COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Fort Lewis College men's cross country runner Zach Chenoweth was the inaugural recipient of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Summit Award for men's cross country, RMAC Assistant Commissioner Eric Danner announced today.
 
The RMAC Summit Award recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the conference championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The RMAC Summit Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average participating at the finals site for each of the RMAC's championships.
 
“By receiving this award, Zach is starting a tradition of excellence in the classroom for all of our student-athletes to follow,” said FLC Associate Director of Athletics Lynne Andrew.
 
All GPAs are based on a straight grading scale to ensure consistency among institutions. Any tie is broken by the number of credits completed.
 
Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling, and competing at the championship.
 
Chenoweth is a sophomore at Fort Lewis who carries a 3.92 grade point average in Exercise Science-Physiology with a minor in Coaching. He earned Dean's List honors both terms as a freshman during the 2011-12 academic year. He lists Associate Professor of Exercise Science Jim Cross — a former head men's basketball coach at Fort Lewis (1988-1998) — as his favorite professor.
 
Chenoweth frequently placed among the Skyhawks' top seven finishers as a true freshman in 2011. He set his personal best for the season at the 8k distance (29:24) at the RMAC Championships in Denver on Oct. 22 and his personal best at the 10k distance (37:10) at the Triton XC Classic in La Jolla, Calif., on Oct. 8.
 
A 2011 graduate of Sandia High School in Albuquerque, N.M., Chenoweth was a four-year member of the cross country and track & field teams for the Matadors. He was voted as the Most Inspirational cross country runner during his senior season at Sandia.

Chenoweth also excelled in the classroom at Sandia. He was a two-time academic letterwinner, a Top Ten academic award recipient as a sophomore, junior and senior, and a member of both the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society.
 
Chenoweth is the son of John Chenoweth and Barbara Polka-Chenoweth.
 
Regis' Lauren (Policky) Beldauf received the inaugural RMAC Summit Award for women's cross country today.
 
Baldauf is a junior at Regis University, with a 4.00 grade point average, majoring in education. The Salida High School product has competed in one race so far this season, placing 29th out of 232 in the Disney Cross County Classic, helping the Rangers to a fourth place finish on October 6 in Orlando, Fla.
 
Chenoweth and Beldauf were recognized during the awards ceremony at the 2012 RMAC cross country championships at Monument Valley Park in Colorado Springs today.