CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The coaches have selected the 2025 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Men’s Tennis postseason awards. These outstanding student-athletes have distinguished themselves throughout the conference season and the fall individual tournament. 
 
Coaches from the conference nominated and selected this year’s all-conference team, recognizing the top performers in both singles and doubles play. In addition to honoring the all-conference team, the release also recognizes the Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coaching Staff of the Year.
 

2024-25 All-American Rivers Conference Men's Tennis Team
Most Valuable Player - Luke Westholder, Luther College
Rookie of the Year- Josh Tiemann, Coe College
Coaching Staff of the Year - Luther College, Head Coach - Adam Strand
Singles	School	Year	Hometown / High School
Jack Briggs	Central College	Fr.	Pella, Iowa/Pella
Ayden Fletcher %	Central College	Sr.	Waukee, Iowa/Waukee
Ivan Burt-Smith & # @	Coe College	Jr.	Selkirk, Scotland/Selkirk
Grant Idoux -h2 -h1	Coe College	Jr.	Lees Summit, Mo./Lees Summit North
Josh Tiemann	Coe College	Fr.	St. Louis, Mo./Oakville
Bryton Short #	Coe College	So.	Metamore, Ill./Metamora Township
Gavin Murrie	University of Dubuque	Jr.	Lindenhurst, Ill./Lakes Community
Diego Mejias	Loras College	Fr.	Carrizal, Venezuela
Joao Benvenutti # @	Luther College	Jr.	Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil/Colegio Saber
Abhay Chhabra	Luther College	Jr.	New Delhi, India/Harvest International School
Luke Westholder ! # @ $ % & ( )	Luther College	Sr.	Edina, Minn./Edina
Jacob Balfany -h1	Nebraska Wesleyan University	Sr.	Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southwest
Doubles	School	Year	Hometown / High School
Ayden Fletcher %	Central College	Sr.	Waukee, Iowa/Waukee
Ivan Burt-Smith & # @	Coe College	Jr.	Selkirk, Scotland/Selkirk
Daniel Rohlman	Coe College	Fr.	Charlotte, N.C./Providence
Jumpei Kasai	Coe College	So.	Ota, Tokoyo/Seikei
Josh Tiemann	Coe College	Fr.	St. Louis, Mo./Oakville
Bryton Short #	Coe College	So.	Metamore, Ill./Metamora Township
Gavin Murrie	University of Dubuque	Jr.	Lindenhurst, Ill./Lakes Community
Joao Benvenutti # @	Luther College	Jr.	Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil/Colegio Saber
Abhay Chhabra	Luther College	Jr.	New Delhi, India/Harvest International School
Luke Westholder ! # @ $ % & ( )	Luther College	Sr.	Edina, Minn./Edina
Eli Young	Luther College	Sr.	Tiffin, Iowa/Clear Creek Amana
Jacob Balfany -h1	Nebraska Wesleyan University	Sr.	Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southwest
Honorable Mention	School	Year	Hometown / High School
Benny Ramker	Central College	Fr.	Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock
AJ Wilkins @	Central College	Sr.	Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell
Graham Peterson -h3 % &	Coe College	Sr.	Lincoln, Neb./Southeast
Gage Becker # @	Loras College	Jr.	Yankton, S.D.
Juan Hernandez -h1	Luther College	So.	Bogota, Columbia/Coegio San Mateo Apostol
Ricky Portilla & -h1	Luther College	Sr.	Quito, Ecuador/Colegio Pachamama
Sam Rademacher	Nebraska Wesleyan University	So.	Kearney, Neb./Kearney
Gavin Nichols	Nebraska Wesleyan University	Fr.	Platte City, Mo./Platte County
Jeff Miller	Wartburg College	Sr.	Council Bluffs, Iowa/St. Albert
Previous Honors
! - 2024 Most Valuable Player
# - 2024 All-Conference (singles)
@ 2024 All-Conference (doubles)
-h1 - 2024 Honorable Mention
$ - 2023 Most Valuable Player
% - 2023 All-Conference (singles)
& - 2023 All-Conference (doubles)
-h2 - 2023 Honorable Mention
( - 2022 All-Conference (singles)
) - 2022 All-Conference (doubles)
-h3 - 2022 Honorable Mention

