CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced the league’s Athletes of the Week for the week ending October 11, 2026. The A-R-C weekly awards are nominated and voted on by the league’s sports information departments.
Football - Defensive Player of the Week - Vinny Anderson (Indianola, Iowa/Indianola), Simpson College
Anderson played a key role in leading Simpson’s defensive effort against Loras, recording five tackles, including four solo stops, one tackle for loss, one interception, and two pass breakups. Anderson helped lead a strong all-around defensive performance as the Storm limited Loras to just 21 points and 16 net rushing yards.
Football - Offensive Player of the Week - Joey Rhomberg (Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon, University of Dubuque
Rhomberg helped lead UD to a 44-22 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan, moving the Spartans to a 2-0 A-R-C record. He completed 36 of 51 pass attempts for 346 yards and five touchdowns while also leading the team on the ground with 13 carries for 77 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry.
Football - Special Teams Player of the Week - Henry Graham (Fort Madison, Iowa/Fort Madison Senior), Simpson College
Graham delivered a perfect performance, converting all six of his kicks, including a 37-yard field goal and all five point-after-touchdown attempts.
Women’s Golf - Golfer of the Week - Allie Pfantz (State Center, Iowa/West Marshall), Central College
Pfantz captured her second tournament title of the season at the Viking Shootout, carding a two-round total of 147 (73-74) to finish first among 41 golfers. She opened the tournament with a 2-over-par 73 before closing with a 74 to secure a commanding 10-stroke victory over the runner-up. As a team, the Dutch finished third out of five teams with a combined score of 656 (314-342).
Men’s Soccer - Defensive Player of the Week - Carson Kay (Adel, Iowa/ADM), Wartburg College
Kay anchored Wartburg’s defense to a pair of shutout victories over Loras and Simpson to open A-R-C play, extending the Knights’ scoreless streak to four consecutive matches. Wartburg limited opponents to just 3.5 shots on goal per match over the week, showcasing its defensive strength. Kay also contributed offensively with an assist on the game-winning goal against Loras, helping the Knights maintain their defensive momentum.
Men’s Soccer - Offensive Player of the Week - Diego Sanchez (Mundelein, Ill./Mudelein), Wartburg College
Sanchez made an immediate impact to open A-R-C play, recording game-winning goals against both Loras and Simpson to help lead his team to a strong week. He finished with two goals and one assist for five total points, converting both of his shots into goals. Sanchez has now scored in three of his last four matches, continuing to provide a consistent offensive presence.
Women’s Soccer - Defensive Player of the Week - Samantha Jurgens (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North), University of Dubuque
Jurgens helped lead the Spartans to a 2-0 start in A-R-C play with victories over Coe (4-1) and Buena Vista (3-0). The goalkeeper recorded three saves on eight shots faced during the week, including a shutout against the Beavers. Jurgens also made history by scoring her first career goal as a goalkeeper, converting a first-half penalty kick against Buena Vista that proved to be the game-winner in the 3-0 victory.
Women’s Soccer - Offensive Player of the Week - Ally Hoffa (Des Moines, Iowa/Valley), Simpson College
Hoffa helped Simpson open A-R-C play with a pair of shutout victories over Buena Vista (8-0) and Wartburg (3-0). Hoffa recorded two goals and one assist for five points while taking 11 shots across the two matches, contributing to the Storm’s strong offensive performance to begin conference action.
Women’s Tennis - Player of the Week - Sophia Fain (Waterloo, Iowa/Columbus), Coe College
Fain captured her third consecutive A-R-C A-Singles Individual Championship title over the weekend, earning four victories to secure the championship. The senior and top seed opened play in the round of 16 with a 4-1, 4-0 straight-set victory over Lauren Gano before rallying past Molly Jex, 4-5, 4-1, 10-4, to advance to the semifinals. Fain then defeated teammate Alice Tysoe, 4-2, 4-1, before outlasting fellow Kohawk Aisha Gurung, 4-2, 4-5, 10-6, in the championship match to complete her three-peat.
Women’s Volleyball - Defensive Player of the Week - Nora Konz (Treynor, Iowa/Treynor), Buena Vista University
Konz played a pivotal role on both sides of the ball as Buena Vista went 3-0 on the week with three sweeps, improving to 16-0 as the only remaining unbeaten team in NCAA Division III. She led the defensive effort with 45 digs across the three matches, averaging 5.0 digs per set, while also contributing 2.2 kills per set. Against Nebraska Wesleyan, Konz recorded a match-high 14 digs, eight kills, and two service aces to help BVU snap a three-match losing streak to the Prairie Wolves. She followed with a career-high 18 kills against Emmaus on Saturday, adding four digs and three service aces. For the season, Konz has totaled 156 digs and 127 kills.
Women’s Volleyball - Offensive Player of the Week - Charley Hernandez (Glenwood, Iowa/Glenwood), Buena Vista University
Hernandez helped lead Buena Vista to a perfect 3-0 week, with all three victories coming in sweeps, as the Beavers improved to 16-0 as the only remaining unbeaten team in NCAA Division III. Across the three matches, the sophomore totaled 39 kills, 27 digs, and 44 points while hitting .281 and averaging 4.33 kills per set. In the A-R-C opener against Nebraska Wesleyan, Hernandez tied for the match high with 16 kills and added 13 digs for her eighth double-double of the season while posting a .333 attack percentage. She also reached a career milestone in BVU’s 3-0 victory over Crown on Saturday, recording her 500th career kill and bringing her career total to 502.
Weekly Report
Cross Country: Numerous A-R-C teams will take to the course this weekend at the Augustana Interregional.
Football: Coe, Univ. of Dubuque, Simpson, and Wartburg moved to 2-0 in conference action.
Women’s Golf: The 2026 A-R-C Women's Golf Championship is underway at Sunnyside Golf & Country in unseasonably warm weather.
Men’s Soccer: Univ. of Dubuque and Wartburg get through the first week of conference action untouched, as they move to 2-0.
Women’s Soccer: Central, Univ. of Dubuque, Loras, and Simpson are all sitting at 2-0 in conference action after the first week of action.
Women’s Volleyball: Buena Vista remains the last undefeated team in Division III this season as BVU, Univ. of Dubuque, Simpson, and Wartburg all start the conference slate 1-0.
Women’s Tennis: The fall season has concluded for the women's tennis programs in the A-R-C after the Women's Tennis Individual finished up over the weekend.
Championship Central: The Women's Golf Championship is underway at Sunnyside Golf & Country Club and will wrap up on Tuesday, October 13. 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
Watch Live: 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 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.
