Wartburg's Foster and Bildstein Named A-R-C Volleyball Players of the Week

9/13/2021 4:18:23 PM

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Coe College football player Alphonso Soko (Muscatine, Iowa/Muscatine) and Loras College women’s cross country runner Kassie Rosenbum (Guttenberg, Iowa/Clayton Ridge) have been named American Rivers Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, September 12, 2021. The Conference also announced Performers of the Week in men’s and women’s cross country, football, women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s tennis, and volleyball.
 
Female Athlete of the Week - Women’s Cross Country – Runner of the Week16361
Kassie Rosenbum, Loras College
Sr., Guttenberg, Iowa/Clayton Ridge
  • Rosenbum finished first out of 147 runners with a time of 17:41.94, 6.17 seconds ahead of second place at the Luther College All-American Invitational.
  • The No.26 ranked Duhawks finished in second with 73 points behind the alumni team from Luther.
  • Rosenbum improved on her previous 5,000-meter cross country school record by 15 seconds.
  • She set the course record at the Luther College All-American Invitational which was previously 17:42.6.
  • Rosenbum is a two-time All-American, three-time All-Conference performer, and two-time Academic All-Conference.
  • This is Rosenbum’s ninth Runner of the Week award in her Duhawk career (9/13/21, 10/26/20, 10/13/20, 9/28/20, 9/14/20, 10/21/19, 10/7/19, 9/23/19, 9/2/19).
 
Male Athlete of the Week – Football – Offensive Player of the Week16366
Alphonso Soko, Coe College
Jr., RB, Muscatine, Iowa/Muscatine
  • Soko led the Kohawks to a 28-21 win over Hope College.
  • The Muscatine, Iowa native rushed for 284 yards on 33 attempts.
  • The junior running back added one touchdown early in the first quarter on a 73-yard run.
  • Soko’s 284 rushing yards is 7th all-time in Coe football history.
  • This is the junior transfer’s first-career Offensive Player of the Week honor.
  • Coe College’s Quentin White was the last Kohawk to earn Offensive Player of the Week accolades (10/21/19).
 
Men’s Cross Country – Runner of the Week16362
Ian Kelly, Luther College
Jr., Littleton, Colo./Heritage
  • Kelly placed third out of 192 runners with a time of 20:20 at the Luther College All-American Invitational.
  • He was the highest finisher of any A-R-C competitor on the men’s side.
  • The junior helped Luther to a second-place finish.
  • Kelly is a two-time All-Conference performer, 2019 NCAA III National Championship qualifier, and 2020 A-R-C All-Academic honoree.
  • This marks Kelly’s first-career Runner of the Week honors.
 
Football – Defensive Player of the Week16367
Anthony Bullard, Coe College
Sr., DB, Solon, Iowa/Solon
  • In the last non-conference game of the 2021 season, the Kohawks collected a 28-21 win over Hope College.
  • Senior defensive back, Anthony Bullard made five tackles including two solo stops.
  • Bullard made the biggest defensive play of the game with a 50-yard pick six.
  • The Solon, Iowa native is garnering his first-career Defensive Player of the Week honor.

Football – Special Teams Player of the Week16358
Ramon Garcia, Buena Vista University
Jr., K, Denison, Iowa/Denison-Schleswig 
  • Garcia was 7-for-8 on his PAT attempts in the Beavers 58-21 win over Northwestern – St. Paul.
  • He also converted a 21-yard FG in the final 2:00 of the first half, which gave BVU its first lead of the game.
  • Garcia is now 14-of-16 in PAT’s and 2-for-2 in FG attempts on the year.
  • This is the Denison, Iowa native’s first-career Special Teams Player of the Week award.
 
Women’s Golf – Golfer of the Week16368
Megan Tanghe, Coe College
So., East Moline, Ill./Alleman
  • Tanghe broke the 18-hole Coe school record over the weekend at the Wartburg Fall Invitational firing an opening-round 74.
  • She tied for 18th place with a 74-78-125 (+8), only 11 shots behind first place.
  • The Kohawks finished 12th of 16 teams with a score of 330-332-662 (+86).
  • This marks Tanghe’s first-career Golfer of the Week honor.
  • Amanda Nigg was the last Kohawk to be named Golfer of the Week (9/18/05).

Men’s Soccer – Defensive Player of the Week16360
Max Ellenbecker, Loras College
Jr., D, Itasca, Ill./Lake Park
  • Ellenbecker anchored a backline that held opponents to 16 shots on goal over two games.
  • The Duhawks went 1-1 on the week bringing their overall record to 3-1-1.
  • Ellenbecker also contributed offensively, recording his first career goal against Illinois Wesleyan.
  • He played all 180 minutes over the two-match week.
  • Loras started the week with a 5-0 loss to North Park (3-1) and bounced back to a 3-2 win over Illinois Wesleyan (0-3).
  • This is Ellenbecker’s first-career Defensive Player of the Week award.

