JOSHUA HAMLYN, GUEST SPORTS WRITER
Saturday will go down as one to remember on the field, the pitch and the course for Warburg College athletics. The women’s soccer team, football team, and men’s and women’s cross-country teams all shined bright on a cold and gloomy day.
Women’s Soccer
The No.17 Wartburg women’s soccer team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Tournament with a 5-2 match win over Grinnell College in first-round action at Salzwedel Field in Waverly.
The Knights outscored the Pioneers 3-1 in the first half and cruised to victory. The goals in the first half were supplied by Joy Smith, Mya Jansen and Avery Matthews. The Knights kept the momentum rolling during the second half adding two more goals with Grinnell fighting back with one of its own.
Wartburg Football
The No.14/15 Wartburg football team clinched an outright American Rivers Conference football title and completed an undefeated regular season at 10-0 overall and 8-0 in A-R-C play. The Knights accomplished these feats with a 19-14 win over Coe College on the road Saturday in Cedar Rapids.
The Knights’ offense featured strong production from senior quarterback Nile McLaughlin, who had 248 passing yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back Hunter Clausen had107 yards on the ground, putting him over 1,000 yards for the season.
The Knights’ defense was led by senior linebacker Owen Grover with 10 total tackles.
This was the 17th conference championship in program history for the Knights and their first since the 2019 season. This was the first undefeated regular season for the Knights since 2017. In that 2017 season, the Knights finished 12-1 overall and made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA football playoffs.
The Knights with their conference title will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III football playoffs. The Knight’s playoff opponent and the game site will be announced during the NCAA selection show late Sunday afternoon on NCAA.com.
Wartburg Cross Country
The No.5 Wartburg men’s cross-country team placed second at the 2022 NCAA Midwest Regional Championship in Batavia, IL, Saturday with 55 points. Senior Christopher Collet finished in first place individually at the meet with a time of 25 minutes and 4.9 seconds over the 8,000-meter (4.97 miles) course. The Knights had a school-record finish in the top 35 at the meet and achieved All-Region honors.
Wartburg will await the NCAA Championship field announcement Sunday to see if it has received an at-large bid to the Division III Cross Country National Championships in East Lansing, MI next Saturday, Nov.19.
The No.2 Wartburg women’s cross-country team won the 2022 NCAA Midwest Regional Championship in Batavia, IL Saturday with 36 points. The highest individual finisher at the meet for the Knights was senior Aubrie Fisher, who finished in second place with a time of 21 minutes and 51.6 seconds over 6,000 meters (3.7 miles). The Knights had six runners achieve All-Region honors.
With their Midwest Regional title, the Knights have secured a spot at the Division III Cross Country National Championships in East Lansing, MI, next Saturday, Nov. 19.
Knight Wire 
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