Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado School of Mines’ Zach Heckman is the 2022 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Football Summit Award winner, the league announced Wednesday. Heckman, an offensive guard, claims the league’s Summit Award after helping his team to the 2022 NCAA Division II National Championship game its 15th RMAC title in program history, a 13-3 overall record and a perfect 9-0 mark in RMAC play.
 
After closing the 2022 season with a 3.89 grade-point average (GPA) as a redshirt junior, Heckman helped his team tackle its fourth consecutive conference title. Heckman stamped his name on the Orediggers’ offensive line, which finished the year ranked sixth nationally in passing offense (314.9), first in the nation in red zone offense (.970) and first nationally in scoring offense at 44.6 points per game. Although a redshirt junior athletically, Heckman is classified as a senior academically and maintains his impressive GPA as a chemical engineering major.
 
The RMAC Summit Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA that is also competing at the site of the finals for their respective sport’s championship. For sports without a championship or tournament site, the student-athlete with the highest GPA that meets the criteria from the championship or tournament team will be honored.
 
Summit Award winners must have competed in at least 20 percent of available competitions throughout the current season. To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be a sophomore or above and have participated in their sport at their institution for at least two years. Student-athletes must be active members of their teams, traveling and competing at the RMAC championship event. Graduate students are not eligible to win the award.