LIVINGSTON, Ala. - After yet another standout season, the University of West Alabama Track and Field's Balikis Yakubu has been named the 2025 GSC Track Athlete of the Year.

Yakubu repeats as the GSC's Track Athlete of the Year after winning the award in 2024. The graduate student had her encore campaign in 2025 as she went on to place first in the 100M event five times, while finishing first in the 200M four times. The Sprinter put a stamp on the year and solidified her status as the top Track Athlete in the conference, by winning the GSC Championship in the 100M with a time 11.71 on May 3.

Throughout the year, Yakubu recorded eight times under 12.00 in the 100M, with a season-best 11.53 time coming at the Lee Last Chance Meet this past weekend which hit a NCAA Provisional Mark and ranks first within the GSC. In the 200M, the Sprinter registered a season-best 23.67 time at the Mike McMillan Twilight which also stands as an NCAA Provisional and remains atop the GSC Leaderboards. With Yakubu holding Provisional Marks in both the 100M and 200M events, the graduate student is in contention to be selected to the NCAA National Championships which will be held in Pueblo, Colorado on May 22-24.

With another GSC accolade to her name, Yakubu's legacy continues to grow. The Sprinter will find out if her legendary collegiate career will continue into late May on Wednesday when the NCAA announces their Championship participants.