CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Wartburg College football player Hunter Clasen (Springbrook, Iowa/Bellevue) and University of Dubuque women’s golfer Brooke Bunjes (Rockford, Ill./Rockford Lutheran) have been named American Rivers Athletes of the Week for the week ending Monday, September 4, 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 Golf – Golfer of the Week
Brooke Bunjes, University of Dubuque
Sr., Rockford, Ill./Rockford Lutheran

• Bunjes took home medalist honors at the Coe College Kohawk Classic in Cedar Falls, Iowa at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course
• The Spartans finished 1^st out of 12 teams scoring a two-day total of 312-302-614 while also setting a new school record for lowest 18-hole round (302).
• The senior shot rounds of 76-71-147, four shots clear of second place.
• Bunjes’ round of 71 is the new lowest individual round in school history.
• She has earned All-Conference all three seasons, with her top finish coming in 2021 when she finished runner-up.
• Dubuque will be back on the course on Saturday and Sunday at the Wartburg Invite at Prairie Links Golf Course in Waverly, Iowa.
• This marks the Rockford, Illinois native’s second career Golfer of the Week honor.

Male Athlete of the Week – Football – Offensive Player of the Week
Hunter Clasen, Wartburg College
5^th Year, RB, Springbrook, Iowa/Bellevue

• Clasen led the No. 3-ranked Wartburg Knights to a 62-35 win over Monmouth College on Saturday night.
• The fifth year running back ran for 247 yards while recording six touchdowns.
• Clasen’s six touchdowns broke a 26-year-old school record for most rushing touchdowns in a game.
• In addition, Clasen caught two passes for a total of five yards in the victory.
• The fifth year also set a new career mark in rushing yards.
• The No. 3 Wartburg Knights will travel to St. Paul, Minnesota this weekend to face-off with No. 16-ranked Bethel University.
• The 2022 A-R-C Offensive Most Valuable Player, Clasen is now a two-time All-Conference performer, in addition to being named Honorable Mention in 2019.
• The Springbrook native is earning his second Offensive Player of the Week honor (9/5/23, 10/11/22).

Men’s Cross Country – Runner of the Week
Spencer Moon, Simpson College
Sr., Lake City, Iowa/South Central Calhoun

• Moon finished first out of 51 runners with a time of 17:34.5 (6k) at the Bill Buxton Invitational at Pickard Park in Indianola, Iowa.
• The senior helped (RV) Simpson claim victory in the season-opening meet.
• He finished 1:38.6 ahead of second place.
• This marks Moon’s second-career Runner of the Week honor. Additionally, the Lake City native has been named Outdoor Track Performer of the Week once in his career (4/24/23).
• Moon is a three-time All-Conference performer while also adding a tenth-place finish at nationals in 2022.

Women’s Cross Country – Runner of the Week
Caroline McMartin, Central College
Sr., Pella, Iowa/Pella

• McMartin finished first out of 57 runners with a time of 18:19.8 (5k), 24 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher at the Central Dutch Invitational.
• No. 21-ranked Central won the team title with 25 points.
• McMartin is a three-time All-Conference performer.
• The Central College Dutch will be in action this Saturday at Grinnell College’s Les Duke Invitational.
• The Pella native is collecting her fourth-career Runner of the Week award (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 Week
Parker Rochford, Wartburg College
Jr., DB, Edgewood, Iowa/Edgewood-Colesburg

• Rochford led the No. 3-ranked Wartburg Knights defense to a 62-35 win over Monmouth College on Saturday night.
• The junior recorded three interceptions including one that he returned for a touchdown.
• Rochford tied his career high in interceptions, which also tied the single game school record which he previously tied last season.
• Additionally, Rochford had five total tackles on the day to go along with three pass breakups.
• The No. 3 Wartburg Knights will travel to St. Paul, Minnesota this weekend to face-off with No. 16-ranked Bethel University.
• Rochford is a 2022 First Team All-Conference performer.
• The Edgewood native is picking up his second Defensive Player of the Week honor (9/5/23, 9/26/22).

Football – Special Teams Player of the Week
Scott Talmadge, Loras College
Jr., Kicker, Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny

• Talmadge was a vital part for the Duhawks picking up a win over Benedictine on Saturday in a 42-41 thriller.
• The junior went a perfect six-for-six on extra point attempts and sealed the deal for Loras with the game winning PAT.
• He recorded seven kickoffs, totaling 332 yards.
• The Duhawks will travel to Holland, Michigan for their week two match-up against Hope.
• The Ankeny native is garnering his third Special Teams Player of the Week honor in his career (10/4/21, 9/26/22, 9/5/23).

Men’s Soccer – Defensive Player of the Week
Curtis Ratzer, Wartburg College
Sr., D, Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy

• Ratzer helped lead the Wartburg Knights to a 2-0 week to start their 2023 campaign.
• In a 3-2 comeback win over Milwaukee School of Engineering, Ratzer played all 90 minutes as the Knights defense allowed just three shots on goal in the second half to secure the victory.
• Ratzer was a main piece of the defense in a 4-0 shutout against Cornell College while also recording two shots on goal in the contest.
• The Wartburg Knights are in action tonight, Tuesday, as they host the College of St. Scholastica.
• The senior defender was a 2022 Honorable Mention performer.
• The Cedar Rapids native is picking up his second-career Defensive Player of the Week honors (9/5/23, 9/19/22).

