CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) has concluded its 2021-22 regular season calendar. For the 18th straight year, Wartburg College finds themselves atop the Combined All-Sports Championship Trophy standings, recognizing the conference’s top overall program. The Knights also won the Marjorie Giles Women’s All-Sports Championship Trophy for the 17th time in school history and the Elmer Hertel Men’s All-Sports Championship Trophy for the 22nd time.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the last time the All-Sports trophies were awarded was the 2018-19 season.
Spring Recap
Wartburg was able to stay at the top of the standings for the All-Sports trophy with a conference championship in women’s outdoor track & field. They also collected a second-place finish in men’s outdoor track & field. The Knights softball team tied for third in the regular season before winning the A-R-C tournament to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Loras’ standing stayed the same from the post-winter standings with a second-place finish in women’s outdoor track & field and baseball. The Duhawks men’s outdoor track & field team finished in third at the A-R-C Championships. Dubuque jumped from fifth in the standings after the winter regular seasons to third in the final standings. The Spartans earned league titles in men’s outdoor track & field and a tie for the title in softball. The Luther Norse jumped from seventh up to tied for fourth in the final standings after claiming the conference titles in men’s golf and tennis. The Norse men’s tennis team had a perfect 8-0 conference record and earned the conference’s AQ bid after winning the AQ Tournament. The Buena Vista University Beavers jumped up from ninth place to tie for eighth place with conference titles in baseball and a tie for softball. The baseball team is picking up its first title since 2014 while the softball team is claiming the title for the first time since 1996.
Spring Team Champions
Winter Team Champions
Fall Team Champions
Elmer Hertel Men’s All-Sports Trophy
| School |
Points |
Place |
| Wartburg |
60.0 |
1st |
| Loras |
59.6 |
2nd |
| Dubuque |
49.4 |
3rd |
| Luther |
47.7 |
4th |
| Central |
46.5 |
5th |
| Coe |
41.0 |
6th |
| Nebraska Wesleyan |
38.5 |
7th |
| Buena Vista |
31.8 |
8th |
| Simpson |
30.5 |
9th |
The Wartburg Knights defended the Elmer Hertel Men’s All-Sports Trophy that was last presented after the 2018-19 season. Wartburg collected the schools’ 23rd Elmer Hertel Men’s Trophy with 60 points. The Knights claimed a fall championship in cross country, while adding a winter title in wrestling. Additionally, Wartburg finished runner-up in football and indoor and outdoor track & field. Standing right behind the Knights with 59.6 points is the Loras College Duhawks. They were led by a conference championship at the indoor track & field championships. The Duhawks finished runner-up in cross country, wrestling, and baseball, while tying for second in soccer. The Dubuque men were able to hold their third-place spot, tallying 49.4 points. The Spartans claimed the conference title in a sport from the fall (soccer), winter (basketball), and spring (outdoor track & field). In addition, the Spartans earned some points after a third-place finish at the indoor track & field championships. Luther jumped up from their seventh-place finish after the winter championships, sitting in fourth with 47.7 points. During spring, Luther’s golf team and tennis team claimed the conference title. The tennis team recorded a perfect 8-0 league record this season and went on to win the A-R-C AQ Tournament Title to earn the conference’s AQ to the NCAA postseason tournament. Central finished in fifth place (46.5 points), collecting the A-R-C football title in the fall and runner-up at the A-R-C golf championships this spring. Coe’s sixth-place finish (41 points) was led by runner-up finishes in basketball during the winter and tennis in the fall. In addition, the Kohawks finished in third place in football and wrestling. Nebraska Wesleyan’s third place finish in golf during the spring season added seven points to their overall total. Picking up the conference title in baseball this spring, Buena Vista sits in eighth with 31.8 points. In addition, the Beavers tied for second this winter in basketball. Simpson placed ninth with 30.5 points, led by a tie for second place in soccer and third place finish in cross country during the fall.
At the conclusion of the 2021-22 sports seasons, Wartburg earned the program’s 23rd Elmer Hertel Men’s Trophy. Central has won the trophy 13 times while Luther owns 11 trophies, Loras three and Simpson one.
