GREENWOOD, Ind. - For the second consecutive year, the Black Hills State University men's track & field/cross country program recorded the maximum number of recipients on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District ® list, as Javin Walker, Matthew Lofaso, Evan Smith, Drew Lehman, Chase Maher, and Jayden Curtis each received the honor on Tuesday. Both Smith and Lehman were among student-athletes selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced July 14, 2026. 

Smith, a sophomore from Union, Kentucky, qualified for both the NCAA Division II Indoor & Outdoor Track & Field Championships in his first year as a Yellow Jacket. During the year, he broke three school records in the indoor 400m dash (48.96), indoor 800m run (1:49.89), and the outdoor 800m run (1:48.58). He received First Team All-RMAC recognition in the indoor 800m run with a second place finish at the conference championships and time of 1:51.61, and then went on to earn Second Team All-American honors with a 13th place finish at the national championships with a time of 1:50.20 in the event. In the outdoor 800m run, he earned another First Team All-RMAC honor with a second place finish in the 800m run and a time of 1:48.96, and then another Second Team All-American honor with a 16th place finish and time of 1:50.79 at nationals in the event. He ranked third in the South Central Region and fifth in NCAA Division II in the 800m run during the indoor season with a time of 1:48.48, and was sixth in the South Central Region and 16th in NCAA Division II in the 800m run during the outdoor season with a time of 1:48.38. He is pursuing a degree in exercise science. 

Lehman, a sophomore from Custer, South Dakota, was a First Team All-American for the Green & Gold during the indoor season. In his first collegiate season competing in the triple jump and long jump, he was among the best in the conference in both. He broke a 50-year old school record in the indoor triple jump, posting a mark of 50.26m (50' 0.75"), and then ranks second all-time in school history in the indoor long jump with a mark of 7.16m (23' 6"). He received First Team All-RMAC recognition in both events with a second place finish in the long jump with a mark of 7.08m (23' 2.75") and a third place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 14.92m (48' 11.5") at the RMAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. He qualified for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships in the triple jump, and earned First Team All-American honors in the event with an eighth place mark of 15.07m (49' 5.5"). He ranked third in the South Central Region and tenth in NCAA Division II with a mark of 15.26m (50' 0.75") in the indoor triple jump, and ranked 11th in the South Central Region with a mark of 7.16m (23' 6") in the indoor long jump. Academically, he received First Team Academic All-RMAC during the 2026 indoor season as well as RMAC Academic Honor Roll recognition. He is pursuing a degree in biology. 

Maher, a sophomore from Rapid City, South Dakota, earned All-South Central Region honors in the pole vault during the 2026 indoor season. He ranked second in the South Central Region and 30th in NCAA Division II in the indoor pole vault with a mark of 5.01m (16' 5.25"), and then ranked 17th in the South Central Region in the outdoor pole vault with a mark of 4.65m (15' 3"). He earned Second Team All-RMAC honors in the pole vault during the indoor conference championships with a mark of 4.78m (15' 8.25") for fifth place. Academically, he is a 2-time RMAC Academic Honor Roll selection, earning the accolade in the 2026 indoor and outdoor seasons. He is pursuing a degree in business administration. 

Curtis, a sophomore from Ogallala, Nebraska, has been among the best in program history in the indoor 60m hurdles and long jump, ranking within the all-time top-10 in both events. During the indoor season, he ranked 38th in the South Central Region in the triple jump with a mark of 12.37m (40' 7") and was 47th in the region in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.70. In the outdoor season, he ranked 44th in the South Central Region in the long jump with a mark of 6.73m (22' 1"). He is a 2-time RMAC Academic Honor Roll selection, earning the honor during both the 2026 indoor and outdoor seasons. He is pursuing a degree in physical education. 

Walker, a junior from Dayton, Wyoming, earns his second career CSC Academic All-District ® honor after being one of five to receive it for the Yellow Jackets last year. In the triple jump, he ranked 31st in the South Central Region in the outdoor season with a mark of 12.96m (42' 6.25") and was 33rd in the region in the indoor season with a mark of 12.85m (42' 2"). He qualified for the RMAC Indoor Track & Field Championships in the triple jump, earning 18th place with a mark of 12.49m (40' 11.75"). Later on in the season he qualified for the RMAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships in both the long jump and triple jump. He only recorded a mark in the long jump during the outdoor conference championships, earning a 20th place finish with a mark of 6.40m (21' 0"). To go along with now his second CSC Academic All-District selection, he is a 4-time RMAC Academic Honor Roll honoree, earning the accolade during the 2025 indoor and outdoor seasons, and the 2026 indoor and outdoor seasons. He is pursuing a degree in exercise science. 

Lofaso, a senior from Syracuse, Utah, recorded career-best marks in both the discus and hammer throw for the Yellow Jackets during the 2025-26 season. He ranked 47th in the South Central Region in the shot put with a mark of 13.64m (44' 9") and 49th in the region in the weight throw with a mark of 14.25m (46' 9") during the indoor season. He set career-best marks during the outdoor season with a mark of 41.31m (135' 6") in the hammer throw at the Grubby's Easter Classic and recorded a mark of 36.59m (120' 0") in the discus throw at the Bauer Open. He is a 4-time RMAC Academic Honor Roll selection, earning the recognition for the 2024, 2025, and 2026 indoor seasons, and the 2026 outdoor season. He is pursuing a degree in business administration.