Men’s Soccer – Offensive Player of the Week
Owen Glogowski, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Fr., M, Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep

• As a freshman, Glogowski started as a midfielder and helped guide the Prairie Wolves to a 1-0-1 start in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
• Nebraska Wesleyan started their season with a 2-0 victory over Lake Forest College before tying 2-2 with Pacific Lutheran University.
• Glogowski recorded the game-winning assist in the victory over Lake Forest, a 2022 NCAA Division III Tournament Qualifier.
• Playing another 2022 NCAA Tournament Qualifying team in Pacific Lutheran, Glogowski had two shots on goal, with one of them finding the back of the net to bring the score even.
• The Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves are back in action on Wednesday, when they play host to Dordt University.
• This is the Omaha, Nebraska native’s first-career Offensive Player of the Week honor.

Women’s Soccer – Defensive Player of the Week
Zoey Sizemore, Central College
Fr., GK, Omaha, Neb./Mercy

• Sizemore opened her college career helping the Dutch go 1-0-1 in the opening weekend.
• The Dutch began the season with a 2-0 victory over St. Mary’s (Ind.) and tied (1-1) with Hope (Mich.).
• She was seen as the goalkeeper for all 90 minutes in each contest accounting for 22 saves with 17 of those coming against Hope while facing 43 shots.
• The freshman only gave up one goal on 43 shots faced.
• The Dutch head north to Northwestern-St. Paul on Wednesday.
• The Omaha, Nebraska native is earning her first-career Defensive Player of the Week award.

Women’s Soccer – Offensive Player of the Week
Cassie Nash, Simpson College
Sr., F, Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southeast

• Nash was responsible for all five goals scored by Simpson College in a 2-0 week.
• The Simpson Storm defeated Illinois Wesleyan University (2-0) and Gustavus Adolphus College (3-1).
• The senior forward provided both assists in the 2-0 victory over Illinois Wesleyan University.
• In her second contest of the season, Nash registered her first hat trick, scoring all three goals against Gustavus Adolphus.
• Taking just eight shots on the week, Nash placed five on target.
• The Simpson Storm are in action again on Wednesday, as they host Carleton College.
• Nash was the 2022 A-R-C Offensive MVP in addition to earning her third All-Conference honor.
• The Lincoln, Nebraska native is garnering her sixth-career Offensive Player of the Week honor (9/5/23, 10/31/22, 10/24/22, 10/17/22, 9/12/22, 9/27/21).

Women’s Tennis – Player of the Week
Natalia Smith, Luther College
Sr., Littleton, Colo./Chatfield

• Smith went 3-0 at No. 1 doubles en route to the Warhawk Invite doubles title.
• Smith paired up with Sofia Sackett in all three matches.
• The duo took down Courtney Carpenter/Alysa Paltee of UW-Oshkosh 8-2 and Shelby Roth/Hannah Cady of UW-La Crosse 8-6 in the opening two matches.
• In the final match of the invite, the pair defeated the UW-Whitewater team of Kellie Hal/Molly Asfeld, 8-4.
• The Norse finished in third place out of eight teams.
• Smith and her team will be back on the court today, September 5 as they open conference action against Dubuque.
• The Littleton, Colorado native is collecting her first-career Player of the Week honor.

Volleyball – Offensive Player of the Week
Emma Powell, University of Dubuque
Sr., OH, Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott

• University of Dubuque outside hitter, Emma Powell, helped lead the Spartans to a 4-0 weekend at the Ripon College Classic.
• The senior was named to the All-Tournament team for her performance over the 4 contests.
• In the 3-2 victory over Martin Luther College, Powell recorded 23 kills with a hitting percentage of .304, while also recording 17 digs and two blocks.
• The Spartans then defeated UW-Superior 3-1 in game two of the tournament. Powell had a hitting percentage of .308 while recording 19 kills. Additionally, the outside hitter had 21 digs throughout the four sets.
• Powell and the Spartans started Saturday off hot with a 3-0 win over Mount Mary University. The senior for Dubuque recorded just 15 kills with just two errors to bring her hitting percentage to .565.
• In the final contest of the weekend, Dubuque defeated Milwaukee School of Engineering 3-1. Powell tallied 16 kills while compiling a hitting percentage of .268. Additionally, the senior outside hitter had three aces and 17 digs.
• The Dubuque Spartans will be in action again on Wednesday, when they travel to Mount Vernon, Iowa to take on the Cornell College Rams.
• Powell is a two-time All-Conference performer, in addition to picking up Honorable Mention accolades in the 2020 (Spring 2021) Season.
• The Eldridge native is collecting her second-career Offensive Player of the Week accolade (9/5/23, 10/25/21).

Volleyball – Defensive Player of the Week
Sara Hoskins, Loras College
Jr., S, Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley

• Junior Sara Hoskins helped lead the Duhawks to a 2-1 week, with the lone loss to Wisconsin Lutheran.
• The Loras setter tallied 26 digs and eight blocks over the weekend.
• Additionally, Hoskins dealt nine service aces, which tied for the team lead this weekend.
• The junior for the Duhawks also recorded 10 kills on 22 attempts.
• Hoskins dished up 71 assists on the weekend to help the Duhawks to a 3-1 start to regular season play.
• Hoskins is a two-time Honorable Mention performer.
• The Bettendorf, Iowa native is picking up her first career Player of the Week honor.