CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The 2020-21 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) All-Conference Women's Basketball Team as voted on the by the league's head coaches:

2020-21 All-American Rivers Conference Women's Basketball Team
Most Valuable Player Jenna Taylor, Sr., Simpson
Defensive Player of the Year Olivia Larsen, So., Buena Vista University
Coach of the Year Brian Niemuth, Simpson
Most Valuable Player	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown / High School
Jenna Taylor ^ ! ~	Simpson	Sr.	F	Creston, Iowa / Creston
Defensive Player of the Year	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown / High School
Olivia Larsen	Buena Vista	So.	G	Fonda, Iowa/ Newell-Fonda
First Team	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown / High School
Olivia Larsen	Buena Vista	So.	G	Fonda, Iowa/ Newell-Fonda
Kelsea Hurley *	Central	So.	G	Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain
Jackie Feldt ! &	Coe	Sr.	G/F	West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley
Jamie Feldt ~	Coe	Sr.	G	West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley
Tabria Thomas	Dubuque	So.	F	Elizabeth, Ill./River Ridge
Sami Martin	Loras	Fr.	G	Platteville, Wis./Platteville
Cameron Kincaid # *	Simpson	Sr.	F	Olathe, Kan./Olathe East
Payton Draper &	Wartburg	Sr.	F	Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock
Second Team	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown / High School
Carson Fisk	Central	So.	G	Searsboro, Iowa/Lynnville-Sully
Madeline Wilkins @ *	Coe	Sr.	G	Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell
Cierra Bachmann	Loras	So.	G	Channahon, Ill./Minooka
Cassie Nash	Simpson	So.	G	Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southeast
Kia Rasmussen ~	Simpson	Jr.	G	Irwin, Iowa/IKM-Manning
Ally Conrad # ~	Wartburg	Sr.	G	Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls
Jaedon Murphy	Wartburg	Fr.	G	Alleman, Iowa/North Polk
Kaitlyn Volesky ~	Wartburg	Sr.	F	Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon
Honorable Mention	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown / High School
Maci Gambell	Central	Jr.	G	Hedrick, Iowa/Pekin
Payton Rogers	Central	Sr.	F	Moravia, Iowa/Moravia
Sydney Schroder	Coe	Sr.	G	Iowa City, Iowa/City High
Vanessa Eniola	Dubuque	Jr.	G	Marion, Iowa/Cedar Rapids Washington
Miah "Mimi" Smith # ~	Dubuque	Jr.	F	Matteson, Ill./Rich Central
Kristen Elliott	Luther	Jr.	G	Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon
Jordan Rubie	Luther	Fr.	G	Winona, Minn./Cotter
Johanna Vandenack	Nebraska Wesleyan	Fr.	F	Yutan, Neb./Yutan
Previous Honors
& - 2019-20 First Team All-Conference
*- 2019-20 Second Team All-Conference
~ - 2019-20 Honorable Mention
! - 2018-19 First Team All-Conference
@ - 2018-19 Second Team All-Conference
# - 2018-19 Honorable Mention
$ - 2017-18 First Team All-Conference
^ - 2017-18 Honorable Mention

NOTE: The MVP shall have standing as an All-Conference player but is not a member of the first or second team.
NOTE: The defensive player of the year is not honored as All-Conference unless selected to the first or second team by the coaches

The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced today its major women's basketball awards and the 17-member All-Conference team for the 2020-21 season. Simpson College senior forward Jenna Taylor (Sr., Creston, Iowa/Creston) has been named the American Rivers Most Valuable Player and picking up the league's Defensive Player of the Year honors is sophomore guard Olivia Larsen (So., Fonda, Iowa/Newell-Fonda) of Buena Vista University. Simpson College head coach Brian Niemuth earned the honor of American Rivers Women's Basketball Coach of the Year after guiding the Storm to a perfect 12-0 season and their first conference championship since 2013. 

Taylor followed up an injury-affected junior season with a stellar senior campaign, earning her second-career first team all-conference recognition (2018-19) to go along with her MVP accolade. The senior forward's efforts helped guide the Storm to a perfect 12-0 (8-0 A-R-C) and title of Conference Champions. Additionally, the Creston prep was an honorable mention performer in 2017-18 and 2019-20. 

The Creston, Iowa native joined three former Simpson players to earn conference MVP honors - Kate Nielsen, 2012-13; Carrie Larson, 2008-09; and Katelyn Whiton, 2007-08.

In Simpson's eight conference games Taylor averaged nearly a double-double, leading the league in rebounding, averaging 9.0 rebounds per game (rpg), and collecting a conference-best 108 rebounds on the season. She ranked second in scoring averaging at 20.1 points per game (ppg), one of only two A-R-C women's basketball players to average 20+ points on the season. The senior forward was extremely efficient in shooting as she was second in the A-R-C with a field goal percentage of .567, while also leading the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.483). 

