University of North Carolina Athletics
Makayla Paige & Colton Sands Earn CSC Academic All-America Acclaim
July 15, 2026 | Cross Country, Track & Field, Academics
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – For the second straight year, North Carolina's track & field / cross country's Makayla Paige and Colton Sands have been recognized as some of the sport's top students by earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors.
Picking up first team honors for the second straight year for his success in the classroom, Sands capped off his collegiate career with First Team All-America honors in the men's 5000m and Second Team All-America acclaim in the 3000m at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Boasting a GPA of 3.97, Sands spent this last year working towards his master's degree in management.
Paige took home CSC Second Team All-America honors for the second straight season, following a high-flying outdoor season. A member of the NCAA record-breaking distance medley relay team at the Penn Relays, Paige also took home the crown in the women's 800m at the ACC Outdoor Championships. At the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, she also ran the seventh fastest time in NCAA history in the women's 800m as well.
After graduating from North Carolina in 2025, Paige took a year off to work toward her master's in applied professional studies.
Picking up first team honors for the second straight year for his success in the classroom, Sands capped off his collegiate career with First Team All-America honors in the men's 5000m and Second Team All-America acclaim in the 3000m at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Boasting a GPA of 3.97, Sands spent this last year working towards his master's degree in management.
Paige took home CSC Second Team All-America honors for the second straight season, following a high-flying outdoor season. A member of the NCAA record-breaking distance medley relay team at the Penn Relays, Paige also took home the crown in the women's 800m at the ACC Outdoor Championships. At the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, she also ran the seventh fastest time in NCAA history in the women's 800m as well.
After graduating from North Carolina in 2025, Paige took a year off to work toward her master's in applied professional studies.
Players Mentioned
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