Cullowhee, N.C. – Four Western Carolina track and field student-athletes collected additional postseason honors on Tuesday, as juniors Shaneil Lysight, Sadler Miller, Raelyn Vadala, and sophomore Colby Capps were each named to their respective College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team.
The CSC Academic All-District nominations were determined by success in the classroom and on the track, as all athletes were required to post a 3.50 GPA and place within the top 50 in the region in their respective events to qualify for a nomination.
A multis-event student-athlete for the Catamounts, sophomore Colby Capps earned his first career academic all-district nod after placing 31st in the Southeast region with a 6,124-point effort at the 2025 Southern Conference Championships in May. Recording his only full decathlon of the outdoor season, the Burnsville, N.C. native set a personal best in the event overall and had career-best marks in six of ten possible events.
Academically, Capps carries a 3.71 grade point average while majoring in construction management.
Sadler Miller collected her second CSC Academic All-District honor of the 2024-25 season and the third of her career, as the dual-sport athlete finished the outdoor season ranked 12th in the high jump in the region. Miller made her first appearance of the season at the Catamount Classic, notching a 1.71m clear before clearing the same height to split the SoCon individual event title with teammate Imani Boyd at the Southern Conference Championships.
A junior from Clayton, N.C., Miller was also named to the CSC Academic All-District At-Large team after a 3.93 GPA, majoring in interior design.
One of only two Catamount track and field student-athletes to earn more than one All-District nod in their careers, sprinter Shaneil Lysight earned her second consecutive honor after finishing the year ranked 36th in the 100m hurdles with a 13.88s finish at the Catamount Classic and 39th in the 400m hurdles (1:01.54) at the SoCon Championships. Additionally, the junior hurdler ran a leg of WCU's 4x400m relay team, which ended the year ranked 32nd in the region, though relay finishes were not considered for CSC qualifications.
Majoring in engineering, Lysight boasts a 3.90 GPA ,
Jumper Raelyn Vadala earned her first Academic All-District honor after an 11.94m mark in the triple jump at the conference championship meet, ending the year ranked 37th in the Southeast region. Her fifth-place finish at the conference championship set a new personal best in the event by 0.20m and by 0.53m in just the outdoor season. The junior from Buffalo, N.Y. notched a 3.53 GPA while majoring in criminal justice.
The Catamount track and field team has earned at least four Academic All-District honorees for the last three seasons, and has had 22 selections since Holly Bright in 2002.
WCU's All-Time Track & Field CSC Academic All-District Honorees:
Holly Bright (W) – 2002
Kineta Williams-Rogers (W) – 2003
Macy Little (W) – 2003
Michelle Velez (W) – 2003
Leslie Martin (W) – 2004
Korie Bennett (W) – 2016
Laney Browder (W) – 2016
Kate Mattison (W) – 2023
Nytrinitey Jenkins (W) – 2023
Sydney Gallant (W) – 2023
Caroline Hilliard (W) – 2023
Kaleb Ambrose (M) – 2023
Riley Center (M) – 2023
Jonathan Lehe (M) – 2023
Nytrinitey Jenkins (W) – 2024
Shaneil Lysight (W) – 2024
Derica Currie (W) – 2024
Riley Center (M) – 2024
Colby Capps (M) – 2025
Shaneil Lysight (F) – 2025
Sadler Miller (F) – 2025
Raelyn Vadala (F) – 2025
* bold denotes most recent honorees
