CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Simpson College women’s volleyball student-athlete Hannah Jansen and Luther College football student-athlete Sean Mecalfe have been named American Rivers Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending October 5, 2025. The A-R-C weekly awards are nominated and voted on by the league’s sports information departments. The conference office then selects the female and male athletes of the week based upon sport performers of the week.
Female Athlete of the Week - Women’s Volleyball - Defensive Performer of the Week - Hannah Jansen (Muscatine, Iowa/Muscatine), Simpson College
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Jansen played a pivotal role in Simpson winning two five-set battles in conference action against Central and Nebraska Wesleyan.
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She averaged 5.7 digs per set, recording 27 against the Dutch and 30 against the Prairie Wolves.
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Simpson begins league play 3-0 for the first time since 2009.
Male Athlete of the Week - Football - Special Teams Player of the Week - Sean Medcalfe (), Luther College
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Medcalfe set a new school record for the longest field goal in school history at 51 yards.
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The previous record had stood since 1988.
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He punted seven times for 230 yards.
Men’s Cross Country - Runner of the Week - Isaac Bourne (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls), Loras College
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Bourne finished in third place out of 407 runners at the Paul Short Invitational.
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He finished with a time of 24:25.1.
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The Duhawks finished in eighth with 283 team points.
Women’s Cross Country - Runner of the Week - Peyton Steffen (Marion, Iowa/Marion), Central College
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Steffen finished second out of 199 runners at the Dan Huston Invitational over the weekend.
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She crossed the finish line with a time of 21:55.3 in the 6K event.
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The Dutch won the event as a team with 61 team points.
Football - Defensive Player of the Week - Tyler Ragan (Flagstaff, Ariz./Coconino), Luther College
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Ragan recorded eight solo tackles and five assisted tackles for a total of 13, which marks his fourth game with ten or more tackles.
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He picked off his first career interception and picked up a forced fumble.
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He leads the Norse in tackles so far this season.
Football - Offensive Player of the Week - Jase Grunder (Tampico, Ill./Prophetstown), Central College
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Grunder averaged over eight yards per carry.
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He totaled 241 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the Dutch win.
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His yard total is the sixth-highest single-game total in program history.
Women’s Golf - Golfer of the Week - Brooke Stellmaker (Victoria, Minn./Chanhassen), Buena Vista University
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Stellmaker fired a round of 77 and took runner-up honors at the Waldorf Fall Challenge.
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The Beavers finished second as a team, 11 shots back of the champion.
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This was Stellmaker’s second straight top-three finish and her score matched her season-low heading into the conference championship.
Men’s Soccer - Defensive Performer of the Week - Aitor Lopez (Madrid, Spain/The Kiski School), Luther College
Men’s Soccer - Offensive Performer of the Week - Sep Heerkens (Tilburg, Netherlands/Koning Willem 2 College), Loras College
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Heerkens scored two goals on the week, one of which was the game winner in the 3-2 win over Wisconsin-Whitewater.
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Additionally, he dished out three assists, for a final total of seven points on the week.
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He is the team leader in points with 19.
Women’s Soccer - Defensive Performer of the Week - Ivy Wessel (Rosemount, Minn.), Rosemount), Loras College
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Wessel was responsible for two shutouts on the week.
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She was a key part of the back line as she helped hold opponents to a combined eight shots against.
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She scored the game-winning goal in the 5-0 win over Buena Vista, which was also her first collegiate goal of her career.
Women’s Soccer - Offensive Performer of the Week - Belle Johnson (Wauconda, Ill./Wauconda), Loras College
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Johnson scored one goal and had two assists on the week.
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She recorded back-to-back assists on the 3-0 win over Wisconsin-Whitewater, the first of which was the game-winning goal.
Women’s Tennis - Performer of the Week - Sophia Fain (Waterloo, Iowa/Columbus), Coe College
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Fain had a perfect 6-0 week in the week leading up to the A-R-C Individual Tournament.
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The Kohawks picked up conference wins over Buena Vista, Loras, and Nebraska Wesleyan.
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She defeated her singles opponents 6-4, 6-3; 6-3, 6-3; 6-1, 6-1 to improve to 7-0 for conference matches.
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In doubles, Fain partnered with Alice Tysoe for a pair of wins at No. 1 and picked up another win at No. 2.
Women’s Volleyball - Offensive Performer of the Week - Maddy Maahs (Epworth, Iowa/Western Dubuque), Coe College
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Maahs had an impressive week for the Kohawks as they picked up two 3-1 wins over Luther and Wisconsin-Platteville.
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She averaged 11.13 assists per set, totaling 89 on the week.
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Maahs also added six kills and four service aces.
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Maahs stands 13th in Division III in total assists and 21st in assists per set.
Weekly Report
Central and Wartburg remain undefeated in football standings.
The Luther Norse women’s tennis program wrapped up its 34th conference regular season title over the weekend. The Norse will earn the No. 1 seed in the spring team tournament with an automatic qualifier on the line.
The A-R-C is early in the conference soccer season. On the men’s side, Central, Loras, and Nebraska Wesleyan all sit at 1-0-1. On the women’s side, Univ. of Dubuque, Loras, and Simpson remain perfect at 2-0.
Univ. of Dubuque and Simpson remain unblemished in conference action so far.
Championship Central: The first championship for the 2025-26 academic year is in the books with the Men’s Tennis Individual Tournament over this past weekend in Waverly, Iowa and Waterloo, Iowa. The next championship on the docket is Women’s Tennis Individual Tournament (October 10-11) and Women’s Golf (October 11-13). The full 2025-26 championship calendar can be found here: https://tr.ee/xwew1v
Fall Sport Standings: Football | Men’s Soccer | Women’s Soccer | Women’s Volleyball | Women’s Tennis
Watch all A-R-C action on the American Rivers Sports Network.
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About the American Rivers Conference
Nationally respected for excellence in NCAA Division III athletics, the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) has a tradition dating back to its founding in 1922 as the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association and adopted its current name in 2018 to reflect its strong Iowa roots and growing regional footprint. The A-R-C is a collaborative community that champions the holistic development of student-athletes, uniting member institutions in a shared commitment to academic achievement, athletic distinction, and leadership.
The A-R-C is home to nine full-time member institutions: Buena Vista University, Central College, Coe College, University of Dubuque, Loras College, Luther College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Simpson College, and Wartburg College. Luther College has announced its departure from the conference, effective at the conclusion of the 2025–26 academic year.
