicks off on Wednesday, November 8 with Central hosting Midwest Conference member, Grinnell. Luther also opens on November 8, squaring off with Hope, a member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).
On Thursday, November 9 Loras will travel to The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) member, Elmhurst, for their season opening tip. Coe hosts Martin Luther out of the Upper Midwest Athletic Association (UMAC) and Dubuque hosts American Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) member Finlandia.
Friday, November 15 will see the league’s final four teams start their 2019-20 campaigns. Two schools will face off with Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) members as Wartburg travels UW-La Crosse and Simpson plays at UW-Eau Claire. Buena Vista heads to St. Joseph, Minnesota for a clash with St. Olaf, a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). Nebraska Wesleyan opens at home against Grinnell College.
The 2019-20 American Rivers Conference schedule begins on Tuesday, November 26 with six of the nine schools competing. Coe College will travel to Storm Lake for a match-up with Buena Vista University, Loras College hosts Central College, and Simpson College hosts the University of Dubuque.
On Wednesday, December 4, the final three teams start their conference slate of games. Loras heads to Decorah for a matchup with Luther, Simpson travels to Coe, Central hosts Wartburg and Nebraska Wesleyan hosts Buena Vista.
The American Rivers Conference season is a 16-game double round robin schedule finishing on Saturday February 22. The league's top six teams from the regular season standings qualify for the A-R-C Tournament. The Conference Tournament will be held Tuesday, February 25 (First Round), Thursday, February 27 (Semifinals), and Saturday February 29 (Championship). Game locations for the A-R-C Tournament are at the higher seeded team's venue. The American Rivers Conference Tournament champion receives the leagues' automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III tournament.
2018-19 Season Review: The Knights were picked second in the conference's preseason poll but refused to budge from their perch, going 15-1 in A-R-C play and earning the No.1 seed in the conference tournament. The only regular-season conference loss for Wartburg was to Luther on January 9, 2019. Loras earned the No.2 seed in last year’s conference tournament after finishing 14-2 during regular season league contests. Simpson earned the No.3 seed in the conference tournament followed by Luther, Coe, and Nebraska Wesleyan.
Wartburg, with four double-figure scorers, overcame a second-half deficit against the Loras Duhawks and won the 2019 American Rivers Conference tournament championship, 73-61. The three-time defending conference champions thus earned the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship.
Loras received an at-large selection to the 2019 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball tournament, making it their third trip to the big dance since 2014. The Duhawks drew a tough first-round opponent in DePauw University out of the North Coast Athletic Conference and dropped a 78-54 decision to the Tigers.
Wartburg made their fourth-straight and 13th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2019. The Knights have advanced to two Final Fours in the last three seasons and added yet another post season run to their resume, advancing to the Elite 8 in 2019. Wartburg earned hosting rights for the first two rounds, where they defeated Bethany Lutheran 91-63 and Hope 79-49. The Knights took down UW-Oshkosh 70-57 in the Sweet-Sixteen, but their season came to an end in the Elite 8, falling to St. Thomas 85-56.