Marjorie Giles Women’s All-Sports Trophy
| School |
Points |
Place |
| Wartburg |
60.2 |
1st |
| Loras |
48.8 |
2nd |
| Dubuque |
45.0 |
3rd |
| Central |
41.2 |
4th |
| Luther |
38.0 |
5th |
| Simpson |
36.0 |
6th |
| Coe |
35.5 |
7th |
| Buena Vista |
28.7 |
8th |
| Nebraska Wesleyan |
26.6 |
9th |
Wartburg extended its 6.7-point winter lead to 11.4 points at the conclusion of the 2021-22 sports seasons, earning them the Marjorie Giles Women’s Trophy for the 17th time. The Knights compiled 60.2 points, adding an outdoor track & field title to their cross country and volleyball championship from the fall. Wartburg also earned runner-up finishes in soccer, basketball, and indoor track & field. Loras maintained its winter position, finishing the year in second place with 48.8 points. The Duhawks were led by conference titles in soccer and indoor track & field. To go along with their two titles, Loras claimed second-place finishes in cross country and outdoor track & field. Dubuque, who took home a women’s golf conference title in the fall and a tie for the conference title for softball in the spring, tallied 45 points to finish third. The Spartans also own third place finishes in indoor and outdoor track & field. Runner-up finishes in golf and tennis helped Central to a fourth-place finish (41.2 points). The Dutch also took third place in cross country during the fall. Fifth place belongs to Luther College with 38 points. The Norse were paced with a conference title in tennis during the fall. Simpson’s sixth-place finish was highlighted by a conference title in basketball during the winter and a third-place finish in soccer during the fall. The Storm finished the year with 36 points. The spring saw Coe tie for third in softball to go along with a runner-up finish in volleyball during the fall. The Kohawks finish the year in seventh place with 35.5 points. Finishing the softball season as co-champions of the A-R-C, the Buena Vista Beavers finish the year in eighth place with 28.7 points. Nebraska Wesleyan has totaled 26.6 points to earn ninth, with their best finish being fourth at indoor track & field.
Wartburg, the winner of the 2021-22 Marjorie Giles Women’s Trophy, leads all schools with 17 total trophies. Luther owns a conference second-best with 10. Central is third with nine. Simpson has won four trophies and Loras owns one.
Combined All-Sports Trophy
| School |
Points |
Place |
| Wartburg |
18 |
1st |
| Loras |
16 |
2nd |
| Dubuque |
14 |
3rd |
| Central |
11 |
t-4th |
| Luther |
11 |
t-4th |
| Coe |
7 |
6th |
| Simpson |
5 |
7th |
| Nebraska Wesleyan |
4 |
t-8th |
| Buena Vista |
4 |
t-8th |
With all 19 American Rivers Conference Championships decided, Wartburg College claims their 18th consecutive All-Sports trophy with 18 points. Wartburg captured five league championships, six second place finishes and three third-place finishes. The Knights’ conference titles were earned in men’s and women’s cross country, volleyball, wrestling, and women’s outdoor track & field. With 16 points, Loras earned second in this year’s standings. The Duhawks claimed conference titles in women’s soccer and men’s and women’s indoor track & field. The University of Dubuque is picking up third in this year’s All-Sports standings after picking up five conference titles with 14 points. The Spartans earned titles in men’s soccer, women’s golf, men’s basketball, men’s outdoor track & field, and softball. Central and Luther tied for fourth in the final standings. The Dutch picked up a conference title in football while the Norse were passed by conference titles in men’s and women’s tennis and men’s golf. Sixth place went to Coe College with seven points. The Kohawks were led by four second place finishes. With five points in the final standings, the Simpson College Storm were paced by a conference title in women’s basketball and a second-place finish in men’s soccer. Finishing tied for eighth place in the standings, Nebraska Wesleyan and Buena Vista tallied four points apiece. The Prairie Wolves were led with a third-place finish in men’s golf this spring, while the Beavers were led by conference titles in baseball and softball.
Wartburg has won or shared all 18 of the conferences Combined All-Sports Trophies which began in 2002-03. Luther College shared the All-Sports Trophy with Wartburg in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
ABOUT THE TROPHIES
Each school's finish in each sport is determined and given a numerical worth by inverting the finish (i.e. first place is worth nine points, second place is worth eight points, third place is worth seven points, etc). In case of ties, the worth of all places involved are totaled and divided by the number of teams in that tie. Each school's finish in all sports is then totaled, and the school with the largest number of points shall be awarded the respective Championship Trophy. The Marjorie Giles Women’s All-Sports Trophy, first awarded in 1982-83 (at the time named the Women's Sports Championship Trophy), is presented annually to the Conference member that accumulates the most points in women’s sports. The Elmer Hertel Men's All-Sports Trophy was first awarded in 1970-71 (at that time named the Men's Sports Championship Trophy) and presented to the Conference member that accumulates the most points in men's sports. The school displaying overall excellence in men's and women's sports is awarded the American Rivers Conference All-Sports Championship Trophy.
Marjorie Giles is a former Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) from Central College serving from 1981-98. During her tenure as a FAR, she participated in writing of the Conference Constitution to include women’s athletics and to establish women’s Championships. She was the first female to serve as President of the Conference and was actively involved with the NCAA serving on several committees and on the Management Council.
The Elmer Hertel Men’s Sports Championship Trophy was renamed in 1981 to honor the former Wartburg College coach. Dr. Hertel served as the Conference secretary-treasurer from 1944-1981.
