CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Loras College track & field student-athlete Keelee Leitzen and Nebraska Wesleyan University track & field student-athlete Eli Etherton have been named American Rivers Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending April 19, 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 - Track Performer of the Week - Keelee Leitzen (Dubuque, Iowa/Hempstead), Loras College
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Leitzen competed out west at the Bryan Clay Invitational at the Azusa Pacific University.
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In the 800m event, she crossed the finish line in 2:07.88 to finish 70th out of 134 competitors.
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Leitzen was the top Division III finisher in a highly competitive field of Division I, II, and III unattached athletes. Her time broke the school record by nearly three seconds, and ranks No. 1 in Division III so far this season.
Male Athlete of the Week - Men’s Outdoor Track & Field - Track Performer of the Week - Eli Etherton (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln East), Nebraska Wesleyan University
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Etherton competed at the Loper Invitational over the weekend.
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He crossed the finish line 13.94 seconds in the 110m hurdles to finish first out of 11 competitors.
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He broke the school record, becoming the first Prairie Wolf to break the 14-second barrier, breaking a 30-year-old record. He now ranks fifth nationally in NCAA Division III this season.
Baseball - Pitcher of the Week - Emerson Alberhasky (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny Centennial), Wartburg College
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Alberhasky delivered an impressive performance in Wartburg’s series-opener win over Buena Vista.
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He was on the mound for seven complete innings while allowing just one unearned run and striking out ten batters.
Baseball - Position Player of the Week - Easton Johnson (Gilbert, Iowa/Gilbert), Nebraska Wesleyan University
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Johnson was 13-of-22 across five games with nine runs scored and 12 RBIs.
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He had an extra-base hit in four out of the five games on the week - three doubles, two triples, and one home run.
Men’s Golf - Golfer of the Week - Luke Harwick (Guttenberg, Iowa/Beckman Catholic), University of Dubuque
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Harwick finished fifth place at the Morningstar Masters out of 69 golfers.
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He finished fourth place at the Forester Spring Invite out of 105 total golfers.
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He finished four under for the two rounds at each tournament.
Softball - Pitcher of the Week - Eva Fahrnbruch (Aurora, Neb./Aurora), Nebraska Wesleyan University
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Fahrnbruch was 4-0 in the circle across five games for the Prairie Wolves.
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In 27.0 innings pitched, she allowed 23 hits, six runs, five earned runs, no batters walked, and five strikeouts. She maintained a 1.30 ERA.
Softball - Position Player of the Week - Ashlyn Steen (Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon), Simpson College
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Steen appeared in six games where the Storm went 5-1.
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She went 10-for-14 from the plate with 13 runs, eight RBIs, five walks, seven steals, and a home run.
Men’s Tennis - Performer of the Week - Gerado Ramirez Mainou (San Juan del Rio, Mexico/Instituto Bilingue Victoria), Luther College
Women’s Tennis - Performer of the Week - Abby Ostermann (Menasha, Wis./Kimberly), Luther College
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Ostermann was 2-2 throughout the week leading up to the A-R-C Tournament.
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She went 1-1 at No. 1 singles versus Wisconsin-La Crosse and Augustana.
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She paired up with Lot van Den Broek to go 1-1 at No. 3 doubles.
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field - Field Performer of the Week - Lucas Cummings (Austin, Texas/Vandergrift), University of Dubuque
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Cummings competed at the Augustana Meet of Champions.
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He competed in the hammer throw and threw a mark of 59.61m to finish second out of 71 competitors.
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He now stands No. 6 in Division III this season.
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field - Field Performer of the Week - Abby Veld (Steamboat Rock, Iowa/AGWSR), Wartburg College
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Veld competed at the Augustana Meet of Champions.
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In the discus, she tossed a mark of 46.05m to finish third out of 45 competitors. She now ranks fourth in program history and eighth this season in Division III.
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In the shot put, she recorded a mark of 13.54m to finish first out of 68 total competitors. She now ranks ninth in program history and 14th in Division III this season.
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In the hammer throw, she finished with a mark of 50.80m to finish third out of 67 competitors. She now ranks third in program history.
Weekly Report
Spring weather has raged on through the Midwest.
The men’s tennis season nearing completion as the Luther College Norse lead the charge at 7-0.
Luther continues to lead the race at a 14-5 with Simpson closely following at 10-6.
For softball, Wartburg leads the race at 7-1.
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.
