LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska Wesleyan's Avery Decker has been named one of the Top 30 honorees for the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year award, recognizing her excellence in athletics, academics, leadership, and service.

A 2025 MBA graduate with a perfect 4.0 GPA, Decker previously earned her bachelor's degree in biology with a 3.741 GPA. On the javelin runway, she became the 2025 NCAA Division III national champion in the javelin, earning four consecutive All-America honors (2022–25), including a national runner-up finish in 2024. She was also a CSC Academic All-American, NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient, and four-time A-R-C Field Athlete of the Week.

Head coach Derrick McKenzie praised Avery, stating, "Decker redefined excellence as an NCAA Champion in the javelin, academic All-American, and a relentless competitor whose journey was marked by grit, grace, and growth. She is elite in every sense of the word and has set a new standard."

Beyond athletics, Decker was a leader in Delta Zeta Sorority, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and multiple service organizations. Her volunteer work included Meals on Wheels, the Alzheimer's Association, Special Olympics, and the Fremont Track Club.

Decker is pursuing a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at A.T. Still University. She is NWU's sixth Top 30 finalist, joining last year's honoree Bre Geary.

The NCAA will announce the 2025 Woman of the Year on Nov. 5, with the recipient honored at the NCAA Convention in January in National Harbor, Md.