CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa --- Wartburg men's and women's cross country are each set to defend its American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) titles this weekend at the A-R-C Championships in Storm Lake, Iowa hosted by Buena Vista University. Both teams were voted as this year's pre-race favorite with all seven possible first-place votes, as voted on by the A-R-C coaches.
 
Wartburg is looking to sweep the conference championships for an eighth consecutive season. The men's team has won eight-straight team titles and women's squad has won seven-straight team titles.
 
The Knights return 13 All-Conference honorees from last season with six on the men's side (Isaiah Hammerand – MVP, Solomon Zaugg, Andrew Smith, Gavin Grunhovd – Rookie of the Year, Cooper Cook and Ahmed Aldmak ) and seven on the women's side (Lydia Maas, Marissa Pewe, Ava Vance, Nadia Bowden, Claire Hoyer, Sydney Bochmann and Bethany Warren). Head coach Ryan Chapman and his staff has earned eight A-R-C Coach of the Year awards on the men's side and six on the women's side over his career at Wartburg.
 
Hammerand is the two-time reigning A-R-C MVP and looks to become the third runner in program history with three A-R-C MVP's, joining Doug Beck, 1968-70 and Joe Freiburger, 2019-21). Only four total runners in A-R-C history have achieved three or more conference MVP's.
 
Wartburg enters the weekend ranked No. 1 nationally on the men's side and No. 24 nationally on the women's side according to the latest United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) polls.
 
From The A-R-C
Coaches Polls
Women's: 
1. Wartburg College - 49 (7)
2. Central College - 43
3. Loras College - 37
T-4. Simpson College - 28
T-4. Nebraska Wesleyan University - 28
6. University of Dubuque - 18
7. Buena Vista University - 14
8. Coe College - 7

Men's:
1. Wartburg College - 49 (7)
2. Central College - 43
3. Loras College - 37
4. Simpson College - 29
5. Nebraska Wesleyan University - 27
6. University of Dubuque - 19
7. Coe College - 11
8. Buena Vista University - 9 

Championships Details: 
Date: Saturday, October 31
Location: BVU Golf Course at Lake Creek
Parking Location: Buena Vista County Fairgrounds (approximately 2.5 miles east of BVU Golf Course at Lake Creek. A shuttle will be available. 

Defending Team Champions: 
The Wartburg College Knights enter as the defending champions on both the men's and women's sides. The Wartburg men enter the weekend ranked No. 1 nationally and the women enter ranked No. 20 nationally. 

Defending Individual Champions: 
Men: Wartburg's Isaiah Hammerand looks to win his third straight A-R-C title this weekend. 
Women: Loras' Keelee Leitzen is on the hunt to defend her title this weekend in Storm Lake.

2025 Championship Recap: 
For the seventh consecutive year, the Wartburg College Knights men's and women's teams swept the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Cross Country Championships. The team titles were the seventh in a row for the women and eighth straight for the men. Wartburg's Isaiah Hammerand won his second consecutive individual title and set a new championship record with a time of 23:44.2. Loras' Keelee Leitzen won the women's race in a time of 21:24.1.

Cross Country Runners of the Week: 
Men: 

• September 8: William Wadsley, Central
• September 14: Jack Brown, Central
• September 21: Ayden Buchanan, Wartburg
• October 5: Isaiah Hammerand, Wartburg
• October 19: Isaiah Hammerand, Wartburg

Women: 

• September 8: Keelee Leitzen, Loras
• September 14: Maddy Stevens, Central
• September 21: Lydia Maas, Wartburg
• October 5: Dede Davis, Univ. of Dubuque
• October 19: Keelee Leitzen, Loras

Tracking Conference Titles: 
Men: Luther (32), Wartburg (22), Loras (8), Central (2), Univ. of Dubuque (2), Simpson (1)
Women: Wartburg (22), Luther (12), Simpson (4), Central (2), Nebraska Wesleyan (2), Loras (1)