CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) had 19 football student-athletes selected to the All-Region 5 team by D3football.com. Selections were split with 9 offensive players and 10 defensive players earning a place on the All-Region squad. Wartburg College’s Owen Grover (Sr., LB, Dyersville, Iowa/Beckman Catholic) headlined the league’s honorees as Region 5 Defensive Player of the Year. Wartburg College’s head coach Chris Winter was also named Region 5 Coach of the Year. 
 
All-Region teams are selected by balloting by Region 5 sports information directors and the D3football.com staff. In total, 1,096 players were nominated this year. All players nominated for All-Region are eligible to be considered for the D3football.com All-America Team. The 2022 D3football.com All-America Team will be announced Friday, December 16 at the Stagg Bowl hosted by Stevenson University at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. 
   

Title	Name	School
Defensive Player of the Year	Owen Grover	Wartburg College
Coach of the Year	Chris Winter	Wartburg College

 
First Team
 

Position	Name	Year	School	Hometown
G	Tucker Kinney	Jr.	Wartburg College	DeWitt, Iowa
K	Logan Sunvold	Jr.	Central College	Monroe, Iowa
DT	Riley Konrardy	Sr.	Wartburg College	LaMotte, Iowa
LB	Owen Grover	Sr.	Wartburg College	Dyersville, Iowa
P	Austin Burns	Jr.	Central College	Williamsburg, Iowa

 
Second Team
 

Position	Name	Year	School	Hometown
RB	Hunter Clasen	Sr.	Wartburg College	Springbrook, Iowa
WR	Logan Mont	Jr.	Central College	Aurora, Ill.
TE	Thomas Butters	Sr.	Wartburg College	Kalona, Iowa
T	Que Baker-McCaulay	Sr.	Central College	Mesa, Ariz.
DE	Jordan Downing	Sr.	Wartburg College	Waverly, Iowa
DE	Alex Aitchison	Jr.	Coe College	Cascade, Iowa
CB	Joey Foley	Sr.	Loras College	Rockford, Ill.
S	Parker Rochford	So.	Wartburg College	Edgewood, Iowa

 
Third Team
 

Position	Name	Year	College	Hometown
QB	Nile McLaughlin	Sr.	Wartburg College	Eldridge, Iowa
WR	Dom Shepardson	Sr.	Coe College	Phoenix, Ariz.
G	Sam Reyes	Sr.	Wartburg College	Eldridge, Iowa
DT	Tom Adolph	Sr.	Central College	Coralville, Iowa
LB	Antonio Santillan	Sr.	Wartburg College	Davenport, Iowa
S	Cameron Bannister	Sr.	Central College	State Center, Iowa

 
Grover was named the A-R-C Defensive MVP this season, as well as being named First-Team All-Conference for the first time after earning second-team during the 2021 campaign. On the field, Grover has led the Knights to a 13-0 record (8-0 conference) to this point as Wartburg is slated to play in their first ever semifinal game this Saturday when they travel to Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. Grover has totaled 96 tackles this year with the majority of those tackles coming on as a solo effort (53). Grover has snagged five interceptions and recovered two fumbles. 
 
Also receiving First-Team All-Region honors from the Knights are Tucker Kinney (Jr., G, DeWitt, Iowa/Central DeWitt) and Riley Konrardy (Sr., DT, LaMotte, Iowa/Bellevue). Kinney plays an integral role for the Knights offense that has gained 5,627 yards and recorded 72 touchdowns this season. Konrardy has recorded 40 total tackles this season (21 solo) and 8.5 sacks. Kinney and Konrardy both earned First-Team All-Conference honors this fall. 
 
Winter is earning Region Coach of the Year honors for the first time. Winter was named the A-R-C Coach of the Year as well after winning the conference title and the conference’s AQ. Winter and his squad are one of four teams remaining in Division III football. 

Rounding out the First-Team honorees is a pair of Dutch in Logan Sunvold (Jr., K, Monroe, Iowa/Southeast Polk) and Austin Burns (Jr., P, Williamsburg, Iowa/Williamsburg). Central finished the season 7-3 overall and 5-3 in league play. Sunvold put up an impressive 98% on extra point attempts this fall (54-for-55). He also was 9-for-13 on field goals. Sunvold averaged 60.7 yards on 45 kickoffs, while recording 39 touchbacks. Burns punted 45 times this fall, averaging 37.8 yards per punt. He kicked four punts over 50 yards. Sunvold and Burns earned First-Team All-Conference honors.