Athletes of the Week & Weekly Report Announced by A-R-C - January 19, 2026

1/19/2026 3:55:00 PM

By: Ali Wilson, A-R-C Assistant Commissioner

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Loras College women’s track & field student-athlete Keelee Leitzen and Wartburg College men’s track & field student-athlete AJ Wright have been named American Rivers Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending January 18, 2026. 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 Track & Field - Track Performer of the Week - Keelee Leitzen (Dubuque, Iowa/Hempstead), Loras College
  • Leitzen competed at the Bumble Rumble over the weekend. 
  • She posted a time of 1:35.69 in the 600m to finish first out of five runners. Her time broke the school record and shaves 1.5 seconds off the previous mark in 2022. 
  • Leitzen was the anchor in the 4x400m relay team that finished first place by over ten seconds and currently ranks second in Division III. 
Male Athlete of the Week - Men’s Track & Field - Track Performer of the Week - AJ Wright (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa City High), Wartburg College
  • Wright set a new meet record at the Chelsey Henkenius Invite at Wartburg over the weekend in the 60m.
  • He crossed the finish line in 6.83 to finish first out of 35 competitors. 
  • Wright stands ninth in Division III so far this season and first in Wartburg program history. 
Men’s Basketball - Performer of the Week - Cam Henderson (Madison, Wis./Madison East), Simpson College
  • Henderson averaged 27.5 points per game as the Storm swept the week with wins over Central and University of Dubuque. 
  • His 31 points over Central was a new career-high. 
  • He shot efficiently going 20-for-30 from the floor and 6-for-10 from deep. 
Women’s Basketball - Performer of the Week - Natalie Beaver (Hayfield, Minn./Hayfield), Luther College
  • Beaver scored 42 points in a 1-1 week for the Norse in conference action. 
  • She posted 16 points in the overtime win over Loras and 26 versus Buena Vista, just one point shy of her season high. 
  • She recorded 19 rebounds and three blocks on the week. 
  • She now leads the team with 242 points this season, averaging 17.3 points per game. 
Men’s Track & Field - Field Performer of the Week - Dre Jackson (Dixon, Ill./Dixon), Loras College
  • Jackson traveled to the Bumble Rumble at St. Ambrose University over the weekend. 
  • He posted a mark of 17.09m in the shot put to finish first place out of 31 competitors. Additionally, this mark is his season best and ranks third best in Division III this season. 
  • In the weight throw, he posted a mark of 17.37m to finish third out of 31 competitors. 
Women’s Track & Field - Field Performer of the Week - Caitlyn Cox (Des Moines, Iowa/Valley), Loras College
  • Cox and the Duhawks competed at the Bumble Rumble hosted by St. Ambrose University over the weekend. 
  • In the weight throw, she posted a mark of 19.23m to finish first out of 20 competitors. Her mark is a season best and leads all of Division III by over six feet. 
  • She posted a mark of 12.23m in shot put to finish fourth out of 18 competitors. 
Men’s Swimming & Diving - Performer of the Week - Zachary Cantorna (Colorado Springs, Colo./Lewis Palmer), Nebraska Wesleyan
  • Cantorna led Nebraska Wesleyan’s scoring effort at the Grinnell Invitational, helping the Prairie Wolves place fourth out of nine teams in a deep, multi-divisional field. 
  • He finished runner-up in the 1,650 freestyle with a time of 16:33.75. 
  • He added strong point contributions in the 500-freestyle (4:46.26) and 200-freestyle (1:46.46). 
  • He opened the 200 medley relay with a 24.76 split. 
Women’s Swimming & Diving - Performer of the Week - Lydi O’Neil (Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada/Willow Creek Composite), Nebraska Wesleyan
  • O’Neil turned in one of the meet’s most impactful performances at the Grinnell Invitational, helping Nebraska Wesleyan finish second out of 11 teams. 
  • She set the Grinnell Invitational meet record in the 50-freestyle with a preliminary time of 23.85, then followed it with a win in the finals. 
  • She swam on winning relay units in the 200-freestyle relay, 400-medley relay, 200-medley relay, and 400-freestyle relay. 
Men’s Wrestling - Performer of the Week - Patrick Mullen (Naperville, Ill./Immaculate Conception College Prep), Wartburg College
  • Mullen compiled a perfect 5-0 record at the Cliff Keen Mike Duroe Invite to capture the 133lb title.
  • His performance included two pins, two decisions, and a technical fall. Capped by a 4-0 decision over the No. 13-ranked wrestler from Augsburg. 
Women’s Wrestling - Performer of the Week - Jasmine Luedtke (Ottumwa, Iowa/Ottumwa), Wartburg College
  • Luedtke posted a 3-1 record at the Cliff Keen Mike Duroe Invite. 
  • She recorded three first-period pins to secure her runner-up finish. 
  • Her opening three bouts were decided in a combined time of 3:45.
Weekly Report
This Wednesday marks the halfway point of the double round robin schedule for A-R-C basketball programs. Heading into Wednesday evening, the Coe College Kohawks continue to lead the race on the women’s side with a 7-0 record. On the men’s side, Nebraska Wesleyan picked up a win versus Loras. The Prairie wolves sit at 6-1 while the Duhawks sit at 7-1. 
 
Men’s wrestling season will heat up on Saturday with A-R-C duals taking place at the University of Dubuque and Nebraska Wesleyan.
 
Women’s wrestling will become a Division III championship officially during the 2027-28 academic year after being approved by the membership during the 2026 NCAA Convention. A-R-C women’s wrestling programs will take to the mats on Saturday, January 24 in Pella, Iowa for the second A-R-C Women’s Wrestling Championship. 
 
Championship Central: The A-R-C takes a break from conference championship action until January now. The next championship will be women’s wrestling on January 24 in Pella, Iowa. The full 2025-26 championship calendar can be found here: https://tr.ee/xwew1v
 
Winter Sport Standings: Men’s Basketball | Women’s Basketball | Men’s Wrestling 
 
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.