Mackenzie Biggs of Central Earns A-R-C Women's Golfer of the Week Accolades

9/11/2023 1:40:17 PM

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Coe College football player Zamari Bruce (Spring, Texas) and Central College women’s soccer player Grace Coates (Marion, Iowa/Marion) have been named American Rivers Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, September 10, 2023. The Conference also announced Performers of the Week in men’s and women’s cross country, football, women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s tennis, and volleyball.
Female Athlete of the Week – Women’s Soccer – Offensive Player of the Week19457
Grace Coates, Central College
Jr., F, Marion, Iowa/Marion
  • Coates helped Central to a 1-0-1 week with a 5-0 win over Northwestern-St. Paul and a 2-2 draw with North Park University.
  • The junior forward recorded a hat trick in the victory over Northwestern-St. Paul.
  • Coates also scored the first goal in the draw with North Park on Saturday.
  • She currently leads the league in points, goals, shots on goal, and total shots.
  • The Central Dutch are now 2-0-2 on the season as they head into a busy week with three matches.
  • Coates is a 2022 All-Conference performer.
  • The Marion native is earning her second Offensive Player of the Week honor in her career (9/11/23, 9/13/21).
Male Athlete of the Week – Football – Offensive Player of the Week19461
Zamari Bruce, Coe College
So., WR, Spring, Texas/Frassati Catholic
  • Bruce led the Coe College Kohawks to a 44-14 win over Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Saturday.
  • The sophomore wide receiver had a career high ten catches as well as a career best 151 yards recorded.
  • He snagged two passes for touchdowns, with his first catch being for 47-yards and the second reception for 19-yards.
  • Coe began the season 2-0 in non-conference action as they prepare for conference action to begin this Saturday when they travel to Pella to face-off with Central College.
  • The Spring, Texas native is earning his first career Offensive Player of the Week honor.
Men’s Cross Country – Runner of the Week19379
Spencer Moon, Simpson College
Sr., Lake City, Iowa/South Central Calhoun
  • Moon finished first out of 158 runners with a time of 25:20.44 (8k) at the Les Duke Invitational hosted by Grinnell College.
  • The senior is finishing on top for the second straight week and finished 26 seconds ahead of second place.
  • He guided the Storm to a second place finish out of nine teams.
  • Simpson takes a break until September 30 when they compete at the Dan Huston Invitational hosted by Wartburg College.
  • Moon is a three-time All-Conference Cross Country performer while also adding a tenth-place finish at nationals in 2022.
  • This mark’s Moon’s third-career Runner of the Week honor (9/11/23, 9/5/23, 9/6/23). Additionally, the Lake City native has been named Outdoor Track Performer of the Week once in his career (4/24/23).
Women’s Cross Country – Runner of the Week19406
Caroline McMartin, Central College
Sr., Pella, Iowa/Pella
  • McMartin finished first out of 112 runners with a time of 22:21.67 (6k), 5.30 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher at the Les Duke Invitational hosted by Grinnell College.
  • The No. 21-ranked Dutch finished first out of seven teams with 26 points.
  • McMartin is a three-time All-Conference performer.
  • Central is off until September 22 when they travel to the Roy Griak Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota.
  • The Pella native is collecting her fifth-career Runner of the Week award, including her second this season (9/11/23, 9/5/23, 9/26/22, 9/12/22, 9/27/21). Additionally, she has earned Outdoor Track Performer of the Week honors once in her career (4/10/23). 
Football – Defensive Player of the Week19381
Parker Rochford, Wartburg College
Jr., DB, Edgewood, Iowa/Edgewood-Colesburg
  • Rochford led the No. 3-ranked Wartburg Knights defense to a 16-2 victory over No. 16-ranked Bethel College on Saturday afternoon.
  • The junior recorded ten total tackles, including three for loss.
  • He grabbed an interception that sealed the win in the fourth quarter. This marks Rochford’s fourth interception of the season.
  • The No. 3 Knights will open conference action at home in Walston-Hoover Stadium this Saturday when they host Buena Vista University.
  • Rochford is a 2022 First Team All-Conference performer.
  • The Edgewood native is picking up his third Defensive Player of the Week honor (9/11/23, 9/5/23, 9/26/22).
Football – Special Teams Player of the Week19460
Jeron Senters, Coe College
Fr., WR/PR, Marion, Iowa/Cedar Rapids Kennedy
  • Senters made a splash in the Kohawks 44-14 win over Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Saturday.
  • The first year handled all the return duties for Coe, tallying 50 return yards on three chances.
  • Senters scored his first special teams’ touchdown in a Kohawk uniform in the first quarter, returning a punt for a 47-yard touchdown to put Coe up 14-0 early in the game.
  • Additionally, Senters capped off his game with a 29-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter for his second receiving touchdown of the season.
  • Coe began the season 2-0 in non-conference action as they prepare for conference action to begin this Saturday when they travel to Pella to face-off with Central College.
  • The Marion native is earning his first-career Special Teams Player of the Week accolade.
Women’s Golf – Golfer of the Week19453
Mackenzie Biggs, Central College
Sr., Bloomington, Ill./Normal
  • Biggs finished second individually out of 86 golfers at the Siouxland Fall Invitational at Ridge Golf Club and Landsmeer Golf Club.
