INDIANAPOLIS-- Zach Kreft of Walsh has earned the Great Midwest Athletic Conference’s highest male honor. Kreft, who just completed a prolific cross country and track career at The University of Notre Dame and Walsh, is the 2023 Great Midwest Collegiate Achievement Award winner and will be recognized at the conference’s annual awards banquet Tuesday, May 23.
 
Kreft, a native of Sunbury,Ohio, was a standout athlete during his year at Walsh. Prior to Walsh, Kreft spent his undergraduate years at the University of Notre Dame, where he found success as a member of the cross country and track & field programs. He was a member of the 2022 Great Midwest Men’s Cross Country championship team and graduated from Walsh as a Sigma Beta Delta recipient, awarded to the top 20% in his major . A two-time All-American, Kreft was the 2022-23 Great Midwest Male Cross Country Runner of the Year as well as Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. He was also named the Track Athlete of the Meet at the outdoor championships this spring.
 
Kreft is lauded for his involvement in the community. He is active in several outreach programs at Walsh and in his hometown, including Meals on Wheels and Boy Scouts of America. He graduated from Walsh in Spring of 2023 with an MBA in data analytics. Post graduation, Kreft plans to move to Columbus, Ohio, where he will work as a product engineer at Vertiv Corporation.