NEW ORLEANS – Harding University senior Josie Parks has been named a 2025 NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country All-Academic Athlete, as announced Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The honor crowns a season of dual excellence for the Lady Bisons, who balanced a top-five conference finish with high marks in the classroom. Parks, an Exercise Science major from Columbia, Tennessee, met the rigorous USTFCCCA criteria by maintaining a 3.89 cumulative GPA and finishing in the top 30 percent of the regional championship field.

To qualify for the All-Academic distinction, student-athletes must compile a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale and finish in the top 30 percent of their respective regional championship meet.

Parks was a standout for the Lady Bisons throughout the 2025 campaign. She earned First Team All-GAC honors for the second consecutive year after placing eighth overall at the Great American Conference Championships in Monticello, Arkansas, helping lead Harding to a fifth-place team finish.

At the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships in Joplin, Missouri, Parks was a top finisher for the Lady Bisons, placing 62nd overall in a field of over 200 runners to secure her spot on the All-Academic list. Her performance helped Harding secure 16th place in a massive 35-team regional field.