CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The American Rivers Conference announced that Loras College’s Terrianna Black (Milwaukee, Wis./Messmer), Kassie Rosenbum (Guttenberg, Iowa/Clayton Ridge), Ryan Rogers (Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert Catholic) and Patrick Mikel (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) were named Co-American Rivers Conference Athletes of the Week. The honors are for the week ending Sunday, March 1, 2020. The Conference also announced Performers of the Week in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, softball, men’s tennis, men’s and women’s track & field and wrestling.
Co-Male Athlete of the Week - Men’s Indoor Field Performer of the Week
Ryan Rogers, Loras College
Jr., Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert Catholic

• Loras junior Ryan Rogers claimed three individual titles and accumulated 34 team points at the American Rivers Conference Championships on his way to being named the Most Valuable Male Field Performer of the meet.
• He set a personal record time of 7.63 in the 55-meter hurdles prelims, ranking second on the Loras top-ten list and won the event with a time of 7.68 in the finals.
• He also won the long jump with a leap of 23’5.50” to tie for fourth in Loras program history.
• Rogers’ long jump mark currently ranks 12^th in NCAA Division III.
• The Wahlert Catholic prep also won the pole vault with a height of 14'6.75".
• He also finished fifth in the high jump (1.97m).
• The No. 3-ranked Duhawks won the conference title for the first time since 2007. 
• Rogers is earning his second Indoor Field Performer of the Week honor (3/2/20, 12/9/19).

 
Co-Male Athlete of the Week - Men’s Indoor Track Performer of the Week
Patrick Mikel, Loras College
Sr., Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East

• Patrick Mikel was named Most Valuable Male Track Performer of the meet after scoring 28 points to help the Duhawks win the conference championship.
• The senior finished second in the 55-meter dash, running a personal-best time of 6.49 seconds to rank sixth in Loras program history.
• Mikel then went and set the all-time conference and Loras record in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.74, besting the previous record he set a week prior.
• The Lombard, Ill. native now owns the nation's leading mark in the 200-meter dash.
• Mikel claimed another individual title in the 400-meter dash, setting a new conference championship and school record with a time of 47.90 and ranks first nationally by 0.63 seconds.
• He then ran on two conference champion relays, helping the distance medley relay to victory with a time of 10:20.63 and the 4-by-400-meter relay that set a new championship record with a time of 3:19.68. 
• This is the ninth Indoor Track Performer of the Week accolade for Mikel (3/2/20, 2/24/20, 2/10/20, 1/20/20, 2/25/19, 1/28/19, 12/10/18, 2/4/18).

 
Co-Female Athlete of the Week - Women’s Indoor Field Performer of the Week
Terrianna Black, Loras College
Sr., Milwaukee, Wis./Messmer

• Loras senior Terrianna Black had a phenomenal performance at the A-R-C Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend, being named the Most Valuable Women’s Field Performer of the Meet.
• The Milwaukee, Wis. native finished second in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.13.
• Black continued to excel in the field events as she added another win in the long jump with a leap of 18’2.50”, ranking her second in Loras’ top-ten list.
• The senior also was the triple jump champion, setting a new facility record of 38'7.00."
• Her jump also smashed the previous school record by 0.26 meters and ranks her tenth nationally.
• This is the second career Indoor Field Performer of the week honor for Black (3/2/20, 2/10/20).

 
Co-Female Athlete of the Week – Women’s Indoor Track Performer of the Week
Kassie Rosenbum, Loras College
Jr., Guttenberg, Iowa/Clayton Ridge

• Rosenbum won three individual events at the A-R-C Indoor Track & Field Championships this last weekend and was named the Most Valuable Women’s Track Performer of the Meet.
• On Friday night, the junior won the 5,000-meter title with a time of 17:25.88.
• The Guttenberg, Iowa native turned around on Saturday and won two more distance events, first claiming the gold medal in the mile run (5:04.75) followed by a title in the 3,000-meter (10:13.23).
• The junior claimed 30 team points for the second place Duhawks.
• Rosenbum is earning her first Indoor Track Performer of the Week honor (3/2/20).

 
Baseball – Pitcher of the Week
Brady Leonard, Simpson College
So., LHP, Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock

• Leonard helped the Storm to their first win of the season on opening weekend at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• The sophomore threw 5.0 innings of no-hit baseball against Bethel (Minn.) to guide Simpson to their first win of the season.
• The Waverly, Iowa native tallied four strikeouts and surrendered only two walks.
• The Storm threw their first no-hitter since March 2011.
• This is Leonard’s first career Pitcher of the Week award (3/2/20).

