Female Athlete of the Week – Softball – Pitcher of the Week – Elise Warneke (Bennington, Neb./Bennington), Nebraska Wesleyan University
Warneke tossed a no-hitter against Grinnell, striking out five and walking two over 5.0 innings. She had a complete game win earlier in the week against No. 21, NAIA, Midland. She allowed just three hits and two runs while striking out four. She finished the week with a 0.67 ERA, 0.42 WHIP, and nine strikeouts over 12 innings of work. She held opponents to a .083 batting average. She improved to 10-2 overall this season from the circle.
Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Midland 4-2
Nebraska Wesleyan lost to Midland 0-1
Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Grinnell 12-0
Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Grinnell 9-0
Male Athlete of the Week – Baseball – Position Player of the Week – Drew Taylor (Redfield, Iowa/Panorama), Buena Vista University
Taylor posted a .636 batting average, going 7-for-11 with nine runs and one RBI. He had multi-hit games in all three conference games over the weekend.
Buena Vista defeated Luther 4-0
Buena Vista defeated Luther 6-5
Buena Vista defeated Luther 7-3
Baseball - Pitcher of the Week – Emerson Alberhasky (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny Centennial), Wartburg College
Alberhasky had a dominant start during his third career start on Saturday when he went 8.0 innings. He struck out 13 batters, including five looking. He allowed no earned runs and just two hits were allowed. Alberhasky moved to 2-1 in career starts now.
Wartburg lost to Simpson 4-7
Wartburg defeated Simpson 17-9
Wartburg defeated Simpson 9-1
Men’s Tennis Performer of the Week – Kellen Jones (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny), Wartburg College
Jones went 2-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles on Saturday against Illinois College and Central College, both in non-conference matches. He picked up a 6-3, 7-5 win at No. 5 singles over Grayson Dupre of Illinois College. He earned his second win at No. 5 singles over Brody Ferrell of Central, 6-2, 6-4. He paired up with Logan Augustine at No. 1 doubles to earn a 6-2 win over Illinois College and 6-1 win over Central.
Wartburg lost to Illinois College 3-4
Wartburg defeated Central 7-0
Softball – Position Player of the Week – Megan Heidelbauer (Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar), Simpson College
Heidelbauer went 18-for-35 (.516) with five home runs and 17 RBIs. She tallied 71 putouts as the first baseman for the Storm as they competed at the Spring Games in Florida.
Simpson defeated University of New England 6-4
Simpson defeated Plattsburgh 10-1
Simpson defeated Southern Maine 5-1
Simpson defeated Hamline 7-4
Simpson defeated Fredonia 9-0
Simpson defeated No. 16 Wisconsin-Stevens Point 6-5
Simpson defeated Wisconsin-Stout 5-3
Simpson defeated Macalester 9-5
Simpson defeated Old Westbury 8-2
Simpson defeated Amherst 3-1
Weekly Report
Loras College’s Anna Durak became the first All-American swimmer in American Rivers Conference history, since adding the sport in the league in the 2022-23 academic year, at the 2025 NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships. She broke her previous all-time conference record in the 200 IM as well.
The baseball conference season kicked off over the weekend. Buena Vista is off to a perfect 3-0 start in league action.
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.
