Braxton Stewart of Colorado receives 2024 Brian Keck Memorial Scholarship to attend Arcadia University

Braxton Stewart of Fruita, Colorado received the 2024 Brian Keck Memorial Scholarship and will use the $5,000 financial award to attend Arcadia University in Pennsylvania.

The Brian Keck Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to a high school senior wrestler who has been adopted and has made a positive impact in all aspects of life.

The Brian Keck Memorial Scholarship was created in honor of Brian Keck, a remarkable individual who possessed a true passion for wrestling. Brian was an Ohio state champion and a Senior National Team member. He also was so very thankful for his father who adopted him at the age of 15. Brian was proud of his accomplishments and thankful for his eventual opportunity in life to have a family. Before his passing in 2019, Brian worked tirelessly for 12 years to make the Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals a great success and provide athletes with the opportunity to compete against the best in the nation.

Braxton Stewart competed for Fruita Monument High School in Colorado and was a member of the FM Wildcat Wrestling Club. Stewart was a Colorado 5A state qualifier as a senior at 126 pounds, qualifying for state with a fourth-place finish in 5A Region 1.

He has been active with USA Wrestling on the local, state and regional level. Most recently, Stewart placed sixth in the 2025 Colorado USA Wrestling Junior Freestyle State Championships.

Stewart had a cumulative GPA of 3.59 at Fruita Monument High School and had a 4.0 GPA during his senior year. His plan is to study Criminal Justice in college, with hopes of pursuing a career in law enforcement.

His family adopted him at the age of two. Braxton started wrestling at the age of six, along with his younger sister Kenadee. Both of them qualified for the 2025 Colorado state championships, with Kenadee competing as a freshman for Central Grand Junction High School.

Braxton visited a number of colleges and chose Arcadia University, where he plans to continue his wrestling career. He had a strong connection with Arcadia’s head coach David Stephens and is looking forward to competing in college with the Knights.

This scholarship is a tribute to Brian's enduring legacy in the wrestling community and is exclusively open to high school seniors who share both his adopted background and his love for the sport of wrestling.

The winner each year must be a competitor in the Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals or the Boys National High School Recruiting Showcase in Des Moines, Iowa.

To receive the scholarship, the applicant must be accepted to or planning to apply to an accredited college, university, or vocational institution.  Among the required materials is the submission of an essay detailing how his/her adoption journey and wrestling experiences reflect the qualities that Brian Keck represented.

Information on the application process for the 2025 Brian Keck Memorial Scholarship Award will be announced soon.

BRIAN KECK MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD WINNERS

2023 - Yuki Uchishiba of Hawaii

2024 – Braxton Stewart of Colorado