Dubuque's Mitchell, Luther's Thompson Collect A-R-C Athlete of the Week Honors

4/12/2021 3:20:00 PM

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that University of Dubuque baseball player Kellen Mitchell (Batavia, Ill./Wheaton Academy) and Luther College softball player Sam Thompson (West Salem, Wis./West Salem) have been named American Rivers Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, April 11, 2021. The Conference also announced Performers of the Week in baseball, football, men’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.
 
Female Athlete of the Week - Softball – Pitcher Player of the Week15018
Sam Thompson, Luther College
So., P, West Salem, Wis./West Salem
  • Thompson picked up two more wins this past week improving her season record to 7-0 as the Norse defeated Wartburg (1-0) and Buena Vista (8-0, 16-0) when she was in the circle.
  • The Norse split with Wartburg, while picking up the series victory against BVU, including all three victories being shutouts.
  • The sophomore threw a complete game three-hit shutout over nationally ranked Wartburg on Monday and followed that effort with a four-hit shutout over Buena Vista on Sunday.
  • Game 1: Luther 1, Wartburg 0 – GS, W (6-0), CG (shutout), 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 K, .143 BAA, 26-batters faced.
  • Game 2: Luther 8, Buena Vista 0 – GS, W (7-0), GC (shutout), 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, K, .222 BAA, 18-batters faced.
  • Game 3: Luther 16, Buena Vista 0 – GS, 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, .375 BAA, 8-batters faced.
  • Luther improves to 18-9 on the year and a conference mark of 7-6, sitting third in the league standings.
  • As a team, the Norse now have three Pitcher of the Week honors, the previous two belonging to Kendra Cooper.
  • Thompson is garnering her first-career Pitcher of the Week accolade.
 
Male Athlete of the Week - Baseball – Position Player of the Week15020
Kellen Mitchell, University of Dubuque
Sr., 1B, Batavia, Ill./Wheaton Academy
  • Mitchell helped lead the Spartans to a series victory at Nebraska Wesleyan April 10-11, taking three of four games.
  • Over the series, Mitchell collected six hits, eight RBI, two doubles, hit by pitches three times, three walks, two home runs, and scored five runs.
  • In UD’s 20-run outburst in the series finale, he went 2-2 with a two-run home run, a double, a walk, and 2 HBP, with five RBI.
  • Game 1: Dubuque 8, Nebraska Wesleyan 6 – 1-for-4 (.250), R, H, 2 RBI, HR (two-run), BB, 5 putouts.
  • Game 2: Dubuque 11, Nebraska Wesleyan 7 (F/12) – 1-for-3 (.333), H, RBI, 2B, HBP, 4-putouts.
  • Game 3: Nebraska Wesleyan 5, Dubuque 4 – 2-for-4 (.500), 2 H, 1-putout.
  • Game 4: Dubuque 20, Nebraska Wesleyan 8 – 2-for-2 (1.000),4 R, 2 H, 5 RBI, 2B, HR (two-run), 2 HPB, 4-putouts.
  • Dubuque improves to 8-11 on the season and evens their conference record to 6-6.
  • The senior is the first Spartan to earn Position Player of the Week honors since Will Doherty on May 13, 2018.
  • Mitchell is collecting his second career Position Player of the Week accolade (4/12/21, 5/6/18).
 

Baseball – Pitcher of the Week15021
Collin Chalmers, Luther College
Jr., P, Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount
  • Chalmers appeared in relief in three of the four games against Buena Vista University this past weekend, as the Norse took home the four-game sweep of the Beavers in Storm Lake.
  • The junior pitcher picked up saves in all three of his appearances on the weekend, bringing his saves total up to four on the season.
  • The Rosemount, Minn. native pitched 4.1 innings of scoreless relief and did not surrender a hit.
  • Game 1: Luther 10, Buena Vista 7 – IP, 0 H, 0 R, K, 3-batters faced.
  • Game 2: Luther 9, Buena Vista 6 – 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K, 9-batters faced.
  • Game 3: Luther 6, Buena Vista 3 – 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1-batter faced.
  • Luther improves to 15-5 on the season and sits first in the A-R-C with an 11-1 conference record.
  • Chalmers is picking up his first-career Pitcher of the Week accolade in a Norse uniform and back-to-back honors for the Norse this season.  

Football – Defensive Player of the Week11184
Brayden Egli, Central College
Jr., DB, St. Charles, Iowa/Interstate-35
  • Egli helped guide the Dutch to a 37-19 win over Nebraska Wesleyan Saturday.
  • The junior defensive back lead the team with nine total tackles, including seven solo stops.
  • He recorded one tackle for a loss, amounted to a five-yard deficit for NWU.
  • This is the second career Defensive Player of the Week nod for Egli (4/12/21, 10/7/19).

