COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Graduate student Ben Tonnessen is the 2025-26 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men's Wrestling Summit Award winner, the conference announced Friday.

Tonnessen, a graduate student from Colorado Springs, earned the prestigious academic award with a 3.91 undergraduate grade-point average in Kinesiology. Tonnessen has continued his education, currently holding a 3.86 GPA in the MBA Healthcare Administration program. On the mat, he has helped the Grizzlies to an outstanding season, boasting a 9-1 overall record, which includes a 4-1 mark in conference duals. With Tonnessen aiding the Grizzlies attack, Adams State claimed a share of the 2026 RMAC Men's Wrestling Regular Season title.

The RMAC's Summit Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA competing at the finals site of their respective sport's championship. Summit Award winners must compete in 20 percent of available competitions throughout the current season. All GPAs are based on a straight-grading scale to ensure consistency among nominees. All ties are broken by the total number of credit hours completed through the most recently concluded semester.
 
To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be sophomores or above and have participated in their sport at their institution for at least two years. They must also be active members of their teams and travel to and compete at the RMAC championship event.