SEARCY — Harding senior defender Sikan Akpanudo (Searcy, Arkansas) was named to the All-Great American Conference/Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (GAC/MIAA) Second Team on Wednesday. The honor marks the first all-conference selection of his career.

Akpanudo was a dominant force for the Bisons defense during the 2025 season. He was the only Harding player to start all 18 games and led the team with 1,575 minutes played. The Searcy native contributed on the offensive end as well, scoring one goal in the 80th minute of Harding's 3-2 loss to Southern Nazarene on Sept. 27.

In addition to the athletic recognition, the Bisons also saw two players recognized for academic success. Sophomore defender Aitor Scholl (Wylie, Texas) and sophomore goalkeeper Caden Morris (San Antonio, Texas) were both named to the GAC/MIAA Academic Honor Roll.

The Academic Honor Roll requires student-athletes who are sophomores or higher academically to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or above. Scholl, a data science major, qualified with a 3.67 GPA, while Morris, majoring in kinesiology and health education, earned the distinction with a 3.52 GPA.