CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Loras College men’s distance medley relay team of Wyatt Kelly, Ted Kruse, Mike Jasa and Ryan Harvey and Loras College women’s 4x400-meter relay team of Marion Edwards, Elly Burds, Harmony Creasy, and Alyssa Pfadenhauer have been named American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, February 12, 2023. The Conference also announced Performers of the Week in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s tennis, men’s and women’s indoor track & field, and wrestling. Female Athletes of the Week – Women’s Indoor Track & Field – Track Performers of the Week
4x400-Meter Relay Team, Loras College
Marion Edwards, Sr., Chicago, Ill./DeLaSalle Institute
Elly Burds, Fr., Epworth, Iowa/Western Dubuque
Harmony Creasy, So., Riverdale, Iowa/Pleasant Valley
Alyssa Pfadenhauer, Sr., West Burlington, Iowa/Danville

• The No. 3-ranked Loras College Duhawks competed at the Midwest Elite Invitational hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
• The 4-by-400-meter relay team won the race out of 20 teams, finishing with a 3:50.76 time.
• This time ranks third all-time in program history.
• The converted time of 3:47.74 stands at the top of the National Championship qualifying list.
• The Duhawks finished third at the meet.
• The No. 3 Duhawks are back in action this weekend when some members head to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and the others head across town to the University of Dubuque.
• This is the second relay from Loras to receive the Women’s Indoor Track Performers of the Week accolades for the indoor season (2/13/23, 2/14/22).

Male Athletes of the Week - Men’s Indoor Track & Field – Track Performers of the Week
Distance Medley Relay Team, Loras College
Wyatt Kelly, Sr., Hudson, Iowa/Hudson
Ted Kruse, Jr., Dubuque, Iowa/Dubuque Senior
Mike Jasa, Sr., Fairfax, Iowa/Prairie
Ryan Harvey, Jr., Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin

• The No. 8-ranked Loras College Duhawks competed at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational hosted by Boston College.
• The distance medley relay team finished second out of 31 teams, finishing with a time of 9:39.80.
• This time set a new Division III record, eclipsing the record that John Carroll University set a year ago.
• The No. 8 Duhawks are back in action this weekend when some members head to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and the others head across town to the University of Dubuque.
• This marks the fourth time that Loras has had a relay win the Men’s Indoor Track Performers of the Week (2/13/23, 2/12/22, 2/22/21, 2/18/18).

Men’s Basketball – Player of the Week
Peter Lash, Nebraska Wesleyan University
So., F, Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian School

• Lash led the Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairie Wolves to a win over Loras College on Saturday.
• The sophomore had a career high 34 points in the win and sits only 35 points away from 1,000 career points.
• Playing every minute in the 84-74 victory, Lash additionally added seven rebounds, four assists, and one steal for the Prairie Wolves.
• Lash was 11-for-16 from the field and 7-for-9 from behind the arc.
• In the final week of regular season action, Nebraska Wesleyan will host Simpson College on Wednesday and travel to Coe College on Saturday for their regular season finale.
• The Charlotte, North Carolina native is earning his seventh Player of the Week honor in his career (11/29/21, 12/6/21, 12/20/21, 1/31/22, 1/3/23, 1/23, 23, 2/13/23).

Women’s Basketball – Player of the Week
Cassie Nash, Simpson College
Sr., G, Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southeast

• Nash led Simpson to two conference wins over the last week over Buena Vista University and University of Dubuque.
• On Wednesday, the senior guard had recorded 25 points, five steals, five assists, and three rebounds.
• Only missing one shot on Saturday, Nash recorded 19 points for the Storm while additionally adding seven steals, seven assists, and two rebounds.
• Nash shot 74% from the floor, while totaling 44 points, 12 steals, 12 assists, and five rebounds for the week.
• With her performance during this stretch, Nash became Simpson’s all-time steals leader, a record that was set in 2001.
• The Storm improved to 13-10 and 8-6 in league play.
• Simpson will be back on the court on Wednesday when they travel to Lincoln, Nebraska to face Nebraska Wesleyan University and host Central College on Saturday for the final game of the regular season.
• Nash is a two-time All-Conference performer.
• The senior guard is garnering her fourth Player of the Week honor in her career (2/12/23, 2/6/23, 2/14/22, 3/15/21).

Men’s Tennis – Player of the Week
Graham Peterson, Coe College
So., Lincoln, Neb./Southeast

• Peterson and the Coe College Kohawks started off the conference season perfectly defeating Loras College (9-0).
• The sophomore took down Gage Becker at No. 3 singles to open the conference season (6-1, 6-0).
• In doubles play at No. 1 with his partner Ivan Burt-Smith, the duo defeated Thomas Kampmier and Kevin Blomquist (8-1).
• The Kohawks return to the court this weekend for non-conference action against North Central College and Milwaukee School of Engineering in Naperville, Illinois, hosted at North Central.
• This is Peterson’s first-career Player of the Week honor.

Men’s Indoor Track & Field – Field Performer of the Week
Sam Beatty, Central College
Sr., Mount Pleasant, Iowa/Mount Pleasant

• The Central College Dutch competed at the Darren Young Classic on Saturday where they finished first out of ten teams.
• Beatty took home the crown in the high jump with a mark of 2.09 meters.
• The senior has had a new personal record each of the last three weeks and currently sits second on the NCAA Division III qualifying list.
• The Dutch are back in action this Saturday when they travel to the Liz Wuertz Invitational, hosted by Wartburg College.
• Beatty is earning his third-career Indoor Field Performer of the Week honor (2/6/22, 1/16/23, 2/13/23).

Women’s Indoor Track & Field – Field Performers of the Week
Becca Simpson, Buena Vista University
Sr., Plattsmouth, Neb./Conestoga

• Buena Vista University Beavers traveled to the St. Ambrose Tune-Up, hosted by St. Ambrose University, on Friday and Darren Young Invitational on Saturday, hosted by Grinnell College.
• Simpson and Buena Vista finished eighth out of ten teams at St. Ambrose, scoring 31 points in 16 events scored.
• The Beavers took second out of eight teams, recording 106 points at the Darren Young Invitational.
• Simpson set two new school records at St. Ambrose, breaking her marks from last season.
• The senior came out on the top of the leaderboard of the weight throw on Friday, throwing 17.71 meters.
• At St. Ambrose in the shot put, Simpson took second place, recording a 14.21-meter throw.
• On Saturday, Simpson finished first in both the weight throw (17.21 meters) and the shot put (14.13 meters).
• Her performance on Friday moved her to national ranks at sixth in shot put and ninth in weight throw.
• This marks the Plattsmouth, Nebraska native’s first-career Indoor Field Performer of the Week accolade.

Wrestling - Wrestler of the Week
Zayren Terukina, Wartburg College
Sr., 141lbs., Ewa Beach, Hawaii/James Campbell

• The No. 1-ranked Wartburg College Knights defeated No. 7 Loras College Duhawks 22-15 on Friday night in Waverly for the conference title.
• Terukina, ranked No. 1 in his weight class, defeated No. 7 Eric Kinkaid by major decision (10-1).
• This was the seventh major decision this season.
• The No. 1 Knights finish the regular season with a 14-1 overall record and 8-0 in the conference.
• This trophy was the 40^th in Wartburg wrestling history.
• Terukina was the league’s Most Valuable Performer last season after finishing as the runner-up at the 2022 NCAA Championship.
• The Ewa Beach, Hawaii native is picking up his fourth-career Wrestler of the Week accolade (1/31/22, 2/28/22, 1/9/23, 2/13/23).