Co-Female Athlete of the Week – Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Track Performer of the Week – Peyton Steffen (Marion, Iowa/Marion), Central College
Steffen competed at the A-R-C Outdoor Track & Field Championships over the weekend and ended with the honor of Most Valuable Track Performer following her performance. She claimed three individual titles, taking the top of the podium in the 1,500m run, 5,000m run, and the 3,000m steeplechase. Steffen set a new facility record while beating her personal best time to win in 10:33.21.
Co-Female Athlete of the Week – Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Field Performer of the Week – Harmony Creasy (Davenport, Iowa/Pleasant Valley), Loras College
Creasy had a strong showing at the 2025 A-R-C Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Following the completion of the championship, she was honored with Most Valuable Field Performer. Creasy found herself on the podium three times, taking second in long jump, second in triple jump, and was a member of the winning 4x100m relay team. Creasy finished the long jump with a mark of 5.51m and the triple jump with a mark of 11.77m. As a member of the Duhawks 4x100m relay team, they set a season best time of 46.72 to claim the title.
Co-Male Athlete of the Week – Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Track Performer of the Week – Otis Patterson (Chicago, Ill./Harold L. Richards), University of Dubuque
Patterson was named A-R-C Most Valuable Track Performer following the A-R-C Championships over the weekend. Patterson came home with two titles and one second-place finish. Patterson won the 400m run with a time of 47.30. In the 200m run, he took home a second place with a personal best time of 21.36. Patterson was also a member of the Spartans 4x400m relay team that set a facility record of 3:11.49.
Co-Male Athlete of the Week – Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Track Performer of the Week – Ulysses Patterson (Clinton, Iowa/Clinton), Simpson College
Patterson had a strong showing at the 2025 A-R-C Outdoor Track & Field Championships and following the completion of the championship, he was honored as Most Valuable Field Performer. He competed in the decathlon where he finished first with 6,729 points.
Baseball - Pitcher of the Week – Dylan Johnson (Papillion, Neb./LaVista South), Buena Vista University
Johnson picked up a pair of wins in relief during the A-R-C Tournament to help the Beavers secure the title and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. He improved to 4-0 on the year over 17 relief appearances and has a 1.78 ERA in 30.1 innings of work.
Buena Vista defeated Wartburg 5-4 (10 inn.)
Buena Vista defeated Coe 3-0
Buena Vista defeated Nebraska Wesleyan 8-7
Baseball – Position Player of the Week – Jake Gerardis (Prosper, Texas/McKinney Christian), Nebraska Wesleyan University
Gerardis batted a remarkable .555 across five tournament games this past weekend, helping the sixth-seeded P-Wolves reach the A-R-C Championship game. He launched two home runs and drove in nine RBIs.
Nebraska Wesleyan lost to Luther 6-2
Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Simpson 10-2
Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Wartburg 8-3
Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Luther 6-5
Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Coe 6-5
Nebraska Wesleyan lost to Buena Vista 8-7
Softball – Pitcher of the Week – Elise Warneke (Bennington, Neb./Bennington), Nebraska Wesleyan University
Warneke posted a perfect 3-0 record while pitching complete games in all three tournament wins, leading the P-Wolves to their first A-R-C tournament title in program history. She allowed just 16 hits across 21.0 innings while striking out seven batters.
Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Luther 5-1
Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Wartburg 4-3
Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Central 5-1
Softball – Position Player of the Week – Taylor Korecky (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southwest), Nebraska Wesleyan University
Korecky provided consistent offensive production for the P-Wolves on their historic championship run. She delivered a clutch two-run triple against Wartburg in the semifinal game, providing early momentum in the eventual 4-3 victory.
Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Luther 5-1
Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Wartburg 4-3
Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Central 5-1
Weekly Report
The 2025 A-R-C Baseball and Softball Tournaments did not disappoint over the last weekend. The third-seeded Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves claimed the automatic bid after defeating Luther, Wartburg, and Central to win the softball tournament. The regular season champion and top-seeded Buena Vista Beavers claimed the baseball title after going undefeated during the tournament.
The NCAA announced the tournament fields for softball on Monday morning where four A-R-C teams heard their name called. Central, Nebraska Wesleyan, Simpson, and Wartburg will all be traveling for the regional round this weekend. On the baseball side, Buena Vista found out they will be headed to La Crosse, Wisconsin for regionals this weekend.
The Wartburg College Knights claimed both the men’s and women’s outdoor track & field titles over the weekend. This was the 25th conference title for the women’s program and 13th for the men’s program.
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.
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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.