  • The Dutch finished in second place out of 15 teams, just one shot shy of Morningside for the tournament title.
  • The senior shot rounds of 77-74-151, two shots off medalist honors.
  • She has earned All-Conference all three seasons, with her top finish coming in 2020 with a third-place finish.
  • Central will be back on the course Saturday and Sunday at the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational at Ironwood Golf Course in Bloomington, Illinois.
  • This marks the Bloomington, Illinois native’s first career Golfer of the Week honor.
Men’s Soccer – Defensive Player of the Week19459
Alejo Marcon, Central College
So., D, Resistencia, Argentina/Pella Christian
  • Marcon helped lead the Central Dutch to a 2-0-1 week.
  • The Dutch defeated Greenville and Augustana (Ill.) while finishing in a draw with Grinnell.
  • The sophomore played all but six minutes in the weekend contests as he had the game-winning strike against Augustana for his first goal of the season.
  • The Dutch sit at 3-0-1 currently and will be back on the field Saturday when they host Dordt.
  • The Argentina native is picking up his first-career Defensive Player of the Week honor.
Men’s Soccer – Offensive Player of the Week19454
Edvin Rizvic, Wartburg College
Sr., F, Waterloo, Iowa/Waterloo West
  • The senior forward led the Wartburg Knights to a 2-0-1 week.
  • The Knights defeated the College of St. Scholastica (3-0) and Knox College (1-0) before finishing in a 1-1 draw to Macalester College.
  • Rizvic recorded two goals and one assist in three matches this week.
  • The Waterloo native recorded both game-winning goals for the Knights.
  • In each of the matches, Rizvic recorded at least one shot on goal.
  • The Knights improved to 4-0-1 on the season.
  • Wartburg will continue their season this Friday when they travel to Chicago to face off with North Park University.
  • Rizvic is a 2022 All-Conference performer.
  • This is the Waterloo native’s first-career Offensive Player of the Week award.
Women’s Soccer – Defensive Player of the Week19458
Julia Wagoner, Simpson College
Sr., M, Council Bluffs, Iowa/Abraham Lincoln
  • Wagoner helped the Simpson Storm go 2-0 on the week with wins over Carleton College (1-0) and Carroll University (3-1).
  • The senior midfielder helped the Storm hold opponents to just one goal.
  • On the offensive side of the ball, Wagoner scored the lone goal against Carleton, tallying the game-winner in the 72nd minute.
  • The Storm gave Carleton their first loss in 366 days, and it was the first time Carleton was held scoreless this season.
  • Wagoner played 165 minutes between the two wins, helping Simpson to a 4-0 start for the first time since 1999.
  • Simpson has two contests this week as they travel to Milwaukee School of Engineering this afternoon and then Grinnell on Thursday.
  • The Council Bluffs native is garnering her first Defensive Player of the Week accolade of her career.
Women’s Tennis – Player of the Week19449
Sofia Sackett, Luther College
Sr., Des Moines, Iowa/Dowling Catholic
  • Sackett went 3-0 at No. 1 singles and 1-0 at No. 2 doubles during three conference contests this week.
  • The Luther Norse defeated University of Dubuque (9-0), Simpson College (9-0), and Central College (9-0) during the past week.
  • At No. 1 singles, Sackett defeated Hayden Warner of Dubuque (6-2, 6-1), Bella Tranquilino of Simpson (6-0, 6-0), and Jennifer Larson of Central (6-2, 6-0).
  • Sackett partnered up with Natalia Smith at No. 1 doubles and the duo defeated Central’s Larson and Madi Whalen (8-2).
  • Luther is back in action when they travel to Wartburg on Tuesday for another conference contest.
  • The Norse senior is a three-time All-Conference performer.
  • The Des Moines, Iowa native is picking up her third Player of the Week honor in her career (9/11/23, 10/12/21, 9/27/21).
Volleyball – Offensive Player of the Week19450
Emma Kowalczyk, Luther College
Jr., S, Colgate, Wis./Catholic Memorial
  • Luther College setter, Emma Kowalczyk, helped lead the Norse to a 1-2 weekend at the Macalester Invite.
  • She recorded a season high 49 assists against Grinnell in a five-set thriller (3-2) to earn the Norse’s first win over the Pioneers since 2015.
  • The junior reached the 1,000-career mark in assists against Macalester. She currently has 1,008 and counting.
  • Over the course of the weekend, she collected 115 total assists and seven block assists.
  • Additionally, she had 18 digs and 14 kills.
  • The Norse head to Minnesota on Tuesday to play Wisconsin-La Crosse and Saint Mary’s (Minn.).
  • The junior was named to the All-Tournament team.
  • The Colgate, Wisconsin native is collecting her first career Offensive Player of the Week accolade and is earning the first for Luther since 2018.
Volleyball – Defensive Player of the Week19456
Colleen Kenney, Central College
So., Libero, Taylor Ridge, Ill./Rock Island Alleman
  • Sophomore, Colleen Kenney, helped lead the Dutch to a 4-0 week at the Raleigh Invitational in Raleigh, North Carolina.
  • Central picked up wins over St. Mary’s (3-0), Guilford (3-0), Piedmont (3-0), and William Peace (3-2).
  • She recorded 64 digs, 12 assists, and four service aces for the invite.
  • Kenney’s best match came against William Peace where she averaged 5.80 digs per set.
  • The Dutch will next be seen on the court when they travel to Dubuque for Loras’ tournament. Central are set to play St. Olaf, Monmouth, and Westminster.
  • Central’s record sits at 7-1.
  • The Taylor Ridge, Illinois native is picking up her first career Player of the Week honor.
 
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