LIVINGSTON, Ala. - To cap off the Spring Semester, the University of West Alabama placed five athletes on the GSC All-Academic team in the form of Baseball's Bryant Quimby, Softball's Marissa Mitchell, and Track and Field's Balikis Yakubu, Augusta Arnold, and Dedric Hicks.

These five athletes represent the top Student-Athletes in their respective sports as the GSC All-Academic Team features a select few that garner both Academic and Athlete excellence in the 2024-25 season.

Baseball: Bryant Quimby

Quimby earns the first GSC All-Academic selection in his two year career within the conference after a remarkable campaign in 2025. The Tigers' star lefty bolstered UWA's rotation all season, leading the team in wins, ERA, strikeouts, opposing batting average, and WHIP. Quimby's brilliance on the mound helped West Alabama to their first GSC Championship in 10 years. In the classroom, the senior held a 3.92 GPA as a Business Administration major. Quimby now ends his career by adding a GSC All-Academic selection to a 2025 resume that includes a First Team All-GSC selection, ABCA and D2CCA Second Team All-Region, and a GSC All-Tournament Team selection.

Softball: Marissa Mitchell

Mitchell solidified her position as one of the greatest Softball players in School History this past season. In 2025, the Senior led the Tigers in all of the major offensive categories, carrying a statline of .382 Batting Average, 15 Home Runs, 43 RBIs, .862 Slugging Percentage, .493 On-Base Percentage, and a 1.355 OPS. Mitchell's greatness in 2025 was followed by a plethora of individual awards which included First Team All-GSC, D2CCA and NFCA First Team All-Region, NFCA Second Team All-American, and a GSC Top Ten recipient. While she dominated on the field, the senior was also stellar in the classroom as she graduated with her Bachelor's Degree in May, holding a 3.52 GPA as an Athletic Training major.

Track & Field: Balikis Yakubu | Augusta Arnold | Dedric Hicks

After a breakout introductory campaign in 2024, Yakubu put together an encore season in 2025. The Sprinter won the GSC Championship in the 100M for the second consecutive year, crossing the line in a blazing time of 11.53 while finishing in second in the 200M with a time of 23.67. The Graduate Student finished the year amongst the best in the country in the sprinting events as she was invited to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Pueblo, Colorado before being sidelined with an injury. Yakubu's star shined bright in the classroom as well as she finished her first year of Graduate School with a 3.45 GPA as a Physical Education Major.

As for Arnold, she put together a special run in the 2025 campaign. The Middle Distance runner not only anchored UWA's 4x400M Relay team all season but also garnered a ton of individual success. The senior broke the School Record in the 400M event twice, with the ladder coming in the GSC Championship when she was crowned the GSC Champion with a time of 56.13. Arnold's GSC Title in the 400M serves as the first of her career. During that same weekend, the Nursing Major took home the GSC Champions Scholar Athlete award which recognizes the athlete with the highest cumulative GPA amongst the teams competing in the Championships. Arnold graduated with her Bachelor's Degree in May with a perfect 4.00 GPA.

For Hicks, he put the conference on notice in his introductory season in 2025. The junior sent shockwaves with his consistent performances in the Shot Put event. Hicks broke the School Record in the event a total of three times as he now stands alone in UWA history after his 16.29m mark that he hit at the Georgia Tech Invitational. The junior was named the GSC Field Athlete of the Week twice throughout the season, before finishing second in the GSC Championships. As an Exercise Science Major in the classroom, Hicks closed out his junior year with a 3.71 GPA. 

A GSC All-Academic selection puts a stamp on the careers of Quimby, Mitchell, Balikis, and Arnold while Hicks is set to suit up with the Tigers during Football season before lifting West Alabama's Field events during Track and Field season in 2026.