A love for soccer that started as a toddler led to Marcy Hunt taking up running as a “stay in shape” activity heading into her teenage years. The College of Wooster was fortunate to benefit from two of Hunt’s passions, as she helped the Fighting Scots’ up-and-coming soccer program reach new heights as a standout midfielder and defender, and capped her transformation into a successful competitive middle-distance runner with a berth at the NCAA Div. III Championships as a senior.
Hunt earned key minutes in soccer right away, appearing in 14 of 19 contests as a first-year, helping a stellar defense allow just 0.79 goals per game. Wooster went 12-4-3 and won its first-ever North Coast Athletic Conference title in what marked the sixth year competing as a varsity program. More success, and a second NCAC championship, followed during Hunt’s sophomore soccer season, which saw her contribute to a defense that posted 14 shutouts and allowed just eight goals in 20 contests. Offensively, Hunt tallied her first two collegiate goals, while as a team, Wooster went 14-3-3.
Hunt’s status was elevated from significant reserve to starter leading up to the 1992 season. The Scots went on to qualify for the NCAA Div. III Championships’ Great Lakes Regional. There, Wooster fell in heartbreaking fashion against Mary Washington College, with the Eagles scoring the lone goal in the 87th minute. Hunt continued in a starting role as a senior and debuted on the All-NCAC team as a midfielder.
“Marcy always provided great maturity and leadership to the team,” summed up women’s soccer head coach David “Geordie” Brown. “She was a tireless worker on the field and helped younger players adapt to the expectations of a championship team.”
Hunt’s track and field career started as a depth middle-distance runner, and by sophomore year, she developed into a solid conference scorer in the 800 meters. A renewed drive upon returning from studying abroad as a junior led to remarkable success as a senior. Hunt earned All-NCAC laurels in the 800 meters at the NCAC Indoor Championships with the runner-up time of 2:22.62, then helped the Scots post the winning time of 4:12.56 in the 4x400 relay. At the conference outdoor meet, Hunt went 4:48.41 in the 1,500 meters and 18:28.29 in the 5,000 meters, with both times earning all-conference status. Earlier that spring, Hunt went 4:44.13 in the 1,500 meters at the All-Ohio Championships, a time that earned her a spot in the national championships, and she was part of the program’s still-standing 4x800 relay record (9:39.74).
“Marcy had an incredible senior season,” added track and field head coach Dennis Rice. “Marcy’s jump from a conference scorer to a national qualifier is one of the great success stories of our track and field program here at Wooster. Her enthusiasm, work ethic, and positive attitude carried over to all team members.”
After graduating from Wooster with a psychology degree, Hunt worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Juvenile Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She then pursued a Ph.D. in counseling psychology at the University of Oregon and has since served college students as a university psychologist. At present, she is the director of counseling services at Portland State University in Oregon.
Personally, Hunt, and her son, Zak, reside in Portland.