We prove that if $μ_n$ are probability measures on $Z$ such that $\hat μ_n$ converges to 0 uniformly on every compact subset of $(0,1)$, then there exists a subsequence $\{n_k\}$ such that the weighted ergodic averages corresponding to $μ_{n_k}$ satisfy a pointwise ergodic theorem in $L^1$. We further discuss the relationship between Fourier decay and pointwise ergodic theorems for subsequences, considering in particular the averages along $n^2+ \lfloor ρ(n)\rfloor$ for a slowly growing function $ρ$. Under some monotonicity assumptions, the rate of growth of $ρ'(x)$ determines the existence of a "good" subsequence of these averages.

LaTeX, 11 pages; corrected from previous version (which included an erroneous minor result)