| 1st |
|
Wartburg College
Head Coach: Bob Amsberry (14th Season)
2018-19 Record: 27-4, 15-1 A-R-C (Reg. Season & Conf. Tournament Champion/NCAA Elite 8)
2018-19 Conference Finish: 1st
Returning All-Conference: Emma Gerdes (MVP / First Team), Amanda Brainerd (First Team), Tori Hazard (Second Team), Ally Conrad (Honorable Mention)
Starters Returning: 4
Starters Lost: 1
Bob Amsberry - “We have good experience returning and are anxious to continue to develop our team. Our non-conference schedule will challenge us again this year and help us get ready for a very competitive conference race." |
| Players to Watch: |
| Amanda Brainerd - F (Sr.) |
9.6-ppg // 50.5-fg% // 86.3-FT% // 5.3-rpg // 1.5-apg |
| Emma Gerdes - G (Sr.) |
11.3-ppg // 2.7-spg // 10-blks // 82.7-FT% |
| Tori Hazard - F (Jr.) |
8.8-ppg // 4.3-rpg // 3.1-apg // 27-steals |
| Ally Conrad - G (Jr.) |
7.4-ppg // 3.8-rpg // 2.9-apg // 28-steals |
| Kaitlyn Volesky - F (Jr.) |
5.8-ppg // 63.6-fg% // 3.6-rpg |
| Payton Draper - F (Jr.) |
6.5-ppg // 2.5-rpg //48.7-fg% |
| 2nd |
|
Loras College
Head Coach: Justin Heinzen (13th Season)
2018-19 Record: 22-6, 14-2 A-R-C (NCAA Qualifier)
2018-19 Conference Finish: 2nd
Returning All-Conference: Marissa Schroeder (First Team), Kari Fitzpatrick (First Team), Macenzie Kraemer (Second Team), Riley Eckhart (Second Team)
Starters Returning: 4
Starters Lost: 1
Justin Heinzen - “We are anxious for the challenge of taking another step forward and excited for an extremely high level of play within the league this year. The conference race should be a challenging one with so much experience returning from so many teams. Best to all!" |
| Players to Watch: |
|
| Kari Fitzpatrick - G (Sr.) |
12.1-ppg // 7.2-rpg // 3.0-apg // 2.1-spg |
| Macenzie Kraemer - G (Sr.) |
10.9-ppg // 3.1-rpg // 3.7-apg // 2.6-spg |
| Marissa Schroeder - F (Jr.) |
15.6-ppg // 42.5-3-pt % // 6.8-rpg // 1.6-apg // 1.8-spg // 24-blks |
| Riley Eckhart - G (Sr.) |
12.5-ppg // 4.5-rpg // 1.3-apg |
| 3rd |
|
Simpson College
Head Coach: Brian Niemuth (33rd Season)
2018-19 Record: 20-7, 11-5 A-R-C
2018-19 Conference Finish: 3rd
Returning All-Conference: Jenna Taylor (First Team), Claire Johnson (Second Team), Cassie Chubb (Second Team), Cameron Kincaid (Honorable Mention)
Starters Returning: 3
Starters Lost: 2
Brian Niemuth - “Great group of seniors across the conference which will lead to an exciting and competitive year!" |
| Players to Watch: |
|
| Jenna Taylor - F (Sr.) |
18.0-ppg // 1.8-apg // 7.7-rpg // 55.2-fg% |
| Claire Johnson - G (Sr.) |
8.2-ppg // 4.0-rpg // 4.8-apg // 2.4/spg |
| Cameron Kincaid - F (Jr.) |
10.6-ppg // 87.8-FT% // 4.6-rpg // 1.5-apg // 16-blks |
| Cassie Chubb - F (Sr.) |
10.4-ppg // 5.9-rpg // 1.5-apg |
| 4th |
|
Luther College
Head Coach: Amanda Bailey (9th Season)
2018-19 Record: 12-13, 10-6 A-R-C
2018-19 Conference Finish: 4th
Returning All-Conference: Laura Hamilton (Defensive Player of the Year / First Team), Sarah Holtz (Second Team)
Starters Returning: 4
Starters Lost: 1
Amanda Bailey - “The A-R-C returns strong senior leadership on every team. It is going to be a battle again this year! We are excited about the challenges ahead this season, and the opportunity to get better each day!" |
| Players to Watch: |
|
| Laura Hamilton - G (Sr.) |
12.2-ppg // 4.6-rpg // 3.8-apg // 3.8-spg // 19-blks |
| Sarah Holtz - F (Sr.) |
13.4-ppg // 6.7-rpg // 1.2-apg // 1.2-spg // 16-blks |
| Madilyn Heinke - C (Sr.) |
4.8-ppg // 4.2-rpg // 1.0-apg // 20-steals |
