Heikkinen Among Eight Finalists For Gene Upshaw Linemen Of The Year Award

Nov 28, 2012

Northland Sports Online

Senior offensive guard Garth Heikkinen, who closed the books on his record-breaking University of Minnesota Duluth football career earlier this month, is one of eight finalists for the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award.

The eight finalists were pared from a list of 46 candidates from four different Super Regions and include six other offensive linemen — junior tackle Brian Clark (Bloomsburg University), senior center Kevin Day (Carson-Newman University), senior tackle Manase Foketi (West Texas A & M University), senior tackle Ryan Jensen (Colorado State University-Pueblo), senior center Markus Lawrence (Winston-Salem State University) and senior tackle Ryan Schraeder (Valdosta State University) — and senior defensive end David Bass (Missouri Western State University). Heikkinen and Bass are the two representatives from Super Region 3 and did battle against each other in the opening round of the NCAA II playoffs on Nov. 17.

The winner of the Gene Upshaw Award, voted on by the nation’s NCAA II sports information directors, will be announced on Dec. 17. This year’s recipient has the opportunity to participate in either the East/West Shrine Game or the NFLPA All-Star Game, both scheduled for Jan. 19 and will also be recognized at the Manheim Touchdown Club’s annual banquet this May in Lancaster, Pa.

Heikkinen, a 2012 team captain and UMD’s first four-time All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honoree (North Division first team in 2010-12 and honorable mention in 2009), started in a Bulldog-record 54 consecutive games, a number unmatched by any current NCAA II lineman. This past fall, he anchored an offensive line that allowed the fifth fewest sacks in the nation (six, none of which came at his expense) while paving the way for the third highest-scoring offense in NCAA II football (a school-record 46.5 points per game).

One year ago, Heikkinen attained All-American status from four different groups — American Football Coaches Association (first team), D2Football.com (first team), Daktronics (first team), and Associated Press (Little All-American second team). Since the Duluth Central High School alumnus assumed a starting role at the start of the 2009 season, the Bulldogs went 47-7, captured one NCAA II national championship (2010), three overall NSIC titles and four NSIC North Division crowns, qualified for the NCAA II playoffs four times, and cracked the top 10 in every AFCA II weekly poll but three (all in 2011 and never below No. 15).

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