Football – Offensive Player of the Week9606
Blaine Hawkins, Central College
Sr., QB, Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny
  • Hawkins threw for one score and ran for another in Central’s 37-19 win over Nebraska Wesleyan.
  • From the QB spot he went 11-for-16 through the air, connecting for one TD.
  • The senior signal caller ran the ball five times for 15 yards and a score.
  • Hawkins is earning his second consecutive weekly honor and is now a six-time Offensive Player of the Week honoree (4/12/21, 4/5/21, 11/4/19, 9/10/19, 9/17/18, 10/29/17).
  • A season ago, Hawkins was voted A-R-C Offensive MVP.

Football – Special Teams Player of the Week15022
Logan Mont, Central College
Fr., WR, Aurora, Ill./West Aurora
  • Mont, a first-year specialist and wide receiver did a bit of everything in Central’s 37-19 win over Nebraska Wesleyan on Saturday.
  • The West Aurora prep returned punts, kicks, and punted himself.
  • He returned three punts for 36 yards, with a long of 15.
  • With three punts, Mont averaged 30.7 yards, placing one inside the 20 and sending one 41 yards for his long of the day.
  • Mont returned two kickoffs for 39 yards, including a long of 24.
  • Offensively through the air, he added 60 yards on six receptions and a score.
  • On the ground he rushed five times for 66 yards and one touchdown.
  • This is Mont’s first Special Teams Player of the Week award.

Men’s Golf – Golfer of the Week15031
Drew Olson, Wartburg College
Jr., Osage, Iowa/Osage
  • Wartburg finished third at the UNI Spring Invite.
  • Went 2-0-1 during match play at the UNI Spring Invite.
  • The junior defeated his UNI and UW-Green Bay opponents on Saturday.
  • He halved his match against Western Illinois on Sunday.
  • Olson leads the Knights in 2020-21 with a stroke average of 79.5.
 
Men’s Soccer – Defensive Player of the Week15023
Brennon Woody, Wartburg College
So., GK, Grimes, Iowa/Dallas Center-Grimes
  • Wartburg defeated Simpson, 2-1, to remain within striking distance of a conference title.
  • The sophomore faced nine shots and totaled eight saves.
  • Perhaps his biggest stop was a point-blank 1 v. 1 in the closing seconds.
  • Woody now has a 2-1 record on the year with 12 saves and a save percentage of .805.
  • He ranks third in the conference in both goals-against average and save percentage.

Men’s Soccer – Offensive Player of the Week15024
Reed Miklavcic, Loras College
Fr., D, Frankfort, Ky./Frankfort
  • The Duhawks tied against cross-town rivals from the University of Dubuque in a 1-1 double overtime match and picked up a 5-2 victory over Buena Vista.
  • Miklavcic had a huge contest against the Beavers, collecting his first-career hat trick in 83 minutes of action.
  • The freshman defender also added five shots to the Loras attack that had 14 shots in the match against Buena Vista.
  • The Duhawks now sit 3-0-2 on the season with 11 points, one point better than Dubuque and Luther to sit atop the conference standings.
  • This is Miklavcic’s first-career Defensive Player of the Week honor.  

Women’s Soccer – Defensive Player of the Week14991
Sarah Campbell, Wartburg College
Jr., D, Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock
  • Sarah Campbell tallied the game-winning goal for the Knights as they defeated Simpson, 1-0 on Saturday.
  • Campbell’s goal from about 35 yards out in the 26th minute turned out the be the decider.
  • The junior also played a key role in achieving Wartburg’s fourth straight shutout.
  • The Knights are now 4-0 on the season and currently sit second in A-R-C action, well within striking distance of the conference title.
  • The Waverly native is collecting her second consecutive Defensive Player of the Week honor and her fourth of her career (4/12/21, 4/5/21, 11/11/19, 9/2/19).

Women’s Soccer – Offensive Player of the Week15019
Megan Munger, Luther College
So., MF, Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake
  • Munger scored four goals this past week and had two game winners as Luther defeated Coe (5-0) and Nebraska Wesleyan (3-1).
  • The sophomore midfielder scored two goals in each match and now has a total of seven for the year.
  • In the victory against the Kohawks, she netted her two goals on three shots which were all on goal, including notching the first goal of the contest in 34 minutes played.
  • Against Nebraska Wesleyan, she again netted her two goals on three shots, with two shots on-goal, which included the game winner.
  • Munger currently sits second in the A-R-C with seven goals, as the Norse improve to 3-1 on the season.
  • The Prior Lake, Minn. native is collecting her first-career Offensive Player of the Week honor and the first for the Norse since Marta Springer on October 29, 2018.

