April 12, 2023 – Following a strong showing during the league's eight winter championships, Loras College athletics ranks second in the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) All-Sports Trophy standings, per the conference's standings update on Wednesday.
In the overall combined standings, Loras has a total of 16 points to sit in second place behind Wartburg College with 17 points. Central College and Coe College are tied for third place with 12 points each.
After claiming a soccer championship in the fall and a second-place finish in cross country, the Loras earned an indoor track & field title, a runner-up finish in wrestling, and a third-place finish in swimming and diving to ascend to the top of the men's sports leaderboard with 42.2 points. Wartburg is second with 39.9 points and Luther College sits third with 32.9 points.
On the women's side, Loras is in third place after the winter championships. In the fall, the Duhawks got a soccer team title and a runner-up finish in cross country, which has been joined by an indoor track & field title and a runner-up finish in basketball in the winter seasons. Loras has 37.7 points to rank behind Wartburg (50.4) and Coe (38.8).
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.
