Utica, NY – Keanu Heedram (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) of the Utica College football team earned his first career D3football.com All-Region selection in a release by the highly popular website on Tuesday. Heedram was one of just six defensive tackles in the East Region honored, earning second team status. 

The teams, selected in balloting by East Region sports information directors and D3football.com staff, were chosen from 328 nominations by full Division III member schools. A total of 78 players were chosen. Players nominated for All-Region are eligible to be considered for D3football.com All-America honors, which will be announced the evening of Dec. 14, in D3football.com's pregame coverage for Stagg Bowl XLV.

Heedram was also an Empire 8 All-Conference First Team selection after a monstrous year at defensive tackle. He was second in the Empire 8 conference in sacks with seven, and finished 18th in the conference overall with 64 total tackles, which is no small feat for an interior defensive lineman. His 64 tackles were also third on the team, and his seven sacks led the team and were the seventh most in school history.

Heedram's all-region honor comes after Utica tied a school record with seven wins in 2018. The Pioneers unseated top programs like St. John Fisher and Alfred, and hung tough with nationally ranked opponents Brockport and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The season was capped off by the first bowl win in program history, a memorable 44-42 victory over former Empire 8 rival Ithaca College at Cornell University's Schoellkopf Field.