FRISCO, Texas _  The Southland Conference champion University of Central Arkansas had a league-high three cross country runners named to the 2018 Southland Conference Men's Cross Country Academic All-Conference teams on Wednesday.

All Southland yearly awards are presented by Ready Nutrition.

UCA senior Markus Schweikert was a first-team selection, while junior Jared Hamilton and sophomore Alex Hanson were second-team selections. 

Schweikert, from Spay, Germany, has a 3.87 grade-point average in marketing. He finished ninth at the Southland Conference championships, helping UCA to its first-ever conference title in men's cross country. Hanson, from Thatcham, England, finished 10th at the SLC championship, while Hamilton, from Grand Prairie, Texas, was 11th.  

Hanson has a 3.22 grade-point average in marketing while Hamilton has a 3.47 in exercise science.
  
The Southland Conference All-Academic Teams are voted on by a head coach, sports information director and academic/compliance staff member from each school. Voting for one's own athletes is not permitted. To be eligible for all-academic distinction, an athlete must hold a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average through the semester prior to the sport's championship, completed at least one full academic year at the nominating school prior to the current season, and participated in at least 50 percent of the team's competitions during the most recently completed season.

First Team All-Conference athletes (top five finishers at the Southland Cross Country Championships) who meet all-academic nomination criteria are automatically named First Team All-Academic.