Larsen's standout sophomore season for the Beavers saw her dominate defensively, as she managed to total 46 steals and average 5.8 in eight league games, both of which are top marks in the conference. On the boards she averaged 8.3rpg and grabbed 66 total to rank third in both categories. Offensively she owned the conference's second-best scoring average with 19.3ppg. Larsen also had the conference's highest point total in a single game this season against Simpson on Feb. 17 when she dropped 34 points.

Since the league began honoring a Defensive Player of the Year in 2010-11, the Newell-Fonda prep becomes the first player from Buena Vista to earn the accolade. Additionally, Larsen was selected first-team all-conference, as the defensive player of the year is not honored as all-conference unless selected to the first or second team by the league's head coaches. These are the first conference accolades for the second-year Beaver. 

In Niemuth's 34th season at the helm of the Storm women's basketball program, he has guided Simpson to 12 of its 13 conference titles and coached four conference MVP's. Niemuth and assistants Moran Lonning and Claire Johnson led the Storm to an unblemished 12-0 season in 2021. The Simpson Storm were crowned American Rivers Conference Champions by virtue of winning the conference tournament. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic that altered the 2020-21 regular season schedule, the conference coaches and Athletic Directors voted to award the overall Conference Championship to the Conference Tournament winner, in lieu of utilizing final regular season standings. Niemuth's Coach of the Year honor is the eighth of his career (2021, 2013, 2012, 2009, 2008, 2006, 1999, 1998).

The American Rivers All-Conference first-team highlights players from seven of the nine league's institutions, with two players earning first team honors for the second straight season. One player is picking up her third consecutive first team accolade, and another is picking up her second career recognition. Six athletes are earning first team All-American Rivers honors for the first time. Half of the first team honorees are underclassmen, with three being sophomores and one being a freshman. 

Senior Cameron Kincaid (Sr., Olathe, Kan./Olathe East) joins Taylor as a first team all-conference performer as another integral piece of Simpson's undefeated season. The Olathe, Kan. native was also the Player of the Week (Jan. 25) and averaged 13.4ppg in conference play, which sits eighth in the conference this season. The forward was automatic at the free throw line, shooting 96.7% (29-for-30) in Simpson's eight conference games. She had a season-high 21 points in the double-overtime contest at Wartburg, helping Simpson claim the top-seed in this year's conference tournament. 

After leading the Central Dutch to hosting a first round A-R-C women's basketball tournament game, sophomore Kelsea Hurley (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain) has garnered first team all-conference recognition. In conference games this season, Hurley ranked sixth in the conference in scoring, averaging 15.4ppg. The Scottsdale, Ariz. native ranked third in the A-R-C from the free throw line shooting 86.7% (26-for-30). The sophomore is the first Dutch player to earn first team honors since Claire Marburger (2016-17).

After guiding Coe College to the No. 2 seed in this year's conference tournament and taking them all the way to the championship game, Jackie Feldt and Jamie Feldt (Sr., West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) both find themselves as first team all-conference performers. Jackie was top-5 in two categories this season being third in the conference in scoring (19.1ppg) and fifth in assists (3.1 apg). Jamie also averaged double-digit points for the Kohawks this season contributing 11.8ppg, while being extremely efficient from the floor, shooting a solid 54.8% (3rd in the A-R-C). Both sisters were in the top-5 in blocked shots this season as Jamie was second (12) and Jackie fourth (10).

Powering the Spartan offense this season was first-time first team all-conference performer Tabria Thomas (So., Elizabeth, Ill./River Ridge). The sophomore guided Dubuque's scoring efforts this season with 13.4ppg, while also snagging a team-leading 6.3rpg. Thomas ranked sixth in the conference with a field goal percentage of .523 and fifth in free throw percentage (.833).

Freshman Sami Martin of Loras College had a phenomenal start to her college career as the Platteville, Wis. native nearly averaged a double-double in her first-year campaign. Carrying a team-high in scoring and rebounding at 16.9ppg and 8.0rpg, which sat fourth in both categories within the league. Twice this season Martin dropped 25 points in a game, against Central (Jan. 30) and Simpson (Feb. 20).

For the second straight season, Wartburg's Payton Draper (Sr., Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock) finds herself receiving first team all-conference honors. The forward helped the Knights remain inside the top-10 all season as she averaged 15.5ppg, which ranks fifth in the American Rivers Conference. With a field goal percentage of .558, Draper owned the conference's top mark. The senior also tallied six blocks in the Knight's eight league games, ranking tied for 10^th in the conference.
 

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