NEW ORLEANS — The Harding women's track and field team matched its record-breaking performance on the runway with exceptional excellence in the classroom, earning 2026 NCAA Division II All-Academic Team honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Under head coach Don Hood, the Lady Bisons posted a 3.56 cumulative team grade-point average for the 2025–26 academic year, tying for the 40th-highest team GPA among all NCAA Division II women's track and field programs in the country. Programs must maintain a cumulative team GPA of at least 3.00 to qualify for the national team award.
Along with the collective team distinction, 14 Lady Bisons earned individual USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete recognition for maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 while reaching elite national or regional athletic benchmarks, including finishing top-50 nationally in an individual event or competing at the NCAA Championships.
The 14 Harding women's student-athletes honored include:
The classroom accolades cap off a historic campaign for the Lady Bisons, who earned a 17th-place team finish at the 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships in Emporia, Kansas—the second-highest national finish in program history—powered by All-American podium performances from Konovalenko, Cheek, and Yedidya Bangue.
