WAVERLY, Iowa – No. 2 men's and No. 21 women's cross country are set to defend its American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Championships this weekend in Dubuque, Iowa.  The men's team is in search of its eighth-straight title, while the women's squad looks to capture a seventh-consecutive championship.
 
Wartburg

• The men's team has had a conference MVP the past six seasons, including the reigning MVP Isaiah Hammerand
• The women's team return eight out of nine All-Conference honorees from a season ago
  • Abbey Angus, Sydney Bochmann, Nadia Bowden, Haley Meyer, Karle Kramer, Lydia Maas, Maddie Merna and Ava Vance
• The men's team returns seven out of 12 All-Conference honorees from a season ago
  • Hammerand, Ahmed Aldamak, Dawson Fricke, Ander Julian, Connor Lancial, Eli Larson, Lance Sobaski
• Both the men's and women's A-R-C Rookie of the Year from last season's championship meet return for the Knights in Aldamak and Maas
• Both teams have spent the whole season ranked inside the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) top-30 national rankings
  • The men's team has held its No. 2 ranking all season

 

From the A-R-C

Championship Fast Facts: 
This year's championship will begin with the men's 8,000-meter race at 11:00 a.m. followed by the women's 6,000-meter race at noon. The awards ceremony will take place at approximately 1:00 p.m. 
 
Each institution may enter as many runners as they would like, with the top five finishers counting towards the team score. 

Championship Details: 

• Date: Saturday, November 1, 2025
• Location: Dubuque Soccer Complex 
  • 12896 John F Kennedy Rd, Dubuque, Iowa 52002

Defending Team Champions: 

• The Wartburg College Knights enter as the defending champions on both the men's and women's sides and are both nationally ranked heading into the conference championship. The women won their sixth straight title last season and the men won their seventh consecutive. 

Defending Individual Champions: 

• Men: Wartburg's Isaiah Hammerand crossed the finish line at the 2024 A-R-C Cross Country Championship with a time of 23:52.1.
• Women: There will be no repeat champion this year as Central's Addy Parrott graduated from the program after a successful running career for the Dutch.

2024 Championship Recap: 

• For the sixth consecutive year, the Wartburg College Knights men's and women's teams swept the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Cross Country Championships. The men's team won with an individual win by Isaiah Hammerand. Addy Parrott of Central crossed in finish line first in the women's race. The team titles were the sixth in a row for the women and seventh straight for the men. 

Cross Country Runners of the Week: 

• Men: 
  • September 2: Isaac Bourne, Loras
  • September 8: Jack Brown, Central
  • September 15: Lance Sobaski, Wartburg
  • September 22: Isaac Bourne, Loras
  • September 29: James Johnson, Simpson
  • October 6: Isaac Bourne, Loras
  • October 13: Michel Heinrich, Luther
  • October 20: Isaiah Hammerand, Wartburg
• Women: 
  • September 2: Haley Meyer, Wartburg
  • September 8: Maddy Stevens, Central
  • September 15: Maddy Stevens, Central
  • September 22: Keelee Leitzen, Loras
  • September 29: Maddy Stevens, Central
  • October 6: Peyton Steffen, Central
  • October 13: Mari Paulsen, Luther
  • October 20: Maddy Stevens, Central

Tracking Conference Titles: 

• Men: Luther (32) - Wartburg (21) - Loras (8) - Central (2) - Univ. of Dubuque (2) - Simpson (1)
• Women: Wartburg (21) - Luther (12) - Simpson (4) - Central (2) - Nebraska Wesleyan (2) - Loras (1) 

Key Storylines: 

• Major Awards: The A-R-C will name a Runner of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coaching Staff of the Year following the completion of the championship. The Rookie of the Year will be the top student-athlete who is using their first year of eligibility in collegiate cross country. 
• All-Conference: All-Conference honors will be awarded to the top-20 runners. 

Fan Engagement: 

• Live Results: https://bit.ly/47g7dVK
• Spectator parking will cost $5 (cash only) per vehicle at the championship.