 
 
The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced today that Luther College’s Luke Westholder has been selected Men’s Tennis Player of the Year for the 2025 season. Coe’s Josh Tiemann has been named the inaugural Rookie of the Year and Luther head coach Adam Strand and his staff were voted American Rivers Coaching Staff of the Year. In addition to the major awards, the conference announced the 2025 All-Conference team. 
 
In his 14th year as head coach, Adam Strand and his staff led the Norse to a perfect 8-0 regular season conference record and an American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Tournament title for the sixth straight year. The regular season title was the 36th in program history and the tournament title was the 11th in school history. With the championship, Luther earned the league’s automatic berth to the 2025 NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Tournament. This is the sixth time under the direction of Strand that Luther has won Coaching Staff of the Year honors. The Norse now have 24 men’s tennis Coach of the Year accolades since the award was first presented in 1975. The previous head coaches earning the award include: Rich Leake (12), Brian Huinker (6), and Paul Solberg (1). 
 
Westholder, a senior, is earning his third Player of the Year honor. He is the ninth player to earn player of the year honors, joining Rolf Wulfsberg (1967-1969), Bob Frost (1971, 1973, 1974), Jeff Renken (1975-1976), Tom Wolte (1987), Sujay Lama (1989-1992), Chris Rovn (1993, 1995), Christian Klein (2006), Max Busch (2007), and Scott Sundstrom (2009, 2011-2012). Westholder earned his way to the all-conference singles and doubles teams for the fourth-consecutive year. He tallied an overall record of 14-5 at No. 1 singles, including a 5-0 mark in conference action. At No. 1 doubles, he posted a mark of 19-9 overall and a 4-1 record in conference action. 
 
Josh Tiemann of Coe College is earning the honor of Rookie of the Year, this awards first year. In the fall, Tiemann won the B-Flight at the A-R-C Individual Tournament. He posted an 18-1 overall record throughout the spring season. 
 
Joining Westholder as all-conference singles honorees are teammates Joao Benvenutti and Abhay Chhabra. Benvenutti and Chhabra also earned doubles all-conference honors with Eli Young. The Norse finished the 2024-25 regular season with a 19-5 overall record and a perfect 8-0 mark in league action. 
 
Representing the Central College Dutch on the all-conference singles team is Jack Briggs and Ayden Fletcher. Briggs, in his first season, is earning his first all-conference honor while Fletcher is earning his second singles honor. Additionally, Fletcher was named to the all-conference doubles team for the first time in his career. The Dutch finished the season wtih an overall record of 11-12 overall and 6-2 in A-R-C action. 
 
Coe is heavily represented this season, with four earning singles distinctions and five earning honors in doubles. In singles, Ivan Burt-Smith, Grant Idoux, Josh Tiemann, and Bryton Short earned honors after a successful spring. Burt-Smith, Tiemann, and Short also earned doubles honors with teammates Daniel Rohlman and Jumpei Kasai. The Kohawks finished the regular season 18-9 overall and 7-1 in conference play. 
 
Diejo Mejias is earning all-conference honors for the Loras Duhawks this season. Mejias is earning honors at singles for the first time in his career. Loras finished their season with an overall record of 8-12 and 3-5 in the A-R-C.
 
Gavin Murrie represents the Spartans of the University of Dubuque this season. This is Murrie’s first all-conference honor in his career, and he is earning this honor at singles. UD finished the season 10-11 overall and 2-6 in the conference. 
 
Nebraska Wesleyan’s Jacob Balfany rounds out the all-conference list this season, earning honors at both singles and doubles. The Prairie Wolves finished the regular season with a 6-9 overall record and went 4-4 in conference action.