DARKE COUNTY – Many sports are to the point of their season in which conference play looms large on their schedule while other sports are getting ready for the fast-approaching postseason meets.

With those big events in front of them, teams are looking for leaders to step up, which is just what has happened from this week’s Daily Advocate athletes of the week.

This week’s Daily Advocate athletes of the week are Mississinawa Valley boys golfer Ryan Rehmert and Tri-Village volleyball player Sara Bowman.

Rehmert leads all Darke County golfers with a nine-hole average of 38.5, which is one stroke better than his closest competitor.

Rehmert continued his strong season Thursday night, shooting a 35 against Tri-County North at Penn Terra Golf Course.

“I think he’s having a phenomenal season,” Mississinawa Valley coach Carlos Benavidez said about the Blackhawk senior. “He’s playing probably some of the best golf.”

As a junior, Rehmert led Darke County in average with a 38.3 and won his sectional tournament. Benavidez knows Rehmert is capable of big things as the Cross County Conference tournament and sectional tournaments quickly approach.

“If Ryan works as hard as he can, and he probably will, he’s probably the guy that everybody’s after,” Benavidez said.

Just like Rehmert, Bowman also is among the county leaders in her sport.

She’s at or near the top of the leader board this season with 75 kills, 120 digs and 12 assists. She also has 65 points served, nine blocks and a pair of assists. Her serving percentage is 93 percent, and her hitting percentage is 87 percent.

During a tournament Sept. 8 at Xenia, Bowman had 10 kills, nine digs, three blocks and four points served against Williamsburg. She then had 17 kills, 18 digs, one block and two points served in a match against Xenia.

Bowman’s 17 kills against Xenia were a season high for her and her three blocks tied a season high.