Ohio Wesleyan University junior Peyton Howell (Canton/GlenOak) and senior Cierra Joiner (Centerburg) have been named North Coast Athletic Conference Players of the Week for the week of Dec. 6, it was announced by the NCAC.

Howell, a member of the Ohio Wesleyan women's track & field team, was named Women's Field Events Athlete of the Week, while Joiner, a post on the Ohio Wesleyan women's basketball team, was named Women's Basketball Player of the Week.

Howell won the high jump by clearing 5-7¼ as Ohio Wesleyan opened its season at the Wittenberg Tiger Opener on Saturday.  The mark of 5-7¼ is the best in NCAA Division III this season by a margin of 1½ inches.  Howell was atop the NCAA Division III rankings with a jump of 5-8½ last year when the NCAA Division III championship meet was canceled.

Joiner contributed a pair of hoops during a 9-0 second-quarter run that helped Ohio Wesleyan wipe out an early 16-9 deficit in a 54-51 win at Bluffton on Wednesday, finishing with team bests of 15 points and 4 assists and grabbing 9 rebounds.  In Ohio Wesleyan's 74-67 win at Denison on Saturday, Joiner drove for a last-second lay-in that gave Ohio Wesleyan a 62-60 lead before Denison sent the game into overtime with a hoop at the buzzer.  In overtime, Joiner scored to break a 64-64 tie and put the Bishops ahead to stay, then scored to kick off a game-ending 6-0 run that propelled Ohio Wesleyan to the win.  Joiner led the Bishops with 27 points and 7 rebounds.