CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Following the completion of the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) slate of eight winter championships, the Wartburg College Knights maintain their lead in the women’s All-Sports Trophy standings while the Loras College Duhawks jump to the top of the men’s All-Sports Trophy standings. The combined men’s and women’s results keep the Knights atop the American Rivers Combined All-Sports Trophy.
MEN
| School |
Points |
Place |
| Loras |
42.2 |
1st |
| Wartburg |
39.9 |
2nd |
| Luther |
32.9 |
3rd |
| Central |
29.5 |
4th |
| Dubuque |
28.1 |
5th |
| Coe |
24.3 |
6th |
| Simpson |
22.7 |
7th |
| Nebraska Wesleyan |
21.3 |
8th |
| Buena Vista |
12.6 |
9th |
After three fall and four winter championship events, Loras finds themselves atop the Elmer Hertel Men’s standings with 42.2 points. The Duhawks claimed a fall championship title in men’s soccer with a second-place finish in cross country. This winter, Loras took the crown at the indoor track & field championships, finished second in the wrestling standings, and third at the swimming & diving championships. Additionally, Loras tied for fourth in football during the fall and fourth in basketball during the winter. Wartburg has totaled 39.9 points behind conference championships in cross country and football in the fall and wrestling during the winter. Additionally, the Knights finished second at the indoor track & field championships, tied for fourth in soccer in the fall, and fifth in basketball. With a conference title at the swimming & diving championships and a second place finish in soccer, Luther sits in third place with 32.9 points. The Norse also finished third at the cross country championships and tied for third in wrestling this winter. Central used a title in basketball while finishing fourth in cross country and tied for fourth in the wrestling standings to bolster 29.5 points, placing them fourth in the standings. Dubuque has earned 28.1 points to land in fifth, a jump from sixth in the fall. During the fall, the Spartans finished tied for second in the standings and finished with a runner-up finish in basketball this winter. Additionally, Dubuque finished third at the indoor track & field championships. Coe is in sixth place at 24.3 points after finishing runner up in the football standings this fall and tied for third in wrestling this winter. With 22.7 points, Simpson owns seventh place. The Storm’s top finish this year was a third-place finish in soccer. Nebraska Wesleyan’s third place finish in basketball and fourth place finish at the indoor track & field championships helped them to 21.3 points, placing them eighth overall. Buena Vista is in ninth place with 12.6 points.
At the conclusion of the 2021-22 sports seasons, Wartburg earned their 23rd Elmer Hertel Men’s Trophy. Wartburg leads all schools with 23 first-place finishes. Central has won the trophy 15 times while Luther owns 11 trophies, Loras with three, and Simpson one.
WOMEN
| School |
Points |
Place |
| Wartburg |
50.4 |
1st |
| Coe |
38.8 |
2nd |
| Loras |
37.7 |
3rd |
| Central |
37.1 |
4th |
| Nebraska Wesleyan |
36.8 |
5th |
| Simpson |
36.7 |
6th |
| Luther |
34.6 |
7th |
| Dubuque |
27.5 |
8th |
| Buena Vista |
19.9 |
9th |
With five fall and four winter championship events in the books, Wartburg holds an 11.6-point lead with 50.4 points. The Knights captured titles in cross country and basketball, while securing second-place finishes in soccer, volleyball, and indoor track & field. In addition, Wartburg had a third-place finish in golf in the fall. Coe sits in second place with 38.8 points. The Kohawks were led with a title in volleyball, second-place finish in tennis, and a third-place finish at the swimming & diving championships. Loras, who collected two team titles in soccer and at the indoor track & field championships, sit in third place with 37.7 points. The Duhawks recorded runner-up finishes in cross country and basketball. With conference titles at the golf and dance championships, the Central Dutch are in fourth place with 37.1 points. Fifth place belongs to the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves with 36.8 points. NWU had runner-up finishes this winter at the swimming & diving and dance championships. The fall saw Simpson pick up a fourth-place finish in the soccer standings and the winter tied for third in the women’s basketball standings to finish sixth with 36.7 points. The Luther Norse have picked up two conference titles in tennis and swimming & diving to lead them to 34.6 points and a seventh-place spot in the standings. Dubuque has totaled 27.5 points with their best finish being a runner-up at the golf championships this fall. Buena Vista rounds out the standings after finishing with 19.9 points, led by a third-place finish in volleyball this past fall.
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, 10. Central is third with nine, Simpson owns four, and Loras owns one.
COMBINED ALL-SPORTS TROPHY
| School |
Points |
Place |
| Wartburg |
17 |
1st |
| Loras |
16 |
2nd |
| Central |
12 |
t-3rd |
| Coe |
12 |
t-3rd |
| Luther |
10 |
5th |
| Dubuque |
7 |
t-6th |
| Nebraska Wesleyan |
7 |
t-6th |
| Simpson |
7 |
t-6th |
| Buena Vista |
2 |
9th |
With seven men’s and nine women’s American Rivers Conference Championships decided, Wartburg owns first place in the Combined All-Sports Trophy standings with 17 points. Wartburg has claimed five league championships, three second-place finishes, and one third-place finish. The Knights’ conference titles were earned in men’s and women’s cross country, football, wrestling, and women’s basketball.
Wartburg has won or shared all 18 of the conference's 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.
