ST. LOUIS – The Missouri Valley Conference announced its 2026 Track and Field Scholar-Athlete Teams on Thursday, and 16 UIC student-athletes earned recognition for their standout achievements in competition and in the classroom. Nine from the men's program and seven from the women's program were honored among the conference's top academic performers.
 
The 16 Flames named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete team is the most in program history.
 
MEN
 
Zachary Barisa - Senior - 3.78 GPA - Mechanical Engineering
Zac Close - Sophomore - 3.51 GPA - Industrial Design
Alexander Das - Junior - 3.62 GPA - Finance
Brady Kataoka - Junior - 3.5 GPA - Finance
Joseph Labib - Junior - 3.85 GPA - Computer Engineering
Aiden Massaro - Junior - 3.82 GPA - Engineering Physics
Marv Quinones - Senior - 3.64 GPA - Psychology
Shmouel Sackman - Graduate Student - 3.56 GPA
Olukolajo Sodipe - Junior - 3.72 GPA - Computer Science
 
WOMEN
 
Emma Dubie - Senior - 3.88 GPA - Neuroscience
Alayna Filipiak - Junior - 4.0 GPA - Psychology
Korima Gonzalez - Junior - 3.78 GPA Psychology
Elsie Kren - Sophomore - 3.53 GPA - Teaching of Mathematics
Praise Oyebanji - Junior - 3.7 GPA - Information and Decision Science
Makaya Phillips - Junior - 3.86 GPA - Psychology
Tianna Wilson - Junior - 3.66 GPA - Public Health
 
Four Flames also earned the honor this past Fall with cross country, with Zac Close, Alexander Das, Emma Dubie and Praise Oyebanji all securing their second Scholar-Athlete award of the 2025-26 year.
 
To qualify for the MVC's Scholar Athlete Team, an athlete must be a sophomore academically and athletically while meeting the following criteria: a 3.5 cumulative GPA and must have competed in six meets OR placed in the top 8 in an individual event at the MVC Championship OR on a top 3 relay team at the MVC Championship.
 
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For more information on UIC's track & field and Cross Country programs, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_XCTF or @UICFlames) and Instagram (@UIC_XCTF or @uicflames).