Six members of the Calvin University men's cross country and track and field teams were named Academic All-District by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) on Tuesday.
 
The six honorees include Abe VanDuinen (Pentwater, Mich./Pentwater), Bob Horton (Rockford, Mich./Rockford), Lucas Jambekar (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Grosse Pointe North), Rhys Bedford (Delton, Mich./Delton Kellogg), Zach Van Baren (Hudsonville, Mich./Covenant Christian) and Ryan Sarkett (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair).
 
To be eligible for CSC Academic All-District honors, a student athlete must be at least a sophomore in eligibility and maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher. A student-athlete must also finish in the top 50 in the region in cross country, or the top 50 in the region in the indoor or outdoor track and field season in an individual event.

VanDuinen and Van Baren both advanced to the national ballot for CSC Academic All-America consideration. 
 
The Calvin men's track and field team took first place at the MIAA Championships during both the indoor and outdoor seasons, while the cross country team finished fourth at the MIAA Championship and took 12th place at the NCAA III Regional.
 
Abe VanDuinen
 
Van Duinen earned his first CSC Academic honor after a breakout sophomore season in which he earned First Team All-America honors in indoor track and field. Van Duinen finished eighth at the NCAA III Indoor Championships in the 800 meters after winning that race at the MIAA Indoor Championships. He also took second place in the one mile at the MIAA Indoor Championships to record a total of 18 points at the meet.
 
A sociology major with a 3.95 cumulative GPA, Van Duinen is a four-time Calvin Dean's List and one-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll honoree.
 
Bob Horton
 
Horton was named CSC Academic All-District for the second straight year after previously earning the honor as a sophomore in 2025. This season, Horton was named All-MIAA First Team in the outdoor season thanks to a first-place finish in the 400 meter hurdles in a time of 54.53 that earned him All-Region honors from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
 
A history/education major with a 3.7 GPA, Horton is a six-time Calvin Dean's List and two-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll honoree.
 
Lucas Jambekar
 
A sophomore in his first year of eligibility, Jambekar earned his first career CSC Academic All-District award in 2026. This outdoor season, Jambekar earned All-MIAA First Team honors after winning the javelin event at the MIAA Championships with a top throw of 54.81 meters, scoring 10 points for the Knights. He also earned All-Region honors from the USTFCCCA with the seventh-best throw in the Great Lakes Region.
 
A kinesiology major with a 3.67 GPA, Jambekar is also a four-time Calvin Dean's List honoree.
 
Rhys Bedford
 
Bedford is a first-time CSC Academic Honor Roll honoree as a sophomore this season in track and field. Bedford earned All-MIAA First Team recognition after winning the 110 meter hurdles in a time of 14.81 at the MIAA Outdoor Championships in May. He also took fourth place in the decathlon and third place in the long jump at the event.
 
An environmental health and conservation major with a 3.58 GPA, Bedford is a four-time Calvin Dean's List and one-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll honoree.
 
Zach Van Baren
 
A junior, Van Baren received his first Academic All-District honor after winning the heptathlon in the MIAA Indoor Championships and followed that by taking second in the decathlon at the MIAA Outdoor Championships. He qualified for the NCAA III Track & Field Outdoor Championships thanks to a personal-best score of 6,626 points in May but was unable to finish the event due to injury. He was also named All-Region by the USTFCCCA in both indoor and outdoor track and field.
 
A business marketing and graphic design major with a 3.62 GPA, VanBaren is also a six-time Calvin Dean's List and two-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll honoree.
 
Ryan Sarkett
 
Sarkett earned his first ever CSC Academic All-District honor this season as a senior. In outdoor track, Sarkett won the 3,000 meter steeplechase in a time of 9:35.6 to earn him All-MIAA First Team recognition for the first time in his career. Sarkett also ran cross country in the fall, finishing 31st at the MIAA Championships and 44th at the NCAA III Regional.
 
A chemical engineering major with a 3.95 GPA, Sarkett is an eight-time Calvin Dean's List and three-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll honoree.