Athletes of the Week & Weekly Report Announced by A-R-C - April 13, 2026

4/13/2026 3:55:00 PM

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

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Central College track & field student-athlete Olivia Bohlen and Central College track & field student-athlete Kale Hobart have been named American Rivers Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending April 12, 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 Outdoor Track & Field - Field Performer of the Week - Olivia Bohlen (Belle Plaine, Iowa/Belle Plaine), Central College

  • Bohlen competed at the Dutch Spring Multi last week. 

  • She broke her own school record in the heptathlon and is up to No. 1 in Division III this season after finishing with 5,136 points. 

Male Athlete of the Week - Men’s Outdoor Track & Field - Field Performer of the Week - Kale Hobart (Mason City, Iowa/Mason City), Central College

  • Hobart totaled 7,580 points at the Dutch Spring Multi to record the all-time, all-weather conditions mark in Division III decathlon history. 

  • He ranks No. 1 in Division III this season after breaking the previous record of 7,528 points that was set in 1987 by Simpson’s Kip Janvrin. 

Baseball - Pitcher of the Week - Jack Walsh (Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert), Coe College

  • Walsh had an impressive outing in the series-opening win over Buena Vista in conference action. 

  • He tossed a three-hit, complete game shutout versus the Beavers. 

  • He struck out 11 batters and limited opponents to just five total base runners. 

Baseball - Position Player of the Week - Drew Carlson (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa City High), Simpson College

  • Carlson hit .500 (12-for-24) across a 4-2 week for the Storm, which included conference series wins over Nebraska Wesleyan and Wartburg. 

  • He tallied five doubles and posted a .708 slugging percentage. 

  • Carlson scored ten times and drove in eight runs. 

  • He joined Simpson’s 100-hit club. 

Men’s Golf - Golfer of the Week - Luke Harwick (Guttenberg, Iowa/Beckman Catholic), University of Dubuque

  • Harwick finished tied for fourth place at the Illinois College Blueboy Invite. 

  • He posted rounds of 74 and 69 to guide the Spartans to a second place team finish. 

  • At the Wisconsin Lutheran Morningstar Masters, Harwick finished fifth overall with rounds of 68 and 72. 

Softball - Pitcher of the Week - Kaili Henning (Fort Dodge, Iowa/Saint Edmond), Loras College

  • Henning tossed three complete games for the Duhawks in conference action. 

  • She threw a two-hit shutout versus Nebraska Wesleyan and a one-hit shutout over Univ. of Dubuque the next day. 

  • She posted 22 strikeouts. 

Softball - Position Player of the Week - Carley Bredar (Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott), Wartburg College

  • Bredar is earning Position Player of the Week honors for the second consecutive week. 

  • She tallied two hits in each of Wartburg’s four conference games over the week. A week that the Knights went 4-0. 

  • She recorded three RBI and three stolen bases with a batting average of .615. 

  • In the field, she posted six putouts on six chances at center field. 

Men’s Tennis - Performer of the Week - Joao Benvenutti (Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil/Colegio Saber), Luther College

  • Benvenutti had a 7-0 week, going 4-0 at No. 1 doubles and 3-0 at No. 1 singles. 

  • The Norse defeated Central and Simpson in conference action and defeated UW-Stevens Point in non-conference action. 

Women’s Tennis - Performer of the Week - Sophia Fain (Waterloo, Iowa/Columbus), Coe College

  • Fain was 4-0 for the Kohawks in a pair of non-conference victories over UW-Stout and UW-River Falls.

  • She paired up with Addison Leasure to defeat UW-Stout, 6-3. In singles, she won 6-1, 6-0. 

  • Against UW-River Falls, she teamed up with Alli Hagness to win doubles 6-0. In singles, she earned a 6-2, 6-2 victory.

Men’s Outdoor Track & Field - Track Performer of the Week - Isaiah Hammerand, (Epworth, Iowa/Western Dubuque), Wartburg College

  • Hammerand competed at the UW-Platteville Invitational on Friday. 

  • In the 5000m, he crossed the finish line in 13:59.93 to finish second out of 343 total competitors. 

  • He stands third in Division III this season and third in Wartburg program history. 

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field - Track Performer of the Week - Wartburg 4x400m Relay (Olivia Tollari, Natalie Bork, Haley Meyer, JoJo Tyynismaa)

  • The Wartburg relay team competed at the Mount Mercy Open. 

  • The relay team crossed the finish line in 3:50.17 to finish first out of six relay teams. 

  • The Knights broke the facility record, meet record, and stands seventh in Division III this season. 

Weekly Report

The rain has continued over Nebraska and Iowa with many schedule changes within the A-R-C.

The Luther College Norse leads the A-R-C baseball standings with a 12-4 record as they prepare to face Coe this weekend. 

On the softball side, Wartburg College has jumped out to a 7-1 league start. 

Men’s tennis is starting to heat up. Luther sits at 4-0 and Coe at 2-0 as the two teams will face off on Sunday, April 19. 

Championship Central: The A-R-C will resume conference championships next week with the 2026 A-R-C Women’s Tennis Tournament. The full 2025-26 championship calendar can be found here: https://tr.ee/xwew1v

Spring Sport Standings: Baseball | Softball | Men’s Tennis

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.