The University of Mississippi Athletics
Gal, Hickel Named Brad Davis SEC Community Service Award Winners
4/30/2026 | Track and Field, Women's Golf, Student-Athlete Development
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Nicole Gal of Ole Miss women's golf and Mason Hickel of Ole Miss men's track & field have been named Ole Miss winners of the Brad Davis SEC Community Service Award for 2025-26, the conference announced on Thursday.
The award honors one male and female student-athlete from each of the SEC's 16 member institutions. The school award winners are nominees for the Brad Davis Community Service Leaders of the Year Award, which will be announced later in May. School winners receive a $7,500 postgraduate scholarship, and the winners of the Brad Davis Community Service Leaders of the Year each receive a $15,000 postgraduate scholarship, both provided by the SEC.
In the community, the duo's service efforts include: Adopt-A-Basket, an Ole Miss Athletics initiative that donates more than 100 Thanksgiving baskets to families in need in the Lafayette-Oxford-University community; Feed the Sip, a food sustainability project within the Stronger Together MS initiative that assists in the collection and donation of non-perishable food items for elementary students within Tunica and Quitman counties; Reading with the Rebels, Ole Miss Athletics' student literacy initiative that involves Rebel student-athletes visiting and reading with local elementary students; Trunk or Treat, Ole Miss Athletics' annual Halloween event that has student-athletes distribute candy and play games with local kids; and volunteer help with the Area 4 Special Olympics. Additionally, Gal took part in Oxford Park Commission's National Girls and Women in Sports Day event and serves as a team representative on Ole Miss' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Nicole Gal – a senior from Oakville, Ontario, Canada majoring in exercise science – competed in all nine regular season events for the Rebels this season, tallying a top 10 finish at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational. She's carded six rounds of even/below par and has 48 birdies across 23 rounds. Gal was a 2025 Second Team All-SEC selection after holding the third best scoring average on the team in her junior campaign. In total she has competed in 33 collegiate events spanning 91 rounds and holds a 73.64 career scoring average.
Mason Hickel – a redshirt senior from Phoenix, Arizona – has been a mainstay with the Ole Miss throws crew for his entire career. As a Rebel, Hickel is a three-time NCAA East Region qualifier and three-time SEC scorer, and last outdoor season he earned his first national ticket in the hammer, finishing as an honorable mention All-American. He finished his indoor career third all-time at Ole Miss in the weight throw and sixth in the shot put, and outdoors he ranks fourth in the shot, fifth in the hammer and 15th in the discus.
Academically, Hickel is a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree and was named CSC Academic All-District in 2025. He graduated with his bachelor's in pharmaceutical science in May 2025 and is currently working toward his pharmacy doctorate.
The SEC Community Service Postgraduate Scholarship is named for former Associate Commissioner Brad Davis, who succumbed to cancer on March 2, 2006. He had been a member of the SEC staff since 1988, first serving as an assistant commissioner until 1994 when he was promoted to associate commissioner.
2025-26 Men's Brad Davis SEC Community Service Award Winners
Peyton Fox, Football, Alabama
Cameron Ball, Football, Arkansas
Danny Schmidt, Swimming & Diving, Auburn
Gio Lincheer, Swimming & Diving, Florida
Sam Powe, Swimming & Diving, Georgia
Ryan Merani, Swimming & Diving, Kentucky
Jacob Pishko, Swimming & Diving, LSU
Mason Hickel, Track & Field, Ole Miss
Jacoby Jackson, Football, Mississippi State
Nate Pulliam, Wrestling, Missouri
Deanthony Parker, Wrestling, Oklahoma
Quinn Buck, Swimming & Diving, South Carolina
Nick Stone, Swimming & Diving, Tennessee
Cole Hutson, Football, Texas
Ethan Silva, Tennis, Texas A&M
Mustafa Dannett, Football, Vanderbilt
2025-26 Women's Brad Davis SEC Community Service Award Winners
Olivia Lestelle, Rowing, Alabama
Reagan Zibilski, Golf, Arkansas
Caroline Fredenburg, Equestrian, Auburn
Emily Wilkie, Softball, Florida
Sarah Gordon, Softball, Georgia
Ella Emmert, Softball, Kentucky
Ashley Cowan, Gymnastics, LSU
Nicole Gal, Golf, Ole Miss
Izzy Pellot, Golf, Mississippi State
Skylar Ciccolini, Track & Field, Missouri
Sydney Thompson, Volleyball, Oklahoma
Amy Riordan, Swimming & Diving, South Carolina
Allison Buemi, Track & Field, Tennessee
Kaydee Bennett, Softball, Texas
Meagan Braun, Equestrian, Texas A&M
Sonya Macavei, Tennis, Vanderbilt
The award honors one male and female student-athlete from each of the SEC's 16 member institutions. The school award winners are nominees for the Brad Davis Community Service Leaders of the Year Award, which will be announced later in May. School winners receive a $7,500 postgraduate scholarship, and the winners of the Brad Davis Community Service Leaders of the Year each receive a $15,000 postgraduate scholarship, both provided by the SEC.
