Five Jax State Track and Field Athletes Earn Academic All-District Honors
6/25/2026 11:04:00 AM | Track and Field
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The Jax State track and field program had five athletes named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, announced on Thursday by the association.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must hold a 3.5 cumulative grade point average and be at least a sophomore. Additionally, they must be a starter or key reserve, hitting a minimum participation threshold.
Seniors Lennon Ibsen and Lydia Seals, along with juniors Aliyah Gidharry, Jadyn Bonds, Chaci Whitfield and sophomores Viola Jepleting and Mark Roper were all selected for the honor.
Ibsen competed in 12 track and field meets throughout both the indoor and outdoor seasons, finding the podium with a second-place finish in pole vault at the Outdoor Music City Challenge. Seals competed in three outdoor meets this season in the javelin throw, with a season-best distance of 37.36m.
Gidharry and Whitfield were consistent contributors in the mutli-events throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons. In the Conference USA Outdoor Championships in May, Gidharry and Whitfield were able to compile the fourth and sixth best performances in school history, respectively. Bonds competed in the high jump and javelin throw throughout the 2025-26 season, highlighted by a first-place finish in javelin at the Josh Reidinger Invite with a distance of 45.44m.
Jepleting had a breakout sophomore season for the Gamecocks, placing herself all over the program record books. The Kenya native placed school records in the indoor one mile and 3000m, along with setting an outdoor team record in the 5000m. Additionally, Jepleting notched a first-place finish in the 1500m at the UCF Knights Invite with a time of 4:31.24.
Roper had an impressive showing as well during his second-year campaign for Jax State. The Spain native competed in one indoor meet and four outdoor meets, finishing no worse than fifth place in any of them. Roper took home four first-place finishes during the 2025-26 season.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must hold a 3.5 cumulative grade point average and be at least a sophomore. Additionally, they must be a starter or key reserve, hitting a minimum participation threshold.
Seniors Lennon Ibsen and Lydia Seals, along with juniors Aliyah Gidharry, Jadyn Bonds, Chaci Whitfield and sophomores Viola Jepleting and Mark Roper were all selected for the honor.
Ibsen competed in 12 track and field meets throughout both the indoor and outdoor seasons, finding the podium with a second-place finish in pole vault at the Outdoor Music City Challenge. Seals competed in three outdoor meets this season in the javelin throw, with a season-best distance of 37.36m.
Gidharry and Whitfield were consistent contributors in the mutli-events throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons. In the Conference USA Outdoor Championships in May, Gidharry and Whitfield were able to compile the fourth and sixth best performances in school history, respectively. Bonds competed in the high jump and javelin throw throughout the 2025-26 season, highlighted by a first-place finish in javelin at the Josh Reidinger Invite with a distance of 45.44m.
Jepleting had a breakout sophomore season for the Gamecocks, placing herself all over the program record books. The Kenya native placed school records in the indoor one mile and 3000m, along with setting an outdoor team record in the 5000m. Additionally, Jepleting notched a first-place finish in the 1500m at the UCF Knights Invite with a time of 4:31.24.
Roper had an impressive showing as well during his second-year campaign for Jax State. The Spain native competed in one indoor meet and four outdoor meets, finishing no worse than fifth place in any of them. Roper took home four first-place finishes during the 2025-26 season.
Players Mentioned
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
Sunday, May 17
Saturday, May 16
Wednesday, May 13
Sunday, May 10
