Dec. 4, 2002

FLORENCE, Ala. -- The voting has concluded for the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year Award, and while the results of that voting won't be announced until December 13, three players have received invitations to attend the Seventeenth Annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet for the naming of the top player in Division II.

Senior quarterback Curt Anes of Grand Valley State University,junior quarterback Keith Heckendorf of St. Cloud State and senior running back Ian Smart of C.W. Post emerged as the top three vote-getters from a field of nine national finalists in voting by the sports information directors at the 156 schools that compete in Division II football and the Division II conference sports information directors.

The announcement was made by Harlon Hill Trophy Voting Coordinator Dee Corum. The seventeenth annual award, created in 1986, will be presented at the Harlon Hill Trophy and Division II Football Hall of Fame Banquet at the Florence Conference Center at 6:30 p.m. (central) on Friday, Dec. 13, one day prior to the Division II National Championship Game in Florence's Braly Municipal Stadium.

The award is sponsored nationally by Coca-Cola, the North Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic, First Metro Bank, and The Johnson Companies -Industrial and Commerical Contracting.

A total of 38 players were nominated for the 2002 Harlon Hill Trophy by the sports information directors at their respective schools and those nominations were then reviewed by the Hill Regional Advisory Committees, which trimmed the list of candidates to no more than six per region. The top two players from each of the Northeast, South,and Midwest regions advanced through regional voting, while three players advanced from the West due to ties in the voting that concluded on December 2.

Other finalists for the 2002 award were junior quarterback Phillip Boggs of Midwestern State, junior quarterback Zak Clark of Central Arkansas, junior running back Kevin Curtin of Winona State, senior quarterback Abel Gonzalez of Texas A&M-Kingsville, senior quarterback Leonard Guyton of Carson-Newman and senior wide receiver Michael Oliva of UC Davis.

Anes, a senior from Kentwood, Michigan, was the runner-up for the 2002 Hill Trophy, finishing just eight points behind 2001 winner Dusty Bonner. This year he has quarterbacked Grand Valley State to an undefeated regular-season and No. 1 ranking all season, while ranking third nationally in passing efficiency and third in total offense. He ranks fourth in Division II history for career touchdown passes (100) and total offense (10,692) and is fifth all-time in career pass efficiency. He threw for 2,560 yards and 33 TDs in the 2002 regular-season alone and has led the Lakers to the Division II playoff semifinals this weekend.

Heckendorf, a junior from Mosinee, Wisc., threw for 2,817 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2002 to rank eighth nationally in pass efficiency and 10th in total offense. In leading St. Cloud to the best season at the school since 1989, Heckendorf set nine school records, completing 58.2 percent of his passes and throwing just 12 interceptions in 349 pass attempts.

Smart, a senior from North Babylon, New York, became college football's all-time leader in touchdowns this season with 92, and points scored with 564. He led Division II in rushing in 2002 with 171.3 yards per game and was also tops in scoring with 15.8 points per game. His 184.5 yards of total offense per game also ranked him fourth nationally. Also a finalist for the Hill Trophy in 2001, Smart rushed for more than 100 yards in nine of his team's 11 games this season in helping lead C.W. Post to a perfect 11-0 record and into the Division II playoffs.

North Dakota State quarterback Jeff Bentrim won the initial Hill Trophy in 1986, followed by three-time winner - Texas A&M-Kingsville runningback Johnny Bailey - in 1987, 1988 and 1989.

Another North Dakota State quarterback, Chris Simdorn, claimed the 1990 award, followed by Pittsburg State receiver Ronnie West in 1991, Pittsburg State running back Ronald Moore in 1992, New Haven running back Roger Graham in 1993 and Valdosta State University quarterback Chris Hatcher in 1994. North Alabama linebacker Ronald McKinnon became the first defensive player to win the award when he claimed the Hill Trophy in 1995.

Truman State University running back Jarrett Anderson won the 1996 award and Bloomsburg University running back Irvin Sigler claimed the Hill Trophy in 1997 award. Running back Brian Shay of Emporia State won in 1998, followed by Northern Colorado quarterback Corte McGuffey in 1999 and Valdosta State quarterback Dusty Bonner in 2000 and 2001

Tickets for this year's banquet are $35 each and may be purchased at the Shoals Chamber of Commerce, or by calling (256) 764-4661.

PAST HILL WINNERS 1986 Jeff Bentrim SR QB North Dakota State University 1987 Johnny Bailey SO RB Texas A&I University 1988 Johnny Bailey JR RB Texas A&I University 1989 Johnny Bailey SR RB Texas A&I University 1990 Chris Simdorn SR QB North Dakota State University 1991 Ronnie West SR WR Pittsburg State University 1992 Ronald Moore SR RB Pittsburg State University 1993 Roger Graham JR RB University of New Haven 1994 Chris Hatcher SR QB Valdosta State University 1995 Ronald McKinnon SR LB University of North Alabama 1996 Jarrett Anderson SR RB Truman State University 1997 Irvin Sigler SR RB Bloomsburg University 1998 Brian Shay SR RB Emporia