Loras' Parker and Buena Vista's Smith Named American Rivers Conference Athletes of the Week - Week Ending 4/23/23

Performers of the Week Announced in Seven Sports

4/24/2023 2:11:07 PM

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Loras College women’s track athlete Kassie Parker (Guttenberg, Iowa/Clayton Ridge) and Buena Vista baseball pitcher Morgan Smith (Boone, Iowa/Boone) have been named American Rivers Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, April 23, 2023. The Conference also announced Performers of the Week in baseball, men’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field, and softball.
Female Athlete of the Week – Women’s Outdoor Track & Field18081
Kassie Parker, Loras College
Gr., Guttenberg, Iowa/Clayton Ridge
  • Parker competed at the Stanford University Payton Jordan Invitational.
  • The graduate student has been successful in the state of California this season, setting her second all-time NCAA Division III record this season.
  • Parker’s record-time in the 5k was 15:37.00, where she finished seventh out of 19 competitors in her section, and was the only Division III runner in the event.
  • Parker set the 10k record earlier this season while running in the Stanford Invitational.
  • The Guttenberg native is collecting her sixth career Women’s Outdoor Track Performer of the Week honor (4/1/19, 4/12/21, 4/4/22, 5/2/22, 4/3/23, 4/24/23). Additionally, she has earned Indoor Track Performer of the Week honors five previous times (3/2/20, 2/2/21, 1/24/22, 2/7/22, 2/28/22).
 
Male Athlete of the Week – Baseball – Pitcher of the Week19140
Morgan Smith, Buena Vista University
So., RHP, Boone, Iowa/Boone
  • Smith and the Buena Vista Beavers went 3-1 in conference play during the week.
  • The sophomore right hander pitched a complete 9.0 inning game in the series opener over Luther College.
  • This was the first nine-inning complete game of his season.
  • Buena Vista used a seven-run eighth inning to pull away from the Norse to a 10-1 victory.
  • Smith allowed one unearned run on five hits while striking out eight batters.
  • The right hander improved to a league-best 7-1 overall record on the year, including winning five straight starts.
  • Smith accounted for eight strikeouts while facing 35 batters, only allowing five hits and one walk.
  • The Beavers improved to 27-6 overall and 18-2 in league play.
  • Buena Vista will take the field again to finish out the regular season with Simpson this weekend for their 3-game series.
  • The Boone native is garnering his first-career Pitcher of the Week honor.
 
Baseball – Position Player of the Week19141
Zack Beekmann, Buena Vista University
Sr., 1B/DH, Grimes, Iowa/Dallas Center-Grimes
  • Beekman and the Buena Vista Beavers went 3-1 in conference play during the week.
  • The senior hit .333 on the week and brought in 4 RBIs, while hitting two homeruns, including a walk-off solo home run to win the series over Luther.
  • Game 1: Buena Vista 3, Central 1 – 0-for-4 (.000), 7 putouts
  • Game 2: Buena Vista 10, Luther 1 – 1-for-1 (1.000), 2 R, 2 RBIs, HR, 2 BB, 5 putouts
  • Game 3: Buena Vista 4, Luther 5 – 2-for-4 (.500), R, RBI, HR, BB, 10 putouts
  • Game 4: Buena Vista 3, Luther 2 (10 innings) – 1-for-3 (.333), R, RBI, 2B, 7 putouts
  • Buena Vista improved to 27-6 overall and 18-2 in league play.
  • The Beavers will take the field on Friday and Saturday to face Simpson in their final three games of the regular season.
  • The Grimes native is collecting his first career Position Player of the Week honor.
 
Men’s Golf – Golfer of the Week19142
Geran Sander, Nebraska Wesleyan University
So., Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southwest
  • The Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves competed at the NWU Howl at the Hill Invite, where they finished third out of ten teams. They also competed at the Take Back the Night Challenge in Decatur, Illinois hosted by Millikin where they finished seventh out of 18 teams.
  • Sander shot a two-round score of 155 (78-77) at the Howl at the Hill Invite to finish T-11 out of 68 competitors.
  • The sophomore finished T-eighth out of 103 golfers with a two-round total of 145 (75-70).
  • Sander shot a 5-under par 31 with three birdies, an eagle, and no bogeys on the front nine, in route to his one-under 70 in round two.
  • The Prairie Wolves finished with a two-round score of 632 at their home event and a two-round total of 596 in Decatur.
  • Sander and the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves will be back in action on Saturday and Sunday at the Saint John’s Spring Invitational in Monticello, Minnesota.
  • The Lincoln, Nebraska native is picking up his first career Men’s Golfer of the Week honor.
 
