WAVERLY, Iowa – For the 32nd time in the last 33 seasons, and the 42nd time in program history, the Wartburg College Knights men’s wrestling team has won the conference title. The Knights officially claimed the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) title last Friday with a 33-9 victory over the Coe College Kohawks. Wartburg was presented the trophy this evening following its 20-15 win over Loras College. The Knights finished a perfect 8-0 in conference duals this season.
It took a strong last few matches, including a fall from Massoma Endene in his final appearance in Levick, for the Knights to pull out their eighth conference victory for the 2025 season and win their 42nd conference title in program history.
All nine A-R-C squads have their eyes on February 28 - March 1, where wrestlers will vie for one of the top three spots at the Division III Region VI Men’s Wrestling Regional Championship, which punches their ticket to the 2025 NCAA Division III Championships. This year’s Region VI Championship is being hosted at the Alliant Energy Powerhouse in Cedar Rapids for the second consecutive season.
In total, 210 qualifiers will emerge from seven regionals to line up inside the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island for the 2025 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship. This year’s championship is being hosted by Johnson & Wales University and Roger Williams University and will take place Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15.
No. 2 Wartburg (14-2 overall, 8-0 A-R-C) - 20
No. 12 Loras (13-7 overall, 5-3 A-R-C) - 15
125lbs: No. 13 Connor Fiser (Loras) defeated Brett Birchman (Wartburg) - 5-3 Decision
133lbs: No. 12 Aiden Evans (Loras) defeated No. 10 Josh Gervey (Wartburg) - 9-6 Decision
141lbs: Tommy Thongseng (Wartburg) defeated Kolten Crawford (Loras) - 8-7 Decision
149lbs: No. 7 Kyler Romero (Wartburg) defeated Chase Fiser (Loras) - 6-1 Decision
157lbs: No. 9 Eric Kinkaid (Loras) defeated No. 5 Blain Christie (Wartburg) - 4-0 Decision
165lbs: No. 6 Dustin Bohren (Loras) defeated Nathan Fuller (Wartburg) - 5-2 Decision
174lbs: No. 3 Zeb Gnida (Loras) defeated No. 14 Matt Rogge (Wartburg) - 4-1 Decision
184lbs: No. 2 Kasey Ross (Wartburg) defeated Landry Barker (Loras) - 15-0 Tech Fall
197lbs: No. 1 Massoma Endene (Wartburg) defeated Alex Watson (Loras) - Fall in 1:28
285lbs: No. 5 Mitchell Williamson (Wartburg) defeated Jonah Clark (Loras) - 2-0 Decision
*NWCA Rankings as of February 7, 2025
| American Rivers Conference Men’s Wrestling Standings |
| School |
A-R-C |
Overall |
| No. 2 Wartburg |
8-0 |
14-2 |
| No. 17 Central |
6-2 |
11-4 |
| No. 12 Loras |
5-2 |
13-7 |
| No. 10 Coe |
5-2 |
5-2 |
| No. 16 Luther |
5-3 |
13-6 |
| Dubuque |
3-4 |
8-7 |
| Nebraska Wesleyan |
2-6 |
3-8 |
| Simpson |
1-7 |
1-7 |
| Buena Vista |
0-8 |
0-11 |
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.
