Simpson's Curran, Wartburg's Sherwood Tabbed A-R-C Athletes of the Week

3/1/2021 2:30:00 PM

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Wartburg College softball player Kaci Sherwood (Milo, Iowa/Martensdale St. Mary’s) and Simpson College men’s basketball player Andrew Curran (Ottumwa, Iowa/Waukee) have been named American Rivers Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, February 28, 2021. The Conference also announced Performers of the Week in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, softball, men’s and women’s indoor track & field, men’s tennis, and volleyball.
 
Female Athlete of the Week – Softball – Position Player of the Week14832
Kaci Sherwood, Wartburg College
Sr., 1B, Milo, Iowa/Martensdale St. Mary’s
  • Wartburg’s Sherwood had a hot bat opening week for the Knights, totaling 12 RBIs with four home runs and two doubles in 15 at-bats.
  • The senior first baseman owns a .533 batting average and a 1.467 slugging percentage to start the 2021 campaign.
  • Game 1: Wartburg 11, Maryville 0 – 2-for-3 (.667), 4 RBI, 1 HR, 1.667 SLG%, 3-putouts
  • Game 2: Wartburg 10, Maryville 0 – 2-for-3 (.667), 3 RBI, 2 HR, 3.000 SLG%, 3-putouts
  • Game 3: Mount St. Joseph 6, Wartburg 3 – 1-for-3 (.333), 2 RBI, 1 2B, 6-putouts
  • Game 4: Wartburg 11, Huntingdon 3 – 2-for-3 (.667), 3 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 2-putouts
  • Game 5: Wartburg 12, Huntingdon 0 – 0-for-3, 6-putouts
  • Game 6: Wartburg 11, Mount St. Joseph 2 – 0-for-0, 3-intentional walks, 1 R, 5-putouts
  • The Knights have gotten off to a hot start on the season, going 5-1 on the week.
  • This is Sherwood’s second career Softball Position Player of the Week honor (3/1/21, 3/2/20) and her first-career Female Athlete of the Week nod.
 
Male Athlete of the Week – Men’s Basketball – Player of the Week14841
Andrew Curran, Simpson College
So., Guard, Ottumwa, Iowa/Waukee
  • The Simpson Storm took down the Loras Duhawks in double overtime Saturday on their home court, 102-100.
  • Curran dropped a career-high 43 points in the victory, including the last-second shot to tie the game at the end of regulation.
  • In double overtime, the sophomore guard also hit the game-winning bucket with one second remaining.
  • He shot 11-for-12 from the free throw line and 4-for-7 from deep to pace the Simpson offense.
  • He shattered his previous career high of 17 points, while helping snap a 5-game losing streak for the Storm.
  • This marks Curran’s first-career Men’s Basketball and Male Athlete of the Week honor.
 
Baseball – Pitcher of the Week14839
Darren Kilpatrick, Wartburg College
Sr., RHP, Fairfax, Iowa/Prairie
  • The senior right-handed pitcher led Wartburg to a 5-3 upset victory over No. 1-ranked Webster University (Mo.) Gorlocks on Sunday afternoon.
  • Kilpatrick tossed nearly a complete game, going 8.2 innings on the bump.
  • Game 1: Wartburg 5, No. 1-ranked Webster 3 – GS, W, 8.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2.08 ERA, 2 BB, 5 K, .207 BAA, 34-batters faced, 4-putouts.
  • He allowed only two earned runs and six hits in the outing, while punching out five batters.
  • This is Kilpatrick’s second Pitcher of the Week honor (3/1/21, 4/15/19)
 
Baseball – Position Player of the Week14840
Brady Held, Simpson College
Jr., OF, Indianola, Iowa/Indianola
  • The hometown Indianola, Iowa native tallied three hits, two RBIs, a double, and scored twice in Simpson’s opening weekend contests.
  • The Storm swept Illinois College in Jacksonville, Ill.
  • Game 1: Simpson 7, Illinois College 3 – 1-for-4 (.250), 1 H, RBI, 1 2B, 1-assist
  • Game 2: Simpson 8, Illinois College 4 – 2-for-3 (.667), 2 H, RBI, 1 BB
  • Not only did Held have a day at the plate, but he also threw 4.0 innings on the mound allowing three hits and two runs, while striking out six batters in Game 1 of the double-header.
  • This is Held’s first-career Position Player of the Week accolade.
 
Women’s Basketball – Player of the Week14259
Jackie Feldt, Coe College
Sr., Guard, West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley
  • Jackie Feldt helped guide the Kohawks to two wins last week, extending Coe’s winning streak to five games.
  • In the two contests, she scored 39 points, collected 12 rebounds and eight steals.
  • On Monday, Feb. 22 the Kohawks took down Loras in Dubuque, 86-68, where Feldt scored 15 points while collecting six rebounds, three steals, two assists, and a blocked shot.
  • On Saturday, she dropped 24 points in the Kohawks 64-54 win over Nebraska Wesleyan, adding six rebounds, four steals and a blocked shot.
  • The senior is earning her second career Women’s Basketball Player of the Week nod (3/1/21, 2/24/20).
 