| Madison Spence - F (Sr.) |
6.3-ppg // 4.2-rpg // 1.5-bpg |
| 5th |
|
Coe College
Head Coach: Kayla Waskow (3rd Season)
2018-19 Record: 15-11, 9-7 A-R-C
2018-19 Conference Finish: 5th
Returning All-Conference: Jackie Feldt (First Team), Madeline Wilkins (Second Team), Destiny Smith (Honorable Mention)
Starters Returning: 5
Starters Lost: 0
Kayla Waskow - "We learned a lot last season and with a solid group coming back, and we are excited to kick off the 2019-2020 season and see how this group comes together. With a lot of talent returning across the conference, we are looking forward to another really competitive year." |
| Players to Watch: |
|
| Jackie Feldt - F (Jr.) |
15.7-ppg // 1.6-spg // 1.7-bpg // 44.2-3-pt % |
| Destiny Smith - G (Sr.) |
9.2-ppg // 22-steals // 6.4-rpg |
| Madeline Wilkins - G (Jr.) |
14.0-ppg // 80.0-FT% // 24-steals |
| 6th |
|
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Head Coach: Sam Dixon (3rd Season)
2018-19 Record: 12-14, 7-9 A-R-C
2018-19 Conference Finish: 6th
Returning All-Conference: Caitlin Navratil (First Team)
Starters Returning:
Starters Lost:
Sam Dixon - “The American Rivers Conference is very balanced which provides for great completive games every night. We are excited to get started and grow and develop this year." |
| Players to Watch: |
|
| Caitlin Navratil - G (Sr.) |
20.2-ppg // 38.9-e-pt % // 4.73-rpg // 3.5-apg // 3.4-apg |
| 7th |
|
Central College
Head Coach: Joe Steinkamp (3rd Season)
2018-19 Record: 7-18, 3-13 A-R-C
2018-19 Conference Finish: 7th
Returning All-Conference: Kendall Brown (Second Team)
Starters Returning: 4
Starters Lost: 1
Joe Steinkamp - "We are excited for the upcoming year and competing in one of the best conferences in the country. A lot of All-Conference players from last year are back across the league, and that should result in some high-level basketball games." |
| Players to Watch: |
|
| Kendall Brown - C (Sr.) |
9.6-ppg // 2.9-bpg // 73-blocks // 7.9-rpg // 20-steals |
| Jenna Clark - G (So.) |
10.9-ppg // 4.3-rpg // 2.0-apg // 1.4-spg |
| Maci Gambell - G/F (So.) |
9.0-ppg // 4.2-rpg // 1.4-apg // 7-blks |
| Sami Craig - F (Jr.) |
3.4-ppg // 5.7-rpg // 2.0-apg // 1.7-spg |
| Emily Hay - G (Jr.) |
4.4-ppg // 1.9-rpg // 1.8-spg |
| Cynthia Rangel - G (Jr.) |
2.4-rpg // 1.7-apg // 1.0-spg |
| 8th |
|
Buena Vista University
Head Coach: David Wells (1st Season)
2018-19 Record: 7-18, 2-14 A-R-C
2018-19 Conference Finish: 8th
Returning All-Conference: Erin Gerke (Honorable Mention)
Starters Returning: 1
Starters Lost: 4
David Wells- “Our season will be about trusting the process and putting in the worked to get what we earn." |
| Players to Watch: |
| Erin Gerke - G (Jr.) |
10.9-ppg // 35.0-3-pt % // 2.9-rpg // 2.7-apg // 2.7-spg |
| 9th |
|
University of Dubuque
Head Coach: Mark Noll (13th Season)
2018-19 Record: 3-22, 1-15 A-R-C
2018-19 Conference Finish: 9th
Returning All-Conference: Miah Smith (Honorable Mention)
Starters Returning: 2
Starters Lost: 3
Mark Noll - "We are looking forward to starting the 2019-20 season! We brought in a very good class to go with our returner's. The American Rivers Conference is so strong from top to bottom. We look forward to the challenges of the A-R-C." |
| Players to Watch: |
| Miah Smith - F (So.) |
5.7-ppg // 9.3-rpg // 18-steals // 10-blks |
| Abby Zurcher - G (So.) |
9.1-ppg // 1.3-apg // 81.6-FT% // 13-steals |
| Jaden Kelley - G (Jr.) |
6.9-ppg // 42.9-3-pt % // 14-steals |
| Josie Thomas - F (Jr.) |
4.9-ppg // 82.6-FT% // 2.3-rpg |
