CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Coe College men’s tennis player Rami Hemaidan (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy) and Wartburg College volleyball player Kylie Bildstein (Dyersville, Iowa/Beckham) have been named American Rivers Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, September 26, 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, men’s and women’s tennis, and volleyball. Female Athlete of the Week - Volleyball – Offensive Player of the Week
Kylie Bildstein, Wartburg College
Sr., MH, Dyersville, Iowa/Beckham

• Bildstein helped lead the No.10 Knights to a 5-0 week, bringing their overall record to 17-0.
• The No.10 Knights had an impressive week, sweeping three opponents and the other two contests only going to four sets.
• Wartburg defeated Dubuque (3-1), Gustavus (3-1), Augsburg (3-0), Augustana (Ill.) (3-0), and Carleton (3-0).
• The senior tallied 58 kills in the five-game span, hitting .467 percent.
• Additionally, Bildstein tallied 8 solo and 10 assisted blocks, moving her average to 1.12 blocks per set.
• Bildstein is a three-time All-Conference performer.
• The Dyersville, Iowa native is collecting her sixth-career Offensive Player of the Week honor, and third this season (9/27/21, 9/13/21, 9/7/21, 11/4/19, 10/21/19, 10/29/18).

Male Athlete of the Week – Men’s Tennis – Player of the Week
Rami Hemaidan, Coe College
Sr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy

• Hemaidan takes home Men’s Tennis Player of the Week honors after winning the 2021 American Rivers Conference Men’s Tennis Individual A-flight Singles.
• The senior went a perfect 4-0 in this year’s A-flight.
• The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native defeated Luther’s Motlojoa (8-4) to clinch the gold medal.
• Hemaidan is a two-time A-R-C Most Valuable Player of the Year honoree and two-time All-Conference award winner in both singles and doubles.
• This is Hemaidan’s fifth career Player of the Week honor (9/27/21, 4/12/21, 2/15/21, 2/4/19, 9/23/18).

Men’s Cross Country – Runner of the Week
Caleb Silver, Central College
Jr., Conrad, Iowa/BCLUW

• Silver placed 35^th out of 374 runners with a time of 26:26.2 at the Roy Griak Invitational, hosted by University of Minnesota.
• The junior finished 1:09 behind the winner.
• The Dutch finished 10^th of 27 teams with a score of 298.
• Central was one of four Division III teams in the maroon race.
• The Conrad, Iowa native is garnering his first-career Runner of the Week honor.

Women’s Cross Country – Runner of the Week
Caroline McMartin, Central College
So., Pella, Iowa/Pella

• McMartin finished 37^th out of 327 runners with a time of 23:42.6 at the Roy Griak Invitational, hosted by University of Minnesota.
• The sophomore finished 1:58 behind the winner.
• The Dutch women’s team finished 12^th of 29 teams with a score of 384.
• Central was one of five Division III teams in the maroon race.
• McMartin earned All-Conference honors in 2020 after finishing 15^th in the 2020 American Rivers Conference Cross Country Championships.
• This is the Pella, Iowa native’s first-career Runner of the Week honor.

Football – Offensive Player of the Week
Blaine Hawkins, Central College
Sr., QB, Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny

• Hawkins led the Dutch to an 84-16 win over Simpson on Saturday.
• The Ankeny, Iowa native set a school record throwing seven touchdowns.
• Hawkins reached a career 100 passing touchdowns with his performance on Saturday.
• He completed 22 of 24 passes leading to 424 passing yards, which also sets a school record.
• Central finished with 789 yards of total offense.
• Hawkins is a two-time All-Conference performer and 2019 A-R-C Most Valuable Player.
• The fifth-year senior is earning his seventh-career Offensive Player of the Week honor (9/27/21, 4/12/21, 4/5/21, 11/4/19, 9/10/19, 9/17/18, 10/29/17).

Football – Defensive Player of the Week
Nate Link, Wartburg College
So., LB, Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott

• In the Knights conference opener, Wartburg collected a 28-7 win over Coe.
• Link led the team with 11 total tackles, including eight solo stops.
• He recorded nine tackles for a loss, including a sack for a loss of eight yards.
• Link also recorded a pick-six with just under six minutes remaining in the game.
• The Eldridge, Iowa native is picking up his first-career Defensive Player of the Week honor.

Football – Special Teams Player of the Week
Logan Sunvold, Central College
So., K, Monroe, Iowa/Southeast Polk

• Sunvold was 12-for-12 on his PAT attempts in the Dutch’s 84-16 win over Simpson.
• He had 13 kickoffs tallying 768 yards with two of them going for touchbacks.
• The Monroe, Iowa native averaged 59.1 yards per kickoff.
• The Dutch sophomore is garnering his first-career Special Teams Player of the Week honor.