 
Baseball – Position Player of the Week
Kolton Arnold, Simpson College
Jr., 1B, Norwalk, Iowa

• Arnold helped Simpson open the season with a split against Bethel (Minn.) at U.S. Bank Stadium (5-for-8, 1 3B, 2 runs, 2 stolen bases, and a .625 average).
• The Storm fell in Game 1 (9-6) but Arnold went 3-for-4 with a triple and scored two runs, along with one stolen base.
• In the second game of the double header, Arnold led Simpson to a 2-0 win going 2-for-4 with two singles and a stolen base.
• This is the first Position Player of the Week honor for Arnold (3/2/20).

 
Men’s Basketball – Player of the Week
Clay Reimers, Nebraska Wesleyan University  
Sr., C, Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln East

• Reimers led NWU to their third-straight conference tournament championship, averaging 18.5 points and 12 rebounds.
• In leading the team he posted two double doubles en route to the championship.
• In the Prairie Wolves’ 91-77 win over Simpson, the Lincoln, Neb. native put up 19 points and 10 rebounds, while shooting 73% from the field.
• In the 76-50 championship win over Coe, Reimers again posted 18 points to go along with 14 rebounds.
• In the tournament combined, the senior collected five blocked shots and eight assists.
• NWU will be the conference’s AQ representative in the NCAA tournament, making their third-consecutive appearance.
• This is Reimers’ first career Player of the Week nod (3/2/20).

Women’s Basketball – Player of the Week
Kaitlyn Volesky, Wartburg College
Jr., F, Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon

• Volesky helped guide the Knights to their fourth consecutive conference tournament title, averaging 12 points and six rebounds in the two tournament games last week.
• In the semifinals against Coe, she had nine points and nine rebounds, along with one blocked shot and three steals in the 72-57 win.
• In the championship game, the junior had 15 points against Loras, while shooting 63% from the floor.
• In the 67-54 win over the Duhawks, she also tallied 3 rebounds and a steal.
• Wartburg will be the conference’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament, making their fifth-straight appearance.
• This is the Mount Vernon native’s first career Player of the Week accolade (3/2/20).

 
Softball – Pitcher of the Week
Kendra Cooper, Luther College
So., P, Lansing, Iowa/Kee High

• Cooper helped the Norse go 4-0 on the weekend, picking up three wins herself while throwing 16.0 innings and only allowing two earned runs and striking out eight.
• In the game against Macalester, a 6-3 win, the sophomore threw a complete game, giving up only four hits and two earned runs while striking out four and holding Macalester to a .174 average.
• The Lansing, Iowa native tossed four scoreless innings in the 3-2 win over Gustavus Adolphus.
• She threw 5.0 innings against Wisconsin-Platteville only surrendering five hits and no runs.
• The Norse started the season with a 9-1 victory in five innings over Blackburn.
• This is the first career Pitcher of the Week accolade for Cooper (3/2/20).

 
Softball – Position Player of the Week
Kaci Sherwood, Wartburg College
Jr., INF, Milo, Iowa/Martensdale St. Mary’s

• Sherwood helped the Knights start 2-0 down in Florida, batting .333 with two home runs, and collecting six RBIs.
• In a 5-4 win over Trine, the junior’s one hit on the day was a big home run that drove in two Knight runs.
• She had even more success in the 10-1 win over Muskingum going 2-for-4 with another home run, while driving in four runs.
• This is the first Position Player of the Week honor for Sherwood (3/2/20).

 
Men’s Tennis – Player of the Week
Connor Pivnicka, Loras College
Jr., Woodstock, Ill./Marian Central Catholic

• Pivnicka and the Duhawks went 1-1 last week with junior winning both singles and doubles matches.
• At No.3 doubles against Cornell, Pivnicka and his partner, Tommy Linkenheld, beat Koichi Okazaki and Nick Adamou, 8-5.
• Against the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), Pivnicka and Linkenheld defeated Joshua Fay and Nathan Chapman at No.3 doubles, 8-1.
• The junior would play No. 4 singles against Cornell, defeating Drew Arnold, 6-3, 6-4.
• He would play No. 5 singles against MSOE, defeating Joshua Fay, 6-0, 6-2.
• This is Pivnicka’s first career Player of the Week accolade.

 
Wrestling – Wrestler of the Week
Brandon Murray, Loras College
Sr., 157lbs., Toms River, N.J./Toms River South

• Murray No. 2 /4 (D3wrestle.com/NWCA) constructed a dominant performance at the NCAA Division III Lower Midwest Regional, claiming the 157lbs. title.
• The senior totaled two falls and a technical fall on his way to punching his ticket to nationals.
• In the opening round, he recorded a technical fall win over Augustana’s Danny Terronez.
• The senior then recorded two straight fall wins over Huntingdon’s Kaleb Fontenot (2:04) and Coe’s Cole Ericksen (3:35) in the semifinals.
• The New Jersey native would square off with Wartburg’s Martine Sandoval in the championship, and Murray would go on to win by decision (7-3).
• The Duhawks won their program’s first-ever regional championship.
• This is Murray’s second career Wrestler of the Week honor and has won it back-to-back weeks (3/2/20, 2/17/20).