CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa --- No. 23 Softball earned seven American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) All-Conference honors, highlighted by Katelyn Klever earning the first Rookie of the Year honor in program history and Jamie Mueller earning Coach of the Year honors for the first time in her career, the league announced Wednesday, May 13.
 
Carley Bredar and Reagan Hassel each led the Knights with first team All-Conference selections. Klever, Hannah Hoefer and Bella Mulder each earned second team All-Conference honors. Jenna Wiebenga rounded out Wartburg's honorees with an Honorable Mention selection. This is Wartburg's most honorees since the 2021 season.
 
Bredar's All-Conference nod is the first first-team selection of her career and her second-straight All-Conference selection. The junior center fielder has Wartburg's top batting average through 41 games played, hitting at .403. Her batting average ranks sixth among all qualified A-R-C hitters and her 52 hits this season ranks seventh among the A-R-C. Bredar has logged eight extra-base hits (seven doubles and one triple) this season and has batted in 24 runs (all are career highs). The Eldrige, Iowa native has also been active on the basepaths this season with 27 stolen bases (third in A-R-C). She has started every game at center field so far this season for the Knights and has logged 55 putouts with three assisted putouts.
 
Hassel earned her first career A-R-C postseason honor this season with a first team All-Conference selection. The junior shortstop leads the Knights in both hits (56) and stolen bases (31) this season, which ranks fourth and second respectively among the A-R-C. The Le Claire, Iowa native's 31 stolen bases this season is tied for the sixth most in a season at Wartburg. At the plate, she is hitting .386, has tallied 12 doubles, two triples, five home runs and 39 RBI (all are career highs). Hassel has helped turn nine double plays this season, has logged 53 putouts and has 91 assisted putouts in the field this season. The junior has appeared in and started 40/41 games at shortstop this season.
 
Klever was named the program's first Rookie of the Year along with second team All-Conference honors. The Polk City, Iowa native has thrown 93.2 innings pitched inside the circle for the Knights this season with a 12-4 overall record in decisions over 25 total appearances. Klever has 58 total strikeouts, four complete games and has added one save in relief so far this season. The first-year pitcher also spent time in the batter's box this season, hitting .364 through 66 at bats. Klever has tallied 24 total hits, six doubles, two triples and three home runs at the plate this season. In her first career game, Klever record a five inning complete game win on the mound, while going 4/5 and hitting for the cycle at the plate.
 
Hoefer is another first-year Knight earning A-R-C postseason honors with her second team All-Conference selection. The Peosta, Iowa native led the Wartburg pitching staff in innings pitched (112.2), strikeouts (61), wins (13) and saves this season (two). Among the A-R-C, Hoefer ranks tied for fourth in wins, fifth in innings pitched and tied for seventh in strikeouts. Hoefer has gone the distance five times this season and has one complete-game shutout. The first-year pitcher allowed a career best one hit against Buena Vista (five innings) and allowed just two hits over seven innings in a 7-1 win over the Eagles.
 
Mulder's second team All-Conference nod marked her first career A-R-C postseason honor. The sophomore infielder leads the Knights in extra-base hits so far in 2026 with 13 doubles, one triple and eight home runs (all career highs). The Grimes, Iowa native has a team-leading 43 RBI this season and is hitting .395. Among all qualified A-R-C hitters, she ranks second in home runs, fourth in RBI, tied for fifth in doubles and eighth in hits. Mulder has appeared in all 41 games this season between the DP and second base positions. The sophomore set new personal single-games bests earlier this season with two home runs and six RBI in one inning during a 10-7 comeback win over Illinois Wesleyan.
 
Wiebenga's Honorable Mention selection marks the first A-R-C postseason honor of her career. The Maquoketa, Iowa native has started and played in all 41 games at first base for the Knights so far in 2026. The senior has tallied 41 RBI this season, which ranks second on the team and fifth overall in the A-R-C. Wiebenga has tallied 14 extra-base hits so far this season with nine doubles, one triple and four home runs. Through 41 games at first base, she has tallied a team-high 316 putouts, nine assists and has been apart of 16 double plays. Her fielding percentage of .982 is the second highest on the team (min. 50 chances).
 
