MANHEIM, Pa. - Colorado School of Mines center Matt Armendariz has finished third in the national voting for the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award.

The highest finish ever by a Mines offensive lineman in the award's history, Armendariz was the only center to make the list of nine finalists. The award is open to linemen on both sides of the ball, and Ferris State defensive end Caleb Murphy, who set the NCAA single-season sacks record, won the award.

Armendariz is the starting center for the nation's best offense, topping NCAA Division II in scoring (46.8 points per game) and red zone production as the Orediggers (12-2) head into this weekend's NCAA semifinals against Shepherd, whose own Upshaw finalist Joey Fisher finished fourth in the balloting. Armendariz has been a key piece of leading Mines to its fourth consecutive RMAC championship and fourth straight NCAA Championship appearance.

Armendariz has started 38 consecutive games dating back to 2019, starting that season at guard before moving to center in 2021. Last year, Armendariz was the Rimington Award winner as NCAA Division II's best center while also earning consensus all-America honors from the D2CCA, Associated Press, D2football.com, and Don Hansen's Football Gazette. He was also a First-Team All-RMAC selection in both 2021 and 2022, and a D2CCA First-Team All-Region pick in both seasons as well. He has blocked for both of Mines' top two all-time rushers, Cameron Mayberry and Michael Zeman, as well as a pair of Harlon Hill Award finalists in Zeman and John Matocha. 

The award is named for the late Gene Upshaw, an All-Pro lineman for the Oakland Raiders who later served as the executive director of the NFL Players Association for 25 years. Upshaw, a former standout offensive lineman at Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M Kingsville), was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 in his first year of eligibility. The award is presented by the Manheim Touchdown Club of Pennsylvania and considers senior offensive and defensive linemen. 

This year's finalists included defensive end D.J. Adediwura of Slippery Rock and offensive tackle Joey Fisher of Shepherd from Super Region 1; offensive tackle Nicolas Melsop of Delta State and offensive guard Dalton Simpler from West Florida out of Super Region 2; offensive tackle Quinton Barrow of Grand Valley State, defensive end Elijah Green of Northwest Missouri State, and defensive end Caleb Murphy of Ferris State from Super Region 3; and defensive end Zollie Kaplan of Bemidji State joining Armendariz from Super Region 4. Three finalists advanced from Super Region 3 due to a tie in voting. 
 

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2022 Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Final Balloting
1. Caleb Murphy, DE, Ferris State
2. Quinton Barrow, OT, Grand Valley State
3. Matt Armendariz, C, Colorado School of Mines
4. Joey Fisher, OT, Shepherd
5. Elijah Green, DE, Northwest Missouri State
6. D.J. Adediwura, DE, Slippery Rock
7. Zollie Kaplan, DE, Bemidji State
8. Dalton Simpler, OG, West Florida
9. Nicolas Melsop, OT, Delta State