CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Wartburg College track & field student-athlete Abby Veld, Wartburg College track & field student-athlete JoJo Tyynismaa, Loras College track & field student-athlete Tre’Jon Igess, and Wartburg College track & field student-athlete AJ Wright have been named American Rivers Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending May 3, 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.
Co-Female Athlete of the Week - Women’s Outdoor Track & Field - Field Performer of the Week - Abby Veld (Steamboat Rock, Iowa/AGWSR), Wartburg College
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Veld earned Most Valuable Field Performer following the A-R-C Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
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She claimed top of the podium honors in the shot put with a season best mark of 13.75m.
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In the discus, Veld finished runner-up with a mark of 43.49m.
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She finished third in the hammer throw with a toss of 49.14m.
Co-Female Athlete of the Week - Women’s Outdoor Track & Field - Track Performer of the Week - JoJo Tyynismaa (Tama, Iowa/South Tama), Wartburg College
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Tyynismaa claimed Most Valuable Track Performer after claiming three individual titles at the A-R-C Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
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Tyynismaa posted a new meet record and personal best in the 100m hurdles en route to the conference title in a time of 13.83.
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She finished the 100m finals with a time of 11.89, a new personal best, to claim gold.
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She grabbed another individual win in the 200m finals with a personal best time of 24.19.
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The 4x100m relay finished with a season best time of 46.94. In addition, this was a new facility record.
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The Knights crossed the finish line first in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:47.83.
Co-Male Athlete of the Week - Men’s Outdoor Track & Field - Field Performer of the Week - Tre’Jon Igess (Belgium, Wis./Port Washington), Loras College
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Igess earned Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Field Performer honors at the A-R-C Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
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He claimed gold in the long jump with a mark of 6.88m.
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In the triple jump, Igess posted a mark of 14.00m to finish runner-up.
Co-Male Athlete of the Week - Men’s Outdoor Track & Field - Track Performer of the Week - AJ Wright (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa City High), Wartburg College
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Wright claimed Most Valuable Track Performer honors at the A-R-C Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
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The Knights 4x100m relay posted a new facility record and season best with a time of 40.73 to claim gold.
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In the 100m, Wright crossed the finish line with a time of 10.54.
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He concluded the championships with a time of 20.84 in the 200m finals to record a new meet record and personal best en route to the title.
Baseball - Pitcher of the Week - Charles Running (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake), Luther College
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Running went five full innings en route to the win in game win over Gustavus Adolphus.
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He allowed one unearned run on one hit, did not issue a walk, and struck out seven.
Baseball - Position Player of the Week - Andrew Robinson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Cedar Rapids Prairie), Wartburg College
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Robinson paced Wartburg from the plate during its sweep over UD, batting .556 with five hits, including a double and three RBIs.
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Additionally, he etched his name in the record books after being hit by a pitch for the 25th time this season, setting a new single-season program record. He ranks ninth in Division III this season for hit-by-pitches.
Men’s Golf - Golfer of the Week - Luck Harwick (Guttenberg, Iowa/Beckman Catholic), University of Dubuque
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Harwick claimed medalist honors last week at the 2026 A-R-C Men’s Golf Championship as he led the Spartans to their second consecutive team title.
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He tied the previous 18-hole score of 67 and broke the previous 54-hole record by two shots (213) to become the fourth Spartan to claim Golfer of the Year honors.
Softball - Pitcher of the Week - Kaili Henning (Fort Dodge, Iowa/Saint Edmond), Loras College
Softball - Position Player of the Week - Reagan Hassel (Le Claire, Iowa/Pleasant Valley), Wartburg College
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Hassel went 7-for-15 from the plate on a 3-1 week en route to the Knights claiming the regular season A-R-C title outright for the first time since 2008.
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She recorded four RBIs, for doubles, a homerun, and three stolen bases.
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On the defensive side, she recorded eight putouts and eight assists from shortstop.
Men’s Tennis - Performer of the Week - Rhys Biro-Moore (Nottingham, Englad), Luther College
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Biro-Moore defeated Loras at No. 2 doubles with partner Jake Nelson in the semifinal round of the A-R-C men’s tennis tournament, 6-1.
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In the championship match, Biro-Moore teamed up with Nelson again in doubles, but the match was unfinished. In singles, he defeated Luke Doig of Coe at No. 5 singles to clinch the match, 6-3, 6-3.
Weekly Report
The Wartburg College Knights claimed three A-R-C trophies on Saturday: softball, men’s outdoor track & field, and women’s outdoor track & field.
The University of Dubuque Spartans won their second consecutive A-R-C men’s golf title last week. They were led by Luke Harwick who tied the 18-hole scoring record and posted a new 54-hole scoring record. The Spartans posted a new 54-hole team scoring record as well.
The Luther College men’s tennis team punched their ticket back to the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Tournament after defeating Coe in the championship match.
The Knights will host the softball tournament this upcoming weekend in Waverly and will serve as hosts of the baseball tournament in Cedar Rapids. Championship season slowly winds down for the A-R-C as NCAA competition heats up.
Championship Central: It is the busy spring season for the A-R-C. 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.