Men’s Indoor Track & Field – Field Performer of the Week14761
Brock Lewis, Central College
Jr., Lathrop, Mo./Lathrop
  • The Dutch competed at the Central Triangular on Saturday, Feb. 27, hosting Buena Vista and Loras, where the Dutch finished second as a team.
  • Lewis won the triple jump in a field of four jumpers with a bound of 48 feet and 1.75 inches (14.67 meters).
  • The jump broke Central’s indoor school record and currently sits No. 2 in Division III.
  • This is Lewis’ third Indoor Field Performer of the Week accolade (3/1/21, 2/8/21, 2/10/20).
 
Women’s Indoor Track & Field – Field Performer of the Week14846
Becca Simpson, Buena Vista University
Jr., Plattsmouth, Mo./Conestoga
  • The Beavers competed at the Central Triangular on Saturday, Feb. 27.
  • With a toss of 16.36 meters, Simpson won the weight throw in a field of 15 competitors.
  • For the second straight week, she set a school record in the weight throw while this week’s mark moves her up to the fourth best throw in the A-R-C this season.
  • She also placed third at in the shot put with a mark of 12.21 meters.
  • This is the junior’s first-career Indoor Field Performer of the Week honor.
 
Men’s Indoor Track & Field – Track Performer(s) of the Week14835148371483814836
Distance Relay Team, Wartburg College
Matt Heinzman, Sr., Royal Oak, Mich./Bishop Foley
Wyatt Schmidt, Jr., Preston, Iowa/Northeast
Dalton Martin, Jr., Rock Island, Ill./United Township
Christopher Collet, So., Verona, Ill./Seneca
 
  • The Knights competed at the Luther Triangular on Saturday, Feb. 27 in the final triangular of the season, as they took second place with a team score of 104 points.
  • The Wartburg Distance Relay team – Matt Heinzman, Wyatt Schmidt, Dalton Martin, Christopher Collet – took home first place in the event with a time of 10:06.05.
  • The time ranks first in NCAA Division III on the year and cracked Wartburg’s indoor top-10 list.
 
Women’s Indoor Track & Field – Track Performer of the Week14756
Aspen Rolfes, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Sr., Lincoln, Neb./Pius X
  • Nebraska Wesleyan competed at their own triangular hosted on Saturday, Feb. 27 as the team took first place.
  • Rolfes won the 400-meter dash with a time of 58.26 seconds, which converts to 57.09.
  • The 400-meter time is the fastest time in Division III this season by more than a half-second.
  • She now leads the nation in the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes.
  • This is Rolfes third honor the 2020-21 Indoor season and her sixth in her career (3/2/21, 2/15/21, 2/8/21, 2/14/20, 2/11/19, 2/4/18).
 
Softball – Pitcher Player of the Week14834
Kendra Cooper, Luther College
Jr., P, Lansing, Iowa/Kee High
  • Cooper picked up two wins over the weekend in the circle for the Luther Norse.
  • She threw a complete game shutout against St. Norbert College striking out 10, walking two, and spreading out six hits in the 5-0 Luther victory.
  • The next day she threw 5.0 scoreless innings to defeat the previously unbeaten St. Scholastica 8-0, striking out six and allowing only four hits.
  • Game 1: Luther 5, St. Norbert 0 – GS, W, CG, shutout, 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 10 K, 28-batters faced, 2-assists.
  • Game 2: Luther 8, St. Scholastica 0 – GS, W, CG, shutout, 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K, 16-batters faced, 1-assist.
  • She now holds a season record of 3-0 and has not given up an earned run in 17.0 innings in the circle.
  • This is Cooper’s second career Pitcher of the Week accolade (3/1/21, 3/2/20).
 
Men’s Tennis – Player of the Week14843
Jon Lansing, Coe College
Jr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier  
  • Lansing’s effort the last week helped keep the Kohawks undefeated at -0 on the season, going 4-0 on the weekend.
  • He picked up a pair of victories at No. 1 singles over Simpson’s Reade Reiter (6-0, 6-1) and No. 2 singles over Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Riley Peterson (6-0, 6-2).
  • In doubles play, Lansing and his partner Nathan Meskell played at No. 2 doubles in both matches, defeating Simpson’s Reade Reiter and Brett Dewerff (8-0) and UW-La Crosse’s Alex Alt and Alex Moore (8-6).
  • This is Lansing’s third Men’s Tennis Player of the Week nod (3/1/21, 4/22/19, 3/11/19).
 
Volleyball – Defensive Player of the Week14844
Jackie Alberto, Loras College
Sr., OH, Tinley Park, Ill./Tinley Park
  • The Duhawks took down Dubuque (3-2) Simpson (3-0) to remain perfect on the season.
  • Alberto recorded seven blocks in eight sets on the week, one against the Spartans and six against the Storm.  
  • Her efforts on the week gave her 32.5 points in the two games, to help Loras sit atop the A-R-C standings after Week 2.
  • This is Alberto’s first-career volleyball Defensive Player of the Week nod but has one Offensive Player of the Week accolade to her name (10/14/19).
 
Volleyball – Offensive Player of the Week14845
Jade Casper, Loras College
So., OH, Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North
  • The Duhawks took down Dubuque (3-2) Simpson (3-0) to remain perfect on the season.
  • Casper combined for 29 kills in eight sets last week, 15 against Dubuque and 14 against Simpson.
  • She leads the Duhawks with 43 kills on the season in 11 sets, averaging 3.91 kills/set while hitting .308 on the season.
  • The Duhawks currently sit atop the A-R-C standings after two weeks of play.
  • This is the sophomore’s first-career Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week nod.
 
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