CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Simpson College women’s tennis player Anna Wanek (Urbandale, Iowa/Dowling Catholic) and Luther College men’s tennis player Nyathi Motlojoa (Lesotho, South Africa/Grey College) have been named American Rivers Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, September 27, 2020. The Conference also announced Performers of the Week in men’s and women’s cross country, women’s golf, and men’s and women’s tennis.  
Female Athlete of the Week – Women’s Tennis – Player of the Week
Anna Wanek, Simpson College
Jr., Urbandale, Iowa/Dowling Catholic

• Wanek helped guide the Storm to a comeback win over Central to pick up their second conference win of the season.
• She defeated Wartburg’s Overmann at No. 1 on Friday 6-2, 6-4.
• The junior defeated Central’s Schilling at No. 1 6-1, 7-6(4) to secure the 5-4 win over the Dutch.
• Wanek remains undefeated at 3-0 in singles play at the No. 1 slot for the Storm.
• Wanek and her doubles partner, Emily King, at No. 1, defeated Central’s Lewton/Schilling 8-3 on Saturday.
• This is the Urbandale, Iowa native’s first career Player of the Week honor.
• The last Simpson women’s tennis player to earn Player of the Week honors since Kayla Reusche on September 20, 2018.
• Wanek is the sixth Storm women’s tennis player to earn Player of the Week accolades since Player of the Week began in 2001.

 
Male Athlete of the Week – Men’s Tennis – Player of the Week
Nyathi Motlojoa, Luther College
Jr., Lesotho, South Africa/Grey College

• Motlojoa takes home Male Athlete of the Week honors after winning the 2020 American Rivers Conference Men’s Tennis Individual A-flight Singles.
• In this year’s A-Flight’s round-robin format, with 8-game pro-set scoring, the junior went 5-0, dropping just 10 games.
• The Lesotho, South Africa native defeated fellow Norse teammate Cole Schneider (8-4) to clinch the gold medal.
• This is Motlojoa’s second career Player of the Week honor, despite the COVID-19 shortened 2019-20 season (9/28/20, 2/17/20).

 
Men’s Cross Country – Runner of the Week
Joe Freiburger, Wartburg College
Sr., Holy Cross, Iowa/Western Dubuque

• Freiburger earned his second consecutive first place finish for the Knights on Saturday at the Coe Triangular at Seminole Valley Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
• The senior ran the 8k course with a time of 25:18 finishing 28 seconds ahead of the runner-up in a race consisting of 60 runners.
• He led Wartburg to a perfect 15-point score to win the meet.
• This also marks back-to-back Runner of the Week honors for Freiburger.
• This is the senior’s sixth career Runner of the Week mark (11/3/19, 10/21/19, 9/23/19, 9/9/19, 9/14/20, 9/28/20).
• Freiburger was the 2019 A-R-C Champion and finished 22^nd at last year’s NCAA Championships.

 
Women’s Cross Country – Runner of the Week
Kassie Rosenbum, Loras College
Jr., Guttenberg, Iowa/Clayton Ridge

• Rosenbum won her second straight race on Saturday at the Loras Triangular at the Loras Soccer Complex.
• The Guttenberg, Iowa native won the 6k race with a time of 21:52.21, just over three minutes ahead of the runner-up finisher.
• The Duhawks took home the team title with a team score of 27, one point ahead of second place.
• The junior is earning her second straight Runner of the Week accolade.
• Rosenbum is earning her sixth career Runner of the Week accolade (10/21/19, 10/7/19, 9/23/19, 9/2/19, 9/14/20, 9/28/20).
• A season ago Rosenbum finished second at the A-R-C championships and 5^th at the 2019 NCAA Championships.

 
Women’s Golf – Golfer of the Week
Madison Bowers, University of Dubuque
Jr., Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point

• Bowers took home medalist honors at Saturday’s Mustang Invitational at Hunters Ridge Golf Course in Marion, Iowa shooting a 74 (+2).
• The junior won by three strokes defeating 42 other golfers at the invitational.
• The Spartans finished with a second-place team finish with a score of 340 (+52).
• This is the junior’s first career Player of the Week accolade.
• Bowers is the third Spartan to win women’s golf Player of the Week honors (Brooke Bunjes and Daniela Miranda).