CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced the league’s Athletes of the Week for the week ending September 13, 2026. The A-R-C weekly awards are nominated and voted on by the league’s sports information departments.
Men’s Cross Country - Runner of the Week - Jack Brown (Norwalk, Iowa/Norwalk), Central College
Brown won the first 8K race of the season at the Les Duke Invitational, hosted by Grinnell College, edging teammate William Wadsley by just four-tenths of a second. Brown crossed the finish line in 26:00.4 to claim first place among 143 runners, helping Central secure the team title among eight teams with a team score of 16 points.
Women’s Cross Country - Runner of the Week - Maddy Stevens (Grimes, Iowa/Dallas Center-Grimes), Central College
Stevens was the top collegiate runner at the Les Duke Invitational, helping pace the Dutch to a team title among seven teams. Stevens finished second overall in the 6K with a time of 23:01.5, placing 29.8 seconds behind the individual winner and ahead of 96 other runners. Stevens’ performance contributed to Central’s team score of 33 points.
Football - Defensive Player of the Week - Deuce Robinson (Waterloo, Iowa/Waterloo West), Simpson College
The Storm defense, headed by Robinson this week, delivered a dominant performance in Simpson’s 52-0 shutout victory over Crown, with the standout defensive effort highlighted by two interceptions. The shutout marked Simpson’s largest since a 54-0 victory over Eureka in 2012. Crown was held to just 74 total yards of offense and completed only 3-of-15 passes for 24 yards.
Football - Offensive Player of the Week - Demarico Young (Sioux City, Iowa/North), Simpson College
Young powered Simpson to a 52-0 shutout victory over Crown, rushing for 220 yards and three touchdowns. He broke off touchdown runs of 92, 36 and 30 yards. His 220 rushing yards and 226 all-purpose yards led the league for the weekend. Young’s 356 rushing yards through the first two games of the season rank third in NCAA Division III.
Football - Special Teams Player of the Week - Jace Winkler (Littleton, Colo./Heritage), Nebraska Wesleyan University
Winkler delivered a strong punting performance despite Nebraska Wesleyan’s 52-0 loss to NAIA No. 25 Dakota State on Saturday. The junior punted 11 times for 458 yards, averaging 41.6 yards per punt while placing four kicks inside the 20-yard line. Winkler’s 59-yard punt in the second quarter was the second-longest punt in the league this season, trailing only his own 67-yard punt from Week 1.
Women’s Golf - Golfer of the Week - Allie Pfantz (State Center, Iowa/West Marshall), Central College
Pfantz turned in a record-setting performance at the Wartburg Fall Invitational on Sept. 12-13, capturing medalist honors among 91 golfers with a two-round score of 75-66—141. Her final-round 66 (-6) broke the school record for the lowest 18-hole round, while her 141 also established a new school record for the lowest 36-hole tournament score. Pfantz carded six birdies and no bogeys during Sunday’s final round to secure the individual title.
Men’s Soccer - Defensive Player of the Week - Luka Tomic (Sioux Falls, S.D./Sioux Falls Lincoln), University of Dubuque
Tomic helped lead the Spartans to a pair of victories last week, extending the team’s winning streak to three matches with wins over the College of Saint Scholastica (4-1) and Saint Mary’s University (2-1). The junior played 141 minutes and scored in both contests, finding the back of the net just two minutes into the victory over Saint Scholastica before converting a free kick in the 41st minute against Saint Mary’s to tie the match at 1-1. Tomic also anchored a strong defensive effort that limited the Spartans’ two opponents to just one goal combined.
Men’s Soccer - Offensive Player of the Week - Brandon Kostelny (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville), Coe College
Kostelny continued his strong goal-scoring form during a 2-1 week for the Kohawks, finding the back of the net three times. The junior scored both goals in Coe’s Bremner Cup victory over Cornell, opening the scoring with a low strike across goal late in the first half before netting the game-winner in the second half. Kostelny added another goal in a 4-1 victory over Hamline, providing insurance with Coe’s fourth goal early in the second half.
Women’s Soccer - Defensive Player of the Week - Bella Scesniak (Hoffman Estates, Ill./William Fremd), Loras College
Scesniak helped lead the Duhawks to a 3-0 week, contributing a goal and four assists across the three victories. Scesniak recorded three assists against CUW before adding a goal and an assist in the win over St. Scholastica. Defensively, Scesniak helped lead a strong effort that limited opponents to just six shots combined, including three against CUW, one against St. Scholastica and two against Viterbo.
Women’s Soccer - Offensive Player of the Week - Gracie Gasmann (McHenry, Ill./McHenry Community), Loras College
Gasmann turned in a dominant week, recording four goals and two assists for nine points. The standout offensive performance included 11 shots, with seven finding the target. Gasmann’s four goals and nine points highlighted a highly productive week in front of goal.
Women’s Tennis - Player of the Week - Sidney Peterson (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston), Central College
Peterson went a perfect 4-0 as the Dutch opened conference play with a pair of victories, defeating Nebraska Wesleyan 7-0 on Sept. 9 and Simpson 6-1 on Sept. 12. Competing at No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles, Peterson earned straight-set singles victories over Nebraska Wesleyan’s Madison Marsh (6-2, 6-4) and Simpson’s Jordan Lee (6-0, 6-0), while also teaming for wins in both doubles matches. Peterson did not drop a set in either singles or doubles against Simpson.
Women’s Volleyball - Defensive Player of the Week - Mylee Thurm (Denver, Iowa/Denver), Simpson College
Thurm helped lead Simpson to a perfect 3-0 weekend, pacing the Storm with 13 blocks, including one solo. She also contributed 20 kills on 27 attacks for a .271 hitting percentage while totaling 27 points.
Women’s Volleyball - Offensive Player of the Week - Anna Sash (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny Centennial), Wartburg College
Sash delivered a standout week across five matches, totaling 50 kills, 12 service aces, 18 digs and 19 blocks for 75 points. Sash recorded 15 kills and 20 points in a victory over Wisconsin-Stout on Sept. 11 before following with six service aces against Bethany Lutheran on Sept. 12. The strong week helped Sash play a key role in three victories, including back-to-back wins over Wheaton and Bethany Lutheran.
Weekly Report
Cross Country: It is a quiet week in cross country with just Buena Vista, Nebraska Wesleyan, and Wartburg competing on Saturday.
Football: Central heads south to face off with Belhaven in week three while Wartburg will welcome UW-River Falls to Waverly for their second straight week facing a top-10 team. UD and Simpson both have week three byes before getting back on the field for week four ahead of conference action kicking off.
Women’s Golf: The University of Dubuque Spartans claimed the Wartburg Fall Invitational title, fueled by a program record team score in the second round of 290. The quick fall season continues this week with teams competing at William Penn, Buena Vista, and Illinois Wesleyan.
Men’s Soccer: Central moved to 2-1-1 and Loras 2-1-0.
Women’s Soccer: Loras remains undefeated, 3-0, so far this season.
Women’s Volleyball: Buena Vista continues their hot start on the floor as they move to 6-0.
Women’s Tennis: Conference tennis has officially begun. Buena Vista, Central, Coe, and Wartburg have all started on the right foot with undefeated records.
Championship Central: The first championship of the 2026-27 academic year will be the Men’s Tennis Individual Tournament on September 25-26 as the University of Dubuque serves as the host. 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
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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.
