LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska Wesleyan standout Avery Decker has been named the Johanna Olson Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the American Rivers Conference for the 2024-25 academic year, the league announced Monday.
Decker becomes the seventh consecutive member of the Prairie Wolves men's or women's track and field programs to earn a version of the conference's top academic honor, continuing a remarkable standard of excellence for the program. The award is selected from conference finalists by a vote of the A-R-C Faculty Athletic Representatives.
A Fremont, Nebraska, native, Decker has flourished academically, athletically and in the community throughout her six years at Nebraska Wesleyan. She completed her Master of Business Administration this spring with a perfect 4.00 graduate GPA after earning her undergraduate degree in biology with a 3.74 GPA. Decker is currently continuing her academic journey in medical school at A.T. Still University, where she is pursuing her Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine.
Decker's academic resume is matched by sustained elite performance on the national stage. The 2025 javelin national champion, she is a four-time All-American, four-time All-Region selection and five-time All-Conference honoree. She was also named a CSC Academic All-American in 2025. Decker capped her collegiate career by delivering her long-awaited national title for the Prairie Wolves after finishing just shy of the top spot in each of the previous three seasons.
Her championship-winning throw of 48.70 meters (159-9) set both conference and school records, while she also claimed the American Rivers Conference title at 47.29 meters (155-2). In total, Decker won five event titles during the year and emerged as one of the nation's premier javelin throwers.
Beyond the competition runway, Decker has consistently made an impact in the classroom and the community. She has been named to the A-R-C All-Academic Team five times and earned spots on the Nebraska Wesleyan Dean's List six semesters since enrolling. A member of the HUGE-NWU Honor Society, she graduated with her MBA last spring.
Decker has volunteered with Tabitha Meals on Wheels in Lincoln, delivering meals to seniors and individuals with disabilities, and has participated in campus cleanup initiatives at Nebraska Wesleyan. From 2024 to 2025, she worked as a medical scribe, observing and documenting real-time interactions between healthcare providers and patients. She has also volunteered with the Delta Zeta Sorority, helping raise funds and support philanthropic efforts benefiting the Starkey Hearing Foundation, Painted Turtle Camp, Relay for Life and CEDARS.
The Johanna Olson Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor recognizes not only academic achievement, but sustained excellence across all areas of the student-athlete experience. For Decker and the Prairie Wolves, it represents yet another milestone in a career and a program defined by consistency, commitment and championship-level standards.
