Ohio Wesleyan University sophomore Cecil Fletcher (South Point/Chesapeake), sophomore Leah Maniaci (Marion/Pleasant), and junior Erin Ross (Middlefield/Cardinal) have been named North Coast Athletic Conference Players of the Week for the week of Dec. 9, it was announced by the NCAC.

Fletcher, a member of the Ohio Wesleyan men's track & field team, was named Men's Field Event Athlete of the Week; Maniaci, a guard on the Ohio Wesleyan women's basketball team, was named Women's Basketball Player of the Week; and Ross, a member of the Ohio Wesleyan women's track & field team, was named Women's Sprinter/Hurdler of the Week.

Fletcher won 2 events, taking the long jump with a leap of 22-1¾ and the triple jump with an effort of 41-9¾, as Ohio Wesleyan opened its season at the Wittenberg Tiger Opener on Friday.  The meet was not scored.

Maniaci connected on a pair of 3-pointers during 2 different Ohio Wesleyan runs in a 69-56 non-conference win over Defiance on Wednesday.  She scored 8 points during an 11-2 first-half run that gave the Bishops the lead for good, then hit back-to-back 3-pointers early in fourth quarter to extend the Ohio Wesleyan lead into double digits.  Maniaci went 4-for-6 from 3-point range and matched her career best with 14 points.  In Ohio Wesleyan's 81-55 NCAC win over Hiram on Saturday, she knocked down a 3-pointer to cap a game-opening 21-5 run, and after Hiram had rallied to within 41-37, Maniaci connected on 3-pointer and followed with a lay-in to extend the Bishop lead to 9 points, then hit a 3-pointer to push the margin into double digits.  Maniaci went 4-for-5 from 3-point range and led the Bishops with a career-high 16 points.  On the week, she went 8-for-11 from downtown and averaged 15.0 points per contest.

Ross anchored the Ohio Wesleyan 1600-meter relay team, helping the Bishop quartet win its event in 4:20.07 at the Wittenberg Tiger Opener on Friday.  She also placed fifth in the 60-meter hurdles in :09.74 and finished 16th in the 60-meter dash in :08.57.