FAIRFAX, Va. – Six George Mason student-athletes have been named to the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Academic All-State team for their efforts in competition and in the classroom.

Jacco Arends (Men's Tennis), Ali Tyler (Women's Swimming and Diving), and Arsalan Yaqubi (Men's Track & Field) have earned the honor for the second straight year, while Lauren Distad (Women's Lacrosse), Olyvia Kennedy (Women's Volleyball), and Georgi Zahariev (Men's Volleyball) are first-time honorees.

To qualify, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore with a minimum grade point average of 3.25.  VaSID selected 220 student-athletes for All-Academic honors across 37 schools in Virginia.

Jacco Arends
Sr., Groningen, Netherlands
Major: Economics | Men's Tennis
Arends earns his second consecutive A-10 All-Academic Team selection after an outstanding season both on and off the court. The native of the Netherlands graduated from George Mason in May with a degree in economics and a perfect 4.0 GPA. On the court, he posted a 2-1 record in A-10 play at No. 2 doubles, including a key win over VCU. He competed throughout the season at No. 2 and No. 3 singles, finishing the campaign with 14 total victories.

Lauren Distad
Sr., Roseville, Minn.
Major: Biology | Women's Lacrosse
Distad is a two-time Peter N. Stearns Provost Scholar and currently serves as SAAC President and 2025 team captain. She is also co-president of the GMU Athlete Ally chapter. A standout on the field, she holds program records for both career and single-season draw controls.

Olyvia Kennedy
Sr., Columbus, Ohio
Major: English | Women's Volleyball
A three-time Peter N. Stearns Provost Scholar, Kennedy serves as team captain and sits on the SAAC Executive Board. She was named to the 2024 A-10 All-Academic Team and is the 2024–25 recipient of the George Mason Athletics Equity Impact Award. Kennedy is also the founder and co-president of the GMU Athlete Ally chapter. On the court, she surpassed 1,000 career kills—just the second player to do so in program history during the 25-point rally scoring era—and helped lead the team to its most wins since 2010.

Ali Tyler
Sr., Cheshire, Conn.
Major: Forensic Science | Women's Swimming & Diving
Tyler was awarded the 2025 Sue Collins Leadership Award and is a four-time A-10 All-Academic Team honoree. A three-time Peter N. Stearns Provost Scholar, she has earned Dean's List recognition every semester. At the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championships, she was named Most Outstanding Swimmer after winning three individual titles, setting two conference records and five team records—including in the 100 freestyle, 200 IM, and 100 backstroke. She swam NCAA B-cut times in two events, broke the GMU record in the 200-yard freestyle, and helped the Patriots set a new program record in the 800-yard freestyle relay. Tyler capped off the 2024–25 season with 19 individual top-three finishes.

Arsalan Yaqbi
Sr., Springfield, Va.
Major: Criminology, Law and Society | Track & Field
Yaqubi is a three-time Peter N. Stearns Provost Scholar and earned A-10 All-Academic honors during the outdoor track and field season. He claimed an A-10 title and silver medal in the hammer throw. Yaqubi also ranked 10th in the conference in shot put, 10th in discus, third in hammer throw, and fifth in the javelin. He maintained a 3.89 GPA in Criminology, Law and Society.

Georgi Zahariev
Jr., Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
Major: Computer Science | Men's Volleyball
Zahariev is a three-time Peter N. Stearns Provost Scholar and was named to the EIVA All-Academic Team. He holds a 4.0 GPA in Computer Science. On the court, he appeared in 26 sets, recording 150 assists, 11 kills, and a .333 hitting percentage. He also added two service aces and 14 total blocks.
Top of Form