CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced the league’s Athletes of the Week for the week ending October 18, 2026. The A-R-C weekly awards are nominated and voted on by the league’s sports information departments.
Men’s Cross Country - Runner of the Week - Isaiah Hammerand (Epworth, Iowa/Western Dubuque), Wartburg College
Hammerand captured first place at the Augustana-hosted Interregional Invite, finishing the race in 23:46.2, the second-fastest time in program history. Hammerand topped a field of 352 runners, crossing the finish line 5.1 seconds ahead of the runner-up to lead the way. The performance also helped the team claim first place out of 37 teams with 64 total points.
Women’s Cross Country - Runner of the Week - Keelee Leitzen (Dubuque, Iowa/Hempstead), Loras College
Leitzen placed fourth at the Augustana-hosted Interregional Invite, finishing the race in 21:09.2. Leitzen crossed the finish line 14.7 seconds behind the race winner to secure a top-five finish in a competitive field. The performance helped Loras finish 18th out of 35 teams.
Football - Defensive Player of the Week - Mike Westbrooks (Northfield, Ohio/Nordonia), University of Dubuque
Westbrooks anchored the Spartans’ defensive effort with nine tackles, including three tackles for loss totaling 17 yards. He recorded a pair of sacks for 11 yards in losses and added two quarterback hurries to pressure the opposing offense.
Football - Offensive Player of the Week - Joey Rhomberg (Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon), University of Dubuque
Rhomberg led the Spartans’ high-powered offense by throwing six touchdown passes and rushing for another score. He completed 22-of-34 pass attempts for 276 yards while adding 44 rushing yards on eight carries, including a one-yard touchdown run. Rhomberg connected with Kali Freeman for four touchdown passes, including a 51-yard score, while also finding Matthew Glennon and Cameron Brown for touchdowns. The Spartans improved to 4-2 overall and remained tied atop the A-R-C standings with a perfect 3-0 conference record.
Football - Special Teams Player of the Week - Shawn Shmidl (Pine Bluffs, Wyo./Pine Bluffs), Simpson College
Shmidl made a pair of key special teams plays to help Simpson gain momentum, recovering an onside kick to open the game before later forcing a fumble on a return. The forced fumble set up the go-ahead touchdown for the Storm in the second quarter, proving to be a pivotal play in the contest.
Women’s Golf - Golfer of the Week - Allie Pfatnz (State Center, Iowa/West Marshall), Central College
Pfantz claimed medalist honors at the 2026 A-R-C Women's Golf Championship. In addition, she was named Golfer of the Year. She posted rounds of 77-82-76 for a three-round total of 235 to best the field by three shots.
Men’s Soccer - Defensive Player of the Week - Luka Tomic (Sioux Falls, S.D./Sioux Falls Lincoln), University of Dubuque
Tomic helped lead the Spartans to a 2-0 week, earning victories over Central (5-2) and Nebraska Wesleyan (2-1) to remain unbeaten in A-R-C play at 4-0. Tomic recorded two assists in the win over Central before scoring the opening goal just five minutes into the match against Nebraska Wesleyan. The Spartans’ 4-0 conference start marks their first since the 2021 season.
Men’s Soccer - Offensive Player of the Week - Joseph Sorce (Park Ridge, Ill./Notre Dame Prep College), Loras College
Sorce led the Duhawks’ offensive attack during a 2-0 week, scoring three goals, including a game-winning goal. Sorce totaled six points and put three shots on goal to help Loras secure a pair of victories. The standout performance provided a major spark for the Duhawks as they continued their season.
Women’s Soccer - Defensive Player of the Week - Elly Andrews (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton), Simpson College
Andrews contributed to Simpson’s offensive success with one goal and one assist during a 2-0 week for the Storm. Andrews helped lead Simpson to a pair of strong performances, including a 3-0 road shutout over Nebraska Wesleyan and a 6-1 win over Coe at home.
Women’s Soccer - Offensive Player of the Week - Emily Bowe (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Center Point-Urbana), Loras College
Bowe led the Loras offense with five goals and one assist during the Duhawks’ 2-0 week. Bowe totaled 11 points and recorded 10 shots across victories over Coe (7-0) and Buena Vista (10-0). The five-goal performance helped fuel Loras’ dominant offensive showing, as the Duhawks outscored their opponents 17-0 over the two matches.
Women’s Volleyball - Defensive Player of the Week - Taylor Bechen (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny Centennial), University of Dubuque
Bechen helped the Spartans remain unbeaten in A-R-C play with two five-set road victories over Nebraska Wesleyan and previously unbeaten Buena Vista. Bechen totaled 58 digs across the two matches, averaging 5.8 digs per set, and added four service aces. The defensive standout continues to lead the A-R-C in total digs while also ranking first among all NCAA Division III players in the category.
Women’s Volleyball - Offensive Player of the Week - Chloe Reiser (Decorah, Iowa/Decorah), University of Dubuque
Reiser led the offensive attack with 36 kills, averaging 3.6 kills per set on 98 total attempts. She also contributed defensively with 21 digs while playing the back line for the Spartans. Reiser helped the Spartans remain unbeaten in A-R-C play with two five-set road victories over Nebraska Wesleyan and previously unbeaten Buena Vista.
Weekly Report
Cross Country: All focus turns to the A-R-C Cross Country Championships now as all teams will rest and prep until October 31 when Buena Vista hosts the conference championship.
Football: Coe, Univ. of Dubuque, and Wartburg all remain untouched in conference action and sit at 3-0. This week, Coe will travel to Simpson, UD will host Wartburg, Loras will travel to Nebraska Wesleyan, and Buena Vista will visit Central.
Women’s Golf: The University of Dubuque Spartans claimed their seventh league title in the last eight seasons last week at Sunnyside Golf & Country Club in Waterloo, Iowa. The Spartans punched their ticket to the NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championship that will be played in May in Williamsburg, Va.
Men’s Soccer: Hitting the midpoint of the conference season, the Univ. of Dubuque and Wartburg remain perfect at 4-0 to lead the way.
Women’s Soccer: Loras and Simpson sit atop the standings as the conference schedule hits the midway point. Both teams are 4-0.
Women’s Volleyball: The Buena Vista Beavers fell for the first time this season to the Univ. of Dubuque in conference action. UD and Simpson remain undefeated at 3-0 in league play.
Championship Central: The next championship of the 2026-27 academic year will be the Cross Country Championships on October 31 as Buena Vista University serves as the host. Additionally beginning on October 31 will be the Men's and Women's Soccer Tournaments. The full 2026-27 championship calendar can be found HERE.
Fall Sport Standings: Football | Men’s Soccer | Women’s Soccer | Women’s Volleyball | Women’s Tennis
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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 eight full-time member institutions: Buena Vista University, Central College, Coe College, University of Dubuque, Loras College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Simpson College, and Wartburg College. The A-R-C also includes two affiliate members for men’s and women’s swimming & diving: Illinois Tech and University of Minnesota Morris.
