Female Athlete of the Week – Women's Indoor Track & Field - Track Performer of the Week - EMMA SEIPEL, Loras College
Seipel competed at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Multi event. The Duhawks finished fourth out of nine teams. She ran the 60m dash and competed in the long jump. In the 60m dash, she finished with a time of 7.61 and finished second out of seven competitors. This time stands third in Loras program history and second nationally. In the long jump, Seipel finished with a mark of 5.98m and finished first out of 23 competitors. This mark stands atop Division III currently.
Male Athlete of the Week – Men's Indoor Track & Field - Track Performer of the Week - JOE FRANKE, Loras College
Franke is picking up track performer of the week honors after competing at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Multi. The Duhawks finished second out of eight teams. Franke ran the 800m race in a time of 1:52.61 and finished first out of 14 competitors. His time currently stands as the top time in Division III so far this season.
Men’s Basketball Player of the Week – ZANE NEUBAUM, Buena Vista University
Neubaum led the Beavers to two conference victories on the week. He averaged 19.5 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game, and 1.5 steals per game. He went 12-for-23 from the floor and 9-for-11 from the free throw line. Neubaum surpassed 1,600 career points in the game over Coe.
Buena Vista defeated Central 73-71
Buena Vista defeated Coe 63-60
Women’s Basketball Player of the Week – TAYLOR BRUNSON, Coe College
Brunson had an impressive week on the hard surface for the Kohawks as she totaled 60 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and five steals in a 2-0 week in conference action. She was 25-for-42 from the floor and 8-for-9 from the charity stripe.
Coe defeated Simpson 73-66
Coe defeated Buena Vista 73-61
Men’s Swimming & Diving Performer of the Week – JAY CEPERLEY, Simpson College
Ceperley tied the Simpson school record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 54.38. He anchored the 800 freestyle relay that broke the school record by 11 seconds, a time of 7:33.49 to propel the Storm to a fourth place team finish.
Women’s Swimming & Diving Performer of the Week – ANNA DURAK, Loras College
Durak won the 100 backstroke at the Wheaton Invite, with a national qualifying time of 55.53. She additionally placed second in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:08.06.
Men's Indoor Track & Field - Field Performer of the Week - DREANTHONY JACKSON, Loras College
Jackson competed at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Multi event this past week where he competed in the shotput and weight throw. In the shotput, Jackson finished with a mark of 16.04m to claim the individual title. This throw currently sits 3rd in the nation. In the weight throw, Jackson set a new personal record with a toss of 15.98m to finish third.
Women's Indoor Track & Field - Field Performer of the Week - CAITLYN COX, Loras College
Cox competed at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Multi event. Loras finished fourth out of nine teams at the event. Cox competed in the weight throw and finished with a mark of 19.08m. She finished first out of 15 competitors and currently sits second best in Division III this season.
Men’s Wrestler of the Week – ZEB GNIDA, Loras College
The No. 11-nationally ranked Loras Duhawks narrowly lost to No. 6 Augsburg University on Thursday, December 5 by a score of 20-15. Gnida, ranked No. 3 in Division III, defeated the fifth-ranked wrestler, Seth Goetzinger, by major decision (15-6) to put the Duhawks up 15-9 heading into the final three bouts.
Women’s Wrestler of the Week – KYLIE RULE, Wartburg College
The No. 25 Wartburg Knights competed against No. 18 Wisconsin-Stevens Point in a dual. Rule won by a 14-11 decision over No. 5 ranked wrestler Ngao Shoua Whitethorn. Rule currently is ranked No. 10 in the 138 pound weight class. The Knights won the dual 25-20.
Weekly Report
The fall season came to a close on Saturday afternoon with Wartburg football falling to Bethel University in the third round of the 2024 NCAA Division III Football Playoffs.
Basketball season continues and on the men's side Buena Vista, Dubuque, and Loras have begun the conference season with a 2-0 start. Nebraska Wesleyan started their conference slate with a win on Saturday. On the women's side, Coe and Wartburg are off to a hot start with a 3-0 conference record.
The indoor track & field season officially has kicked off and the A-R-C is looking forward to another promising season.
The A-R-C partnered with FanWord earlier this summer, an AI storytelling platform, and will be using the platform throughout the academic year to enhance the storytelling of student-athletes, alumni, coaches, and many others. Fans, student-athletes, and coaches are encouraged to contact Ali Wilson, A-R-C Assistant Commissioner, if they have a compelling story.
Don't forget to become a fan of the American Rivers Conference on Facebook @AmericanRiversConference, X (Twitter) @AmerRiversConf, and Instagram @AmericanRiversConference.
About the American Rivers Conference
The Conference dates back to December 8, 1922, when representatives from 12 colleges got together and formed the "Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association." Honoring its heritage in Iowa and its expansion outside the state, the American Rivers Conference brand was established on August 9, 2018, to build on the academic and athletic success provided by its legacy, the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The A-R-C has nine full-time members: Buena Vista University, Central College, Coe College, University of Dubuque, Loras College, Luther College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Simpson College, and Wartburg College.
