SEARCY, Ark. – On Sunday, the Harding University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) held its annual banquet in Cone Chapel to celebrate 49 senior student-athletes who will graduate this spring. These honorees were presented with Athletic Honor Cords, a visual representation of their hard work in both the classroom and the field of play.

The event featured a program dedicated to the success of Harding's student-athletes. The banquet opened with a welcome from SAAC President Hudson Vaughn (baseball) and Vice President Jacey Lambert (volleyball). The program continued with a "Bison Overview" message from Athletic Director Jeff Morgan and a video presentation from SAAC representative Emma Zaboronek (track and field). Attendees also heard remarks from current women's soccer coach Audrey Adkison and former women's soccer coach Dr. Greg Harris.

During the event, the SAAC also took a moment to express gratitude to the university's athletic training staff for their dedication to the health and well-being of the teams. Special recognition was given to Dr. Eric Meyers, Kenny Fester, Reed Harrell, Jessika Truax, and Bo Bryant.

Eligibility Criteria

To earn an Athletic Honor Cord, student-athletes must meet specific academic and participation requirements:

• Academic Standing:

  • Bachelor's degree recipients must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3.

  • Graduate degree recipients must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5.

• Participation Requirements:

  • Student-athletes must have at least two years of collegiate experience.

  • "Participation" is defined as being on an active roster; actual playing time is not a requirement.

  • Athletes are disqualified if they voluntarily quit or are dismissed from the team by a coach or the athletic department.

  • Transfer athletes are eligible if they began participation at another university but completed their degree while competing for Harding, provided they meet the GPA criteria.

Athletes who met the criteria should consult with their coaches regarding the process to receive their double-twisted black and gold honor cords to be worn at the University Commencement ceremony.

2026 Athletic Honor Cord Recipients

Baseball

• Johnathan Jackson

• Merritt Jay

• Logan Lacey

• Cooper Newsom

• Luke Whaley

Basketball

• Wesley Booker

• Corban Mora

• Josie Williams

Cheerleading

• Emily Etzig

• Marissa Gibson

Football

• Dylan Daring

• Michael Ericson

• Christian Franklin

• Xavier Hylton

• Luke Janack

• Braden Jay

• Magnus Lepak

• Luke Martin

• Jake Mitchell

• Sam Mitchum

• Zac O'Day

• Justin Sobczak

Golf

• Pilar Martinez

• Madeleine Wilson

Soccer

• Kalyn Holeyfield

• Lauren Service

• Whitney Thomas

• Regan Thompson

Softball

• Kate Pierce

• Bailey Willis

Tennis

• Karli Roux

Track and Field

• Tucker Allen

• Audri Aaron

• Kaia Bieker

• Jackson Hardy

• Tatiana Kharashchuk

• Hanna Onufriieva

• Josie Parks

• Nathaniel Perry

• Cadence Sansom

• Mason Sciba

• Amy Stewart

• Chad Strickland

• Jaclyn Weilnau

• Dinah Winders

• Mariia Yashchenko

Volleyball

• Maegan Jones

• Jacey Lambert