Mueller's Coach of the Year honor is the first of her career and Wartburg's first honoree since 2008. The Hanover Park, Ill. native becomes the fourth different coach in program history to earn COTY honors. This is the fifth total time in program history Wartburg has earned top coaching honors in the A-R-C. Earlier this season, she became the all-time wins leader at Wartburg and now has a career record of 253-160 overall (.613 win percentage). In 2026, Mueller and her staff has led the Knights to a fifth-straight NCAA tournament appearance and the programs first outright A-R-C title since 2008.

Full Awards/All-Conference Teams

2026 All-American Rivers Conference Softball Team
Position Player of the Year - Ashlyn Steen, Simpson College
Pitcher of the Year - Kaili Henning, Loras College
Rookie of the Year - Katelyn Klever, Wartburg College
Coaching Staff of the Year - Jamie Mueller, Wartburg College
First Team	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Rylee Dunkin	Central College	Jr.	C	Hamilton, Iowa/Twin Cedars
Hannah Higgins	Central College	Sr.	3B	Macomb, Ill./Macomb
Natalie Hitt	Coe College	Jr.	P	Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf
Kaili Henning	Loras College	So.	P	Fort Dodge, Iowa/Saint Edmond
Kiya Steger	Loras College	So.	UTL	Dyersville, Iowa/Western Dubuque
Raven Allen	Luther College	Sr.	SS	Birmingham, Ala./McAdory
Mya Larsen	Luther College	So.	OF	Elkhorn, Neb./Elkhorn
Alexa Stevermer	Luther College	So.	P	West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley
Jenna Kimberling	Nebraska Wesleyan University	Sr.	2B	North Platte, Neb./North Platte St. Patricks
Megan Heidelbauer	Simpson College	Sr.	1B	Marion, Iowa/Marion
Brielyn Ginnaty	Simpson College	Jr.	DP	Great Falls, Mont./Charles M Russell
Emma Lafave	Simpson College	Sr.	P	Clive, Iowa/Valley
Ashlyn Steen	Simpson College	Sr.	OF	Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon
Carley Bredar	Wartburg College	Jr.	OF	Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott
Reagan Hassel	Wartburg College	Jr.	SS	Le Claire, Iowa/Pleasant Valley
Second Team	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Emma Anderson	Central College	So.	OF	Forest City, Iowa/Forest City
Sarah Stufflebeam	Central College	Jr.	SS	Macomb, Ill./Macomb
Maddie Harris	Coe College	Sr.	1B	Peosta, Iowa/Western Dubuque
Grace McCarty	Coe College	Jr.	OF	Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar
Marisa Vodicka	Coe College	Sr.	2B	Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg
Ava Franklin	Loras College	Sr.	SS	Westchester, Ill./Montini Catholic
Dana Skorich	Loras College	So.	C	Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake South
Madi Elwood	Luther College	Sr.	DP	Mason City, Iowa/Newman Catholic
Marina Cronin	Simpson College	So.	P	Kingsley, Iowa/Remsen St. Mary's
Mackenzie James	Simpson College	Jr.	OF	Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny Centennial
Katie Shaner	Simpson College	Jr.	OF	West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley
Caelynn Obleton	Simpson College	Sr.	3B	Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar
Hannah Hoefer	Wartburg College	Fr.	P	Peosta, Iowa/Western Dubuque
Katelyn Klever	Wartburg College	Fr.	P	Polk City, Iowa/North Polk
Bella Mulder	Wartburg College	So.	UTL	Grimes, Iowa/Dallas Center-Grimes
Honorable Mention	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Irelynd Cejka	Coe College	Fr.	DP	Prairie Du Chien, Wis./Prairie Du Chein
Lauren Jacobs	University of Dubuque	Jr.	OF	Sterling, Ill./Sterling
Ellie Baker	Loras College	Fr.	2B	Norwalk, Iowa/Martensdale-Saint Mary's
Madi Urfer	Luther College	Sr.	2B	Mounds View, Minn./Irondale
Jenna Wiebenga	Wartburg College	Sr.	1B	Maquoketa, Iowa/Maquoketa