Men’s Soccer – Offensive Player of the Week16359
Braedan Evans, Buena Vista University
Jr., F, Omaha, Neb./Millard West
  • Evans scored a team-high four goals on the week including a game-winner against Dordt to lead them to a 4-3 OT win.
  • The game-winner against the Defenders snapped the Beaver’s 21-match losing streak.
  • Evans had 1 goal on 2 shots in the Beavers loss to North Central (Minn.).
  • Over the two contests, the junior converted on four of his seven shots.
  • The Omaha, Neb. native notched 8 points in 122 minutes played.
  • This is Evans first-career Offensive Player of the Week award.
  • The last Beaver to be named Offensive Player of the Week was Kwame Antwi (9/1/13).

Women’s Soccer – Defensive Player of the Week16330
Kyndal Kells, Loras College
So., GK, Red Oak, Iowa/Red Oak
  • Kells helped the Duhawks to a 1-0-1 week with a 0-0 tie with No. 4 ranked Wash U and a 3-1 win over Fontbonne.
  • She had a total of 8 saves, all from the Wash U match, leading to a fourth straight clean sheet.
  • She played all 200 minutes on the week.
  • The Duhawks have an overall record of 4-0-1.
  • This is Kells’ second Defensive Player of the Week award (9/13/21, 9/7/21).

Women’s Soccer – Offensive Player of the Week16365
Grace Coates, Central College
Fr., F, Marion, Iowa/Marion
  • Coates had the lone goal in Central’s 1-0 win over UW-Oshkosh, handing the Titans their first loss of the season (4-1).
  • She also had a goal in Thursday’s 5-0 win over Northwestern – St. Paul.
  • The freshman created multiple chances as she ended the two matches with ten shots, including seven on goal.
  • The Marion, Iowa native played 125 minutes over the two-match span.
  • Coates is picking up her first-career Offensive Player of the Week honor in a Dutch uniform.
  • Central’s Erin Manion was the last student-athlete to earn Offensive Player of the Week honors for the Dutch (9/2/19).

Women’s Tennis – Player of the Week16369
Emma Lassen, Coe College
Jr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Jefferson
  • Lassen went 2-0 on the week in singles, with one coming from a forfeit, and 2-0 on the week in doubles.
  • In the No. 2 slot doubles, Lassen and Janie Lapray defeated Sara Backus and Clair Moore of Loras 8-5.
  • In the No. 1 slot doubles, Lassen and Lapray defeated Lauren Colon and Jordyn Cory of Dubuque 8-2.
  • In the No. 3 slot singles, Lassen defeated Loras’ Clair Moore 6-3, 6-3.
  • She helped the Kohawks knock off Loras 7-2 and Dubuque 9-0.
  • Emma Lassen is a two-time All-Conference Singles Performer.
  • This is Lassen’s first-career Player of the Week honor.
 
Volleyball – Defensive Player of the Week16363
Katie Foster, Wartburg College
Sr., Libero, Charles City, Iowa/Charles City
  • Senior Katie Foster helped lead the Knights to a 4-0 week, bringing their overall record to 8-0.
  • The Wartburg libero tallied 84 digs and no defensive errors over the four matches.
  • Additionally, she dealt four service aces.
  • In Wartburg’s 3-1 win over St. Olaf, the senior tallied 31 digs.
  • Foster added 23 digs in the Knights’ 3-1 win over Grinnell.
  • Additionally, Wartburg swept two ranked opponents, No.22 Augsburg (4-4) and No.13 UW-Eau Claire (8-1), with Foster tallying 15 digs in both games.
  • Foster is a four-time All-Conference performer, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, 2019 Most Valuable Player, and 2017 Freshman of the Year.
  • The Charles City, Iowa native is picking up her eighteenth Defensive Player of the Week honor in her Wartburg Career (9/13/21, 9/7/21, 3/29/21, 2/22/21, 11/4/19, 10/21/19, 9/30/19, 9/23/19, 9/16/19, 9/9/19, 10/29/18, 10/15/18, 10/8/18, 9/2/18, 11/5/17, 10/29/17, 9/24/17, 9/3/17).

Volleyball – Offensive Player of the Week16334
Kylie Bildstein, Wartburg College
Sr., MH, Dyersville, Iowa/Beckman
  • Wartburg middle hitter Kylie Bildstein helped lead the Knights to a 4-0 week, bringing their overall record to 8-0.
  • Wartburg defeated Grinnell (3-1), No. 22 Augsburg (3-0), No. 13 UW-Eau Claire (3-0), and St. Olaf (3-0).
  • The senior had 43 kills in the four-game span.
  • Bildstein had 10 kills and 9 kills respectively in the Knights’ wins over Augsburg and UW-Eau Claire.
  • The Dyersville, Iowa native is collecting her fifth-career Offensive Player of the Week award (9/13/21, 9/7/21, 11/4/19, 10/21/19, 10/29/18).
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