General | 5/20/2026 12:04:00 PM

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – For the 22nd consecutive year, Wartburg College claimed the Combined All-Sports Championship Trophy, awarded to the conference's top overall athletic program, announced by the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) today.

The Knights also captured their 15th Triple Crown, highlighted by Wartburg's 20th Marjorie Giles Women's All-Sports Trophy and 27th Elmer Hertel Men's All-Sports Trophy, while totaling 12 combined conference championships on the year.

Wartburg has won or shared all 22 of the conference Combined All-Sports Trophies, which began in 2002-03.

Marjorie Giles Women's All-Sports Trophy
The Wartburg College Knights defended the Marjorie Giles Women's All-Sports Trophy during the 2025-26 academic year. The Knights compiled 70.5 points while winning championships in cross country, basketball, wrestling, indoor track & field, softball, and outdoor track & field. Central earns runner-up honors with 53.0 points this academic year. In third placewith 51.7 points is the University of Dubuque Spartans. Finishing in fourth place in Simpson College with 47.5 points. Fifth place belongs to Loras College with 46.5 points. Luther finished sixth in the standings with 43.3 points. Coe, Nebraska Wesleyan, and Buena Vista round out the standings for the 2025-26 academic year. 

Wartburg leads all schools with 20 total trophies. Central and Luther own a conference second-best with ten. Simpson has won four trophies and Loras owns one. 

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Elmer Hertel Men's All-Sports Trophy 
The Wartburg Knights continue to defend the Elmer Hertel Men's All-Sports Trophy. Wartburg is collecting the school's 27th Elmer Hertel Men's Trophy with 66.5 points. The Knights claimed fall championships in cross country, soccer, and football, while also picking up winter championships in wrestling and indoor track & field. In the spring, Wartburg claimed the outdoor track & field title. Standing behind the Knights with 66.5 points was the Loras College Duhawks. The Central College Dutch totaled 53.3 points to sit in third. The Prairie Wolves of Nebraska Wesleyan finished in fourth wtih 49.3 points. In fifth place with 47.5 points was the Luther College Norse. Coe came in sixth with 47.0 points and in seventh is the University of Dubuque with 41.0 points. Simpson and Buena Vista round out the standings for the 2025-26 academic year. 

At the conclusion of the 2025-26 sport seasons, Wartburg earned the program's 27th Elmer Hertel Trophy. Central has won the trophy 15 times while Luther owns 11 trophies, Loras with three, and Simpson with one. 

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Combined All-Sports Trophy
With all 23 American Rivers Conference Championships decided, Wartburg College claims their 22nd consecutive All-Sports Trophy with 18 points. Wartburg captured 12 league championships. With 15 points, Central earned second in this year's standings. Loras College is picking up third with 13 points in this year's All-Sports standings. With 10 points in the final standings, the University of Dubuque. Luther finished with nine points to stand in fifth while Nebraska Wesleyan and Simpson totaled nine points to finish tied for sixth. Simpson, Coe, and Buena Vista round out the All-Sports Trophy Standings for the 2025-26 academic year. 
 
Wartburg has won or shared all 22 of the conference Combined All-Sports Trophies, which began in 2002-03. Luther shared the All-Sports Trophy with Wartburg in 2010-11 and 2011-12. 

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About the Trophies

Each school's finish in each sport is determined and given a numerical worth by inverting the finish (i.e. first place is worth nine points, second place is worth eight points, third place is worth seven points, etc). In case of ties, the worth of all places involved are totaled and divided by the number of teams in that tie. Each school's finish in all sports is then totaled, and the school with the largest number of points shall be awarded the respective Championship Trophy. The Marjorie Giles Women's All-Sports Trophy, first awarded in 1982-83 (at the time named the Women's Sports Championship Trophy), is presented annually to the Conference member that accumulates the most points in women's sports. The Elmer Hertel Men's All-Sports Trophy was first awarded in 1970-71 (at that time named the Men's Sports Championship Trophy) and presented to the Conference member that accumulates the most points in men's sports. The school displaying overall excellence in men's and women's sports is awarded the American Rivers Conference All-Sports Championship Trophy.
 
Marjorie Giles is a former Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) from Central College serving from 1981-98. During her tenure as a FAR, she participated in writing of the Conference Constitution to include women's athletics and to establish women's Championships. She was the first female to serve as President of the Conference and was actively involved with the NCAA serving on several committees and on the Management Council.
 
The Elmer Hertel Men's Sports Championship Trophy was renamed in 1981 to honor the former Wartburg College coach. Dr. Hertel served as the Conference secretary-treasurer from 1944-1981.