Softball – Position Player of the Week15025
Ruby Kappeler, Coe College
So., OF, Muscatine, Iowa/Durant
  • Kappeler led the Kohawks to a Sunday sweep over Simpson in Indianola, 7-6 and 7-3.
  • The Muscatine, Iowa native picked up five hits in the doubleheader, including four RBIs and two doubles.
  • Game 1: Coe 7, Simpson 6 – 2-for-3 (.667), 2 H
  • Game 2: Coe 7, Simpson 3 – 3-for-4 (.750), 3 H, 4 RBI, 2 2B
  • The Kohawks now sit 12-6 on the year and hold a league record of 7-3, as Coe sits second in the A-R-C standings.
  • This marks back-to-back weeks that Coe has won Position Player of the Week honors.
  • Kappeler is collecting her first-career Position Player of the Week honor in a Kohawk uniform.
 
Men’s Tennis – Player of the Week15026
Rami Hemaidan, Coe College
Jr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy
  • The Kohawks defeated Central and BVU in conference play and lost to UW-Whitewater.
  • Hemaidan went 5-0, picking two wins at No. 1 singles against the Dutch and Warhawks.
  • He also went 3-0 at No. 1 doubles with partner Bo Wilson.
  • Hemaidan, as a freshman in 2019, was voted the conference’s MVP.
  • He was first team all-conference in both singles and doubles in 2019.
 
Women’s Tennis – Player of the Week15028
Sydney Rottinghaus, Wartburg College
Sr., Mason City, Iowa/Mason City
  • Wartburg defeated Edgewood in non-conference play this past Saturday.
  • Rottinghaus made her spring debut after completing competition in volleyball.
  • She picked up right where she left off, downing her singles opponent 6-2, 6-4 at No. 4.
  • Rottinghaus was a second team all-conference doubles selection this past fall.
  • She and doubles partner Sydney Powers were second at the 2020 A-R-C individual event.
 
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Field Performer of the Week14810
Ryan Rogers, Loras College
Sr., Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert Catholic
  • The Duhawks, ranked 18th nationally this week, competed at the Wartburg Select Meet.
  • Rogers set a new school record in the decathlon, scoring 6,625 points.
  • The point-total places him second nationally in Division III.
  • His performance was highlighted by a personal-best 14.85 second in 110-meter hurdles.
  • Won three A-R-C indoor medals (1st pole vault; 2nd long jump, 2nd 60 hurdles).
 
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Track Performer of the Week14806
Josh Smith, Loras College
Sr., Dolton, Ill./Marian Central Catholic
  • Smith tied the Loras College school record in the 100-meter dash Saturday at the Wartburg College Outdoor Select Meet.
  • The Marian Central Catholic prep won the race with a time of 10.54 seconds to take over the No.1 spot in NCAA Division III.
  • The last time a Duhawk ran 10.54 was in 1989.
  • No. 18-ranked Loras placed second as a team.
  • The last Duhawk to earn Men’s Outdoor Track Performer of the Week was Patrick Mikel (5/13/19).
 
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Field Performer of the Week14846
Becca Simpson, Buena Vista University
Jr., Plattsmouth, Neb./Conestoga
  • Becca Simpson picked up two first place finishes and a third at the Northwestern College Red Rapider Open, April 9-10.
  • She had a toss of 49.76m in the hammer throw, earning first in the field of 20 competitors.
  • Simpson’s hammer throw mark set a new school record, breaking an 11-year record by nearly four feet.
  • Additionally, her throw of 49.76m currently ranks 17th in Division III.
  • In the field of 21, she won the javelin with a mark of 39.70m, claiming the second-best mark in BVU program history.
  • Simpson currently owns the top mark in the A-R-C this season with a throw of 40.09m on April 1.
  • Her toss of 12.46m in the shot put placed her 3rd out of 22 competitors and currently ranks fifth in the A-R-C.
  • Simpson is the first BVU student-athlete to earn Outdoor Field Performer of the Week accolades.

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Track Performer of the Week14805
Kassie Rosenbum, Loras College
Jr., Guttenberg, Iowa/Clayton Ridge
  • Rosenbum set a new school record by nearly 15 seconds in the 5,000-meter run at the Wartburg College Outdoor Select meet on Saturday.
  • The Duhawk junior crossed the finish line in a time of 16:45.82 to take first place.
  • She currently ranks second in NCAA Division III and won the race Saturday by nearly three minutes.
  • Her performance helped the Duhawks to a second-place team finish at the meet.
  • Rosenbum is collecting her second-career Outdoor Track Performer of the Week honor (4/12/21, 4/1/19).
 
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