Softball – Pitcher of the Week19143
Hannah Ausenhus, Coe College
Sr., RHP, Hanlontown, Iowa/Central Springs
  • Ausenhus and the No. 25-ranked Coe College Kohawks went 4-0 in league play this week, sweeping Loras and (RV) Luther.
  • Ausenhus threw a complete, 6 innings, game in the 8-0 victory over the Norse.
  • The senior allowed only two hits and one walk in seven innings of work.  
  • The No. 25 Kohawks improved to 28-4 overall and 11-1 in league play.
  • Coe will travel to Grinnell on Tuesday for a doubleheader and host No. 21-ranked Central College on Saturday in another A-R-C doubleheader.
  • The Hanlontown native is garnering her third-career Pitcher of the Week recognition (5/10/21, 3/20/23, 4/24/23).
Softball – Position Player of the Week19144
Grace Houghton, Loras College
Sr., DP, Marengo, Ill./Marengo
  • Houghton and the Loras College Duhawks went 3-3 in conference action this past week.
  • The Duhawks went 0-2 versus No. 25-ranked Coe, 1-1 against Simpson, and 2-0 over Buena Vista.
  • The senior hit three home runs over the six games, while batting .421 and slugging 1.053.
  • Game 1: Loras 3, No. 25 Coe 4 – 2-for-3 (.667), R, 2B
  • Game 2: Loras 1, No. 25 Coe 1 – 0-for-3 (.000)
  • Game 3: Loras 3, Simpson 2 – 1-for-3 (.333), 2 RBI, R, HR
  • Game 4: Loras 4, Simpson 10 – 1-for-3 (.333), 2 RBI, R, HR
  • Game 5: Loras 6, Buena Vista 2 – 3-for-4 (.750), 3 RBI, 2 2B, R, HR
  • Game 6: Loras 6, Buena Vista 2 – 1-for-3 (.333), RBI, BB
  • Houghton and the Duhawks moved their record to 16-11 overall and 4-4 in league play.
  • The Duhawks will be back on the field when they travel to Wartburg for a doubleheader on Tuesday.
  • The Marengo, Illinois native is picking up her first-career Position Player of the Week honor.
 
Men’s Tennis – Player of the Week19145
Abhay Chhabra, Luther College
Fr., New Delhi, India/Harvest International School
  • Chhabra and the Luther College Norse finished the regular season 8-0 to earn the conference title on Friday evening.
  • Luther took down Loras in the regular season finale, 5-0.
  • At No. 3-doubles, Chhabra paired up with Eli Young to take down Lucas Healy and Henry Condo, 8-1.
  • Chhabra took the court at No. 3-singles where he earned a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Gage Becker for the Duhawks.
  • The Norse earned a first-round bye in the conference AQ tournament and await the winner between Wartburg and Loras for a semifinal match on Thursday, April 27 in Decorah.
  • The New Delhi, India native is earning his first-career Men’s Tennis Player of the Week honor.
 
Women’s Tennis – Player of the Week19146
Riley O’Donnell, Luther College
So., Dubuque, Iowa/Dubuque
  • O’Donnell and the Luther College Norse are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth-consecutive year after taking home the conference AQ title over the weekend.
  • The sophomore clinched the championship on Saturday with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Coe’s Courtney Carstensen.
  • In the semifinal round, O’Donnell took down Leia Papanicholas, from Loras, 6-1, 6-3.
  • Luther is 19-10 overall heading into the NCAA tournament after completing a perfect 8-0 conference regular schedule last fall.
  • The Norse now await there opponent for the first round. The selection show air on Monday, May 1 at 12:00p (EST).
  • The Dubuque native is garnering her second-career Women’s Tennis Player of the Week accolades (4/3/23, 4/24/23).
 
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Track Performer of the Week19147
Spencer Moon, Simpson College
R-Jr., Lake City, Iowa/South Central Calhoun
  • Moon was in action on the track on Friday night at the UW-La Crosse Esten Challenge.
  • The redshirt-junior finished second out of 64 competitors in the 10k, with a time of 29:27.19.
  • Moon broke a Simpson school record that had stood since 1984 by almost 25 seconds, while being within one second of the conference record, set earlier this season.
  • He currently ranks seventh this season in NCAA Division III and 21st in overall history Division III history.
  • Moon will be back on the track this week competing at the Drake Relays in Des Moines.
  • The Lake City native is picking up his first-career Outdoor Track Performer of the Week honors.
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Field Performer of the Week19160
Brody Klein, Central College
Jr., Rainier, Wash./Rainier
  • Klein competed at the John Green Combined Events in Crete, Nebraska on Thursday and Friday.
  • The junior finished first out of 16 entries in the decathlon, with 6,285 points.
  • His finish puts him up to 13th nationally this year.
  • He finished second in the 100m dash (11.45), fifth in the 400m (52.90), third in the 1500m (4:52.35), 11th in the 110m hurdles (18.80), T-1 in high jump (1.76m), first in pole vault (4.64m), first in long jump (6.50m), second in shot put (11.83m), first in the discus throw (36.03m),and  fourth in the javelin throw (44.61m).
  • This is the first time in Klein’s career he is earning Men’s Outdoor Field Performer of the Week accolade.
 
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Field Performer of the Week19148
Avery Decker, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Sr., Fremont, Neb./Fremont
  • Decker competed at the Jim Dutcher Memorial Invitational with the Prairie Wolves.
  • The senior broke out with the best javelin throw in NCAA Division III for this season, with a throw of 46.21m.
  • She won the event by 4.72m, out of 19 competitors.
  • Decker is back in action this Thursday – Saturday at the Drake Relays in Des Moines.
  • The Fremont, Nebraska native is collecting her first-career Women’s Outdoor Field Performer of the Week honor.
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