STORM LAKE, Iowa -- For the eighth consecutive year, the Wartburg College Knights men's and women's teams swept the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Cross Country Championships. The team titles were the eighth in a row for the women and ninth straight for the men. Wartburg's Isaiah Hammerand won his third consecutive individual title with a time of 23:47.5. Loras College's Keelee Leitzen defended her title in the women's race and took home gold with a time of 21:40.4.
| 2026 A-R-C Men’s Cross Country All-Conference |
| Most Valuable Runner: Isaiah Hammerand, Wartburg College |
| Rookie of the Year: Isaac Rankin, Central College |
| Coaching Staff of the Year: Wartburg College (Head Coach: Ryan Chapman) |
| Place |
Name |
School |
Time |
| 1. |
Isaiah Hammerand |
Wartburg College |
23:47.5 |
| 2. |
James Johnson |
Simpson College |
24:16.1 |
| 3. |
Ayden Buchanan |
Wartburg College |
24:41.1 |
| 4. |
William Wadsley |
Central College |
24:48.9 |
| 5. |
Jack Brown |
Central College |
24:49.0 |
| 6. |
Noah Thomas |
Nebraska Wesleyan University |
24:56.0 |
| 7. |
Andrew Smith |
Wartburg College |
24:58.1 |
| 8. |
Evan Cook |
Wartburg College |
25:00.9 |
| 9. |
Solomon Zaugg |
Wartburg College |
25:03.9 |
| 10. |
Donovan Card |
Central College |
25:10.1 |
| 11. |
Isaac Rankin |
Central College |
25:10.3 |
| 12. |
Cooper Cook |
Wartburg College |
25:10.6 |
| 13. |
Ethan Boston |
Wartburg College |
25:10.8 |
| 14. |
Clay Warson |
Wartburg College |
25:11.3 |
| 15. |
Ryan McGrath |
Loras College |
25:13.0 |
| 16. |
Ahmed Aldamak |
Wartburg College |
25:18.3 |
| 17. |
Dawson Fricke |
Wartburg College |
25:20.1 |
| 18. |
Kasey Levinsohn |
Wartburg College |
25:20.1 |
| 19. |
AJ Schermerhorn |
Wartburg College |
25:23.1 |
| 20. |
Max Lowe |
Loras College |
25:24.0 |
| 2026 A-R-C Women's Cross Country All-Conference |
| Most Valuable Runner: Keelee Leitzen, Loras College |
| Rookie of the Year: Madison Popelar, Wartburg College |
| Coaching Staff of the Year: Wartburg College (Head Coach: Ryan Chapman) |
| Place |
Name |
School |
Time |
| 1. |
Keelee Leitzen |
Loras College |
21:40.4 |
| 2. |
Dede Davis |
University of Dubuque |
21:45.3 |
| 3. |
Maddy Stevens |
Central College |
22:05.8 |
| 4. |
Lydia Maas |
Wartburg College |
22:05.8 |
| 5. |
Leah McDonald |
Wartburg College |
22:23.0 |
| 6. |
Ava Vance |
Wartburg College |
22:33.4 |
| 7. |
Madison Popelar |
Wartburg College |
22:36.0 |
| 8. |
Audrey Dummermuth |
Central College |
22:39.0 |
| 9. |
Teah Miller |
Central College |
22:43.8 |
| 10. |
Kyra Cordes |
Central College |
22:44.7 |
| 11. |
Julia Burney |
Wartburg College |
22:45.9 |
| 12. |
Lily Molloy |
Loras College |
22:50.2 |
| 13. |
Eva Fleshner |
Simpson College |
22:52.8 |
| 14. |
Savannah Davis |
Loras College |
22:53.5 |
| 15. |
Sydney Bochmann |
Wartburg College |
22:54.0 |
| 16. |
Anna Quillin |
Wartburg College |
22:54.2 |
| 17. |
Marissa Pewe |
Wartburg College |
22:54.2 |
| 18. |
Bethany Warren |
Wartburg College |
22:54.4 |
| 19. |
Megan Bakke |
Buena Vista University |
22:57.6 |
| 20. |
Claire Hoyer |
Wartburg College |
22:58.5 |
| 2026 Men’s A-R-C Cross Country Team Results |
| Place |
School |
Points |
| 1. |
Wartburg College |
28 |
| 2. |
Central College |
49 |
| 3. |
Loras College |
87 |
| 4. |
Simpson College |
109 |
| 5. |
Nebraska Wesleyan University |
113 |
| 6. |
University of Dubuque |
172 |
| 7. |
Coe College |
230 |
| 8. |
Buena Vista University |
237 |
| 2026 Women's A-R-C Cross Country Team Results |
| Place |
School |
Points |
| 1. |
Wartburg College |
33 |
| 2. |
Central College |
49 |
| 3. |
Loras College |
66 |
| 4. |
Simpson College |
132 |
| 5. |
Nebraska Wesleyan University |
144 |
| 6. |
University of Dubuque |
168 |
| 7. |
Buena Vista University |
172 |
| 8. |
Coe College |
230 |
The 2026 NCAA Division III Cross Country Midwest Regional will be held by Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. on Saturday, November 14. The Division III Cross Country Championships will be held in Northfield, Minn. on Saturday, November 21.
Don't forget to become a fan of the American Rivers Conference on Facebook @AmericanRiversConference, X (Twitter) @AmerRiversConf, and Instagram @AmericanRiversConference, and LinkedIn @AmericanRiversConference
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.
