Gene Upshaw Award Finalists Announcement (PDF)
 
MANHEIM, Pa. – Slippery Rock University senior offensive tackle Yuriy Hryckowian was named Monday as one of the eight national finalists for the 2023 Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award, which is presented annually by the Manheim Touchdown Club.
 
Hryckowian, a senior from Chalfont, Pennsylvania, joins offensive center Shane Bumbardner from Tiffin as the two representatives on the national ballot from Super Region One, which includes all schools in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, the Mountain East Conference, the Northeast 10 Conference and the Great Midwest Athletic Association.
 
Senior and graduate student offensive and defensive linemen from all schools in Division II are eligible to be nominated for the award, which is voted on by the nation's athletic communication directors. The top two vote-getters in each of the four NCAA Super Regions advance to the national ballot.
 
The national winner will be announced Dec. 4 and recognized in 2024 by the Manheim Touchdown Club.
 
SRU has had a national finalist in 10 different years since 2007 and has had one of the national finalists in eight of the last nine seasons. The Rock have two former Upshaw Award winners with offensive lineman Brandon Fusco winning the honor in 2010 and defensive end Marcus Martin earning the award in 2017 after also being a finalist in 2016. Other finalists include offensive linemen Chris Larsen (2019), Cory Tucker (2014 and 2015) and Mike Butterworth (2007) and defensive ends Chad Kuhn (2021) and D.J. Adediwura (2022).
 
Hryckowian earned first team All-PSAC honors this season after also being named to the All-Conference team in 2022. An All-Region selection last fall, Hryckowian has started every game this season and the last 30 straight games for SRU at left tackle and has helped block for one of the top offensive units in the nation. He was the highest graded offensive lineman on The Rock's team this fall, which is an accomplishment in and of itself as SRU had four All-PSAC offensive linemen this year and all five of the starting offensive linemen have earned at least one All-PSAC award.
 
Grading out at 89 percent for the regular season, Hryckowian did not allow a single sack. The Rock's offensive line has been among the best in the nation and finished the regular season ranked third in the country in fewest tackles for loss allowed while ranking 10th in Division II in the fewest sacks allowed.
 
SRU's offense finished the regular season ranked third in Division II in third down conversions, third in fewest tackles for loss allowed, fourth in completion percentage, eighth in passing efficiency, ninth in passing offense, 10th in scoring offense, 10th in fewest sacks allowed, 10th in turnovers lost, 10th in fewest interceptions thrown and 12th in total offense.
 
In addition to his performance on the field, Hryckowian was also one of just 15 Division II players to be named as national semifinalists for the William Campbell Trophy earlier this year. The Campbell Trophy is known as the "Academic Heisman."
 
"Yuriy is an excellent representative of our football program and our University," said SRU head coach Shawn Lutz. "He has worked extremely hard on the field, in the weight room and in the classroom and his performance in all areas has made him one of the top offensive linemen and top football student-athletes in the country at the Division II level. We're thrilled to see him be recognized as a national finalist for the Upshaw award."
 
The 2023 Upshaw national ballot includes four offensive linemen and four defensive linemen.
 
Six of the eight national finalists play for teams that qualified for the NCAA Division II Playoffs and three of the eight are on teams that will play in the quarterfinals this week. Hryckowian is joined by Colorado School of Mines offensive tackle Levi Johnson and Grand Valley State defensive end Christian McCarroll as the only three finalists still playing.
 
Hryckowian and Slippery Rock will host Kutztown Saturday at noon in the quarterfinals with a chance to return to the national semifinals for the first time since 2019.
 
2023 GENE UPSHAW DII LINEMAN OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Shane Bumgardner, OC, Tiffin
Ty Cobb, OT, Bemidji State
Loobert Denelus, DE, Benedict
Marquise Fleming, DE, Wingate
Yuriy Hryckowian, OT, Slippery Rock
Levi Johnson, OT, Colorado School of Mines
Christian McCarroll, DE, Grand Valley State
Dakari Streeter, DE, Missouri Western
 
SLIPPERY ROCK'S UPSHAW AWARD FINALISTS
Mike Butterworth (2007)
Brandon Fusco (2010) *
Cory Tucker (2014)
Cory Tucker (2015)
Marcus Martin (2016)
Marcus Martin (2017) *
Chris Larsen (2019)
Chad Kuhn (2021)
D.J. Adediwura (2022)
Yuriy Hryckowian (2023)
 
* Upshaw Award winners




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