Chestnut Hill College senior javelin thrower Michael Lopez-Zabala has been named to the 2026 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Men's Track and Field All-Academic Team in an announcement made by the conference office.

Lopez-Zabala earns All-Academic Team honors for the third time in his career, becoming the first Griffin thrower to earn conference all-academic honors three times.  A total of 24 student-athletes, including Lopez-Zabala were honored on this year's all-academic team.

To be eligible for CACC All-Academic status, a student-athlete must possess a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.50, be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, and be in his/her second year at his/her current institution. New for 2025-26, honorees must also either meet a CACC Championship qualifying standard or compete in the CACC Championship meet.

A senior biology major Lopez-Zabala is also  a two-time D2 ADA Academic achievement award winner.  He was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the national college athlete honor society and  Sigma Zeta, the national science and mathematics honor society in 2025.  He is also part of the Interdisciplinary Honors Program at Chestnut Hill and has earned Departmental Honors for his major.  In addition, he was named to the CACC Academic Honor roll in each of the past five semesters dating back to the program's inaugural in Fall of 2023.

Since Chestnut Hill began sponsoring track and field in 2014, 12 different Griffin men's track and field athletes have been named to the CACC Men's Track and Field All-Academic Team a total of 25 times.  Lopez-Zabala is one of six athletes to earn the award three times. One additional athlete, Cole Stanchina, has earned the honor twice.