LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama Cross Country/Track & Field program produced six CSC Academic All-District recipients on Tuesday.
Men's Track and Field's Dedric Hicks, Gary Mata, Landon Laphand, and Jaxson Lovelace along with Women's Track and Field's Kiona McCallister and Rita Walker were announced as UWA's six representatives.
Dedric Hicks
Hicks claims the first CSC Academic All-District selection of his career, adding on another trinket to an incredible career. This Track season, Hicks won the GSC Championship in the Shot Put event in both the Indoor and Outdoor season. The senior recorded a 17.46m mark in the Indoor Championships which stands as his season's best. After a great regular season, Hicks advanced the NCAA Outdoor Nationals, stamping his name as one of the top Shot Putters in the country. In the classroom, the senior is an Exercise Science major and held a 3.67 GPA.
Gary Mata
Mata earns an CSC Academic All-District selection after being named to the GSC All-Academic team in the Indoor Season. Mata competed in the 5000m, 3000m, 1500m, 800m, and One Mile event in Track while competing in the 10k and 8K event in Cross Country. This season, the senior recorded a personal best time of 14:56.87 in the 5000m at the WashU Distance Carnival which stands as the 29th best mark in the region. In the classroom, Mata is a Health Science Comprehensive and graduated with a 3.56 GPA.
Landon Laphand
Laphand picks up the first CSC Academic All-District selection of his career in his first season with the Tigers. The sophomore competed in the 200 and 400m events and helped West Alabama's 4x400 team to a third place finish in the Outdoor GSC Championships. Laphand recorded a personal-best 48.52 time in the 400m at the Georgia Tech Invitational that put him 29th in the Region. In the classroom, Laphand is an Accounting major, accumulating a 3.50 GPA.
Jaxson Lovelace
Lovelace put together an impressive resume in 2026 as he adds an CSC Academic All-District selection to the GSC Champion Scholar Athlete award that he won at the GSC Championships in May. Lovelace competed in multiple events for the Tigers throughout the Indoor and Outdoor season. The sophomore participated in the 200 and 300m events on the Track while competing in the High Jump, Long Jump, and Javelin Throw events in the Field. Lovelace recorded a throw of 58.29m in the Javelin which stands as the 10th best mark in the region at the UWG Legends Invitational. The sophomore recorded a 1.85m leap in the High Jump at the GSC Championships that put him 35th in the region in that event. In the classroom, Lovelace holds a 3.86 GPA as a Biology major.
Kiona McCallister
McCallister ends a tremendous three-sport UWA career with an CSC Academic All-District. The former UWA Women's Basketball player transitioned to Cross Country and Track and Field in 2025-26 and impressed. On the Track, the senior competed in the 800m and 400m Hurdles. McCallister finished fifth at the GSC Championships in the 400m Hurdles with a time of 1:07.38 in her first year doing the event. McCallister's time stands as the 30th best mark in the region. In the classroom, McCallister graduated with a 3.70 GPA as an Accounting major.
Rita Walker
Walker earns an CSC Academic selection in her first year in the program. Walker competed in Cross Country and Track and Field for West Alabama in 2025-26. The junior was one of UWA's top distance runners in Cross Country, recording times of 20:01.8 in the 5k and 23:52.8 in the 6k event. In Track and Field, Walker accumulated a personal-best time of 18:47.50 in the 5000m at the Falcon Classic which was the 50th best time in the region. In the classroom, the junior is an Accounting major and holds a 3.85 GPA.