In the community, the duo's service efforts include: Adopt-A-Basket, an Ole Miss Athletics initiative that donates more than 100 Thanksgiving baskets to families in need in the Lafayette-Oxford-University community; Feed the Sip, a food sustainability project within the Stronger Together MS initiative that assists in the collection and donation of non-perishable food items for elementary students within Tunica and Quitman counties; Reading with the Rebels, Ole Miss Athletics' student literacy initiative that involves Rebel student-athletes visiting and reading with local elementary students; Trunk or Treat, Ole Miss Athletics' annual Halloween event that has student-athletes distribute candy and play games with local kids; and volunteer help with the Area 4 Special Olympics. Additionally, Gal took part in Oxford Park Commission's National Girls and Women in Sports Day event and serves as a team representative on Ole Miss' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Nicole Gal – a senior from Oakville, Ontario, Canada majoring in exercise science – competed in all nine regular season events for the Rebels this season, tallying a top 10 finish at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational. She's carded six rounds of even/below par and has 48 birdies across 23 rounds. Gal was a 2025 Second Team All-SEC selection after holding the third best scoring average on the team in her junior campaign. In total she has competed in 33 collegiate events spanning 91 rounds and holds a 73.64 career scoring average.
Mason Hickel – a redshirt senior from Phoenix, Arizona – has been a mainstay with the Ole Miss throws crew for his entire career. As a Rebel, Hickel is a three-time NCAA East Region qualifier and three-time SEC scorer, and last outdoor season he earned his first national ticket in the hammer, finishing as an honorable mention All-American. He finished his indoor career third all-time at Ole Miss in the weight throw and sixth in the shot put, and outdoors he ranks fourth in the shot, fifth in the hammer and 15th in the discus.
Academically, Hickel is a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree and was named CSC Academic All-District in 2025. He graduated with his bachelor's in pharmaceutical science in May 2025 and is currently working toward his pharmacy doctorate.
The SEC Community Service Postgraduate Scholarship is named for former Associate Commissioner Brad Davis, who succumbed to cancer on March 2, 2006. He had been a member of the SEC staff since 1988, first serving as an assistant commissioner until 1994 when he was promoted to associate commissioner.
2025-26 Men's Brad Davis SEC Community Service Award Winners
Peyton Fox, Football, Alabama
Cameron Ball, Football, Arkansas
Danny Schmidt, Swimming & Diving, Auburn
Gio Lincheer, Swimming & Diving, Florida
Sam Powe, Swimming & Diving, Georgia
Ryan Merani, Swimming & Diving, Kentucky
Jacob Pishko, Swimming & Diving, LSU
Mason Hickel, Track & Field, Ole Miss
Jacoby Jackson, Football, Mississippi State
Nate Pulliam, Wrestling, Missouri
Deanthony Parker, Wrestling, Oklahoma
Quinn Buck, Swimming & Diving, South Carolina
Nick Stone, Swimming & Diving, Tennessee
Cole Hutson, Football, Texas
Ethan Silva, Tennis, Texas A&M
Mustafa Dannett, Football, Vanderbilt
2025-26 Women's Brad Davis SEC Community Service Award Winners
Olivia Lestelle, Rowing, Alabama
Reagan Zibilski, Golf, Arkansas
Caroline Fredenburg, Equestrian, Auburn
Emily Wilkie, Softball, Florida
Sarah Gordon, Softball, Georgia
Ella Emmert, Softball, Kentucky
Ashley Cowan, Gymnastics, LSU
Nicole Gal, Golf, Ole Miss
Izzy Pellot, Golf, Mississippi State
Skylar Ciccolini, Track & Field, Missouri
Sydney Thompson, Volleyball, Oklahoma
Amy Riordan, Swimming & Diving, South Carolina
Allison Buemi, Track & Field, Tennessee
Kaydee Bennett, Softball, Texas
Meagan Braun, Equestrian, Texas A&M
Sonya Macavei, Tennis, Vanderbilt
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