Women’s Golf – Golfer of the Week
Madeline Streicher, Simpson College
Fr., Edgewood, Iowa/Edgewood-Colesburg

• Streicher earned a first-place finish at the Simpson Invitational with a score of 77.
• She was five strokes ahead of second place.
• The Storm finished second among seven teams.
• Streicher finished in tenth place among 40 golfers at the Prairie Wolf Fall Invite, hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan University.
• The Storm freshman finished with a score of 86-83-169.
• The Edgewood, Iowa native is earning her first-career Golfer of the Week honors.

Men’s Soccer – Defensive Player of the Week
Michael Brandt, Loras College
Jr., D, Ankeny, Iowa/Centennial

• Brandt helped the Duhawks to a 1-1 week with a 3-0 win over conference opponent, Nebraska Wesleyan, and a 2-3 loss to UW-Whitewater.
• He played a key role on the back line as the Duhawks held opponents to just five shots on goal.
• Brandt played 181 minutes on the week.
• Loras has an overall record of 6-2-1.
• Brandt is a 2020 (Spring 2021) All-Conference honoree.
• The Ankeny, Iowa native is garnering his first-career Defensive Player of the Week honor.

Men’s Soccer – Offensive Player of the Week
Will Overberg, Luther College
Sr., MF, Ankeny, Iowa/Centennial

• Overberg scored two goals, including the game winner in Luther’s 4-2 victory over Central.
• The Ankeny, Iowa native converted on two of the three shots he took.
• The Norse senior leads the team with seven goals and four assists on the season.
• Luther’s only match of the week was the conference opening win over Central.
• The Norse now have an overall record of 5-3.
• Overberg is a two-time All-Conference performer.
• This is Overberg’s first-career Offensive Player of the Week honor.

Women’s Soccer – Defensive Player of the Week
Jasmyn Bush, Central College
So., GK, La Porte City, Iowa/Union

• Bush helped lead the Dutch to a shutout in the conference season opener against Luther (2-0).
• The Dutch have an overall record of 6-2-1.
• Bush made 22 saves only allowing two goals on the week.
• She played in all 180 minutes during the two-match week.
• The La Porte City, Iowa native is garnering her first-career Defensive Player of the Week honor.

Women’s Soccer – Offensive Player of the Week
Cassie Nash, Simpson College
Jr., F, Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southeast

• Nash scored two goals and an assist in Simpson’s 4-1 win over Monmouth.
• The Storm also had a 2-1 win over Augustana (Ill.) to bring their overall record to 6-2-1.
• Nash tallied her second-game winner of the season in the win over Monmouth.
• The Lincoln, Nebraska native played in 160 minutes over the two-game span.
• Nash is a 2020 (Spring 2021) All-Conference performer.
• The junior is earning her first-career Offensive Player of the Week honor.

Women’s Tennis – Player of the Week
Sofia Sackett, Luther College
So., Des Moines, Iowa/Dowling Catholic

• Sackett advanced to the third round for both the ITA Midwest Region Singles (round of 32) and Doubles (round of 16).
• The ITA Midwest Regionals was hosted by UW-Whitewater.
• In singles, Sackett defeated Lindsey Henderson of UW-Eau Claire (6-4, 6-3) and No.24 seed Lilly Fredericks of St. Benedict (6-2, 6-2).
• In doubles, Sackett played with Ana Olimpio and defeated Hannah Riegle and Morgan Graf of UW-La Crosse (8-6), and Barbara Covek and Jenna Koepp of UW-Stevens Point (8-6).
• Sacket is a 2020 All-Conference performer.
• The Des Moines, Iowa native is picking up her first-career Player of the Week award.

 Volleyball – Defensive Player of the Week
Katie Foster, Wartburg College
Sr., Libero, Charles City, Iowa/Charles City

• Foster helped lead the No.10 Knights to a 5-0 week, bringing their overall record to 17-0.
• The Wartburg libero tallied 92 digs over the five matches.
• In Wartburg’s conference win over Dubuque (3-1), Foster tallied 17 digs.
• The senior added 21 digs in the Knights 3-1 win over Gustavus and 29 digs in the 3-0 win over Augustana (Ill.).
• Foster tallied six service aces with three coming in the 3-0 win over Augsburg and two coming in the Knights 3-0 win over Carleton.
• 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 fourth-consecutive, and twentieth-career Defensive Player of the Week honor (9/27/21, 9/20/21, 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).