Ohio Wesleyan University senior Darcy Picker (Mount Gilead) has been named a North Coast Athletic Conference Student-Athlete of the Week for the week of Oct. 26, it was announced by the NCAC.

Picker, an exercise science major, is a member of the Ohio Wesleyan women's cross country team.

A 2-year letterwinner in cross country, Picker has grown into a leadership role on a Battling Bishop squad that was poised to compete for a conference championship in 2020.

"She's someone who always does the right thing, has exemplary character, and invests herself greatly in our sport," said Ohio Wesleyan head coach Ben Carlson.  "As a freshman and sophomore, Darcy missed much of the cross country seasons with two different injuries.  Despite an easy opportunity to walk away, she doubled down and became more focused on coming back better than ever -- and it showed with a great junior year, which only would've been trumped by her senior season.  In our time trials and intrasquad competitions this fall she's set a personal best in every race to date.

"We had a huge need for leadership during her sophomore year, and despite her quiet personality, she committed to finding her voice and leading in a way that wasn't natural for her.  As a result, we've seen a marked improvement with the team these past two years.  It can't all be attributed to Darcy, but certainly her willingness to speak up and lead has helped create a confidence within her teammates."

Picker is a 2-time Top 50 Award winner at Ohio Wesleyan, an honor recognizing the top 50 cumulative grade-point averages among student-athletes, and has "taken part in all of our team community service over the years, from cleaning local elementary schools to serving at youth cross country and track meets to helping with a prairie project at Deerhaven Nature Park south of Delaware.  This fall she's raising funds in support of Second Stride, a racehorse adoption program, as part of our #MyCauseMyJersey initiative," Carlson said.

The NCAC Student-Athlete of the Week highlights two conference individuals each week, one male and one female, who excel in one or more of the following areas: academics, commitment, community service, leadership and perseverance. Student-athletes have been nominated by their respective schools and are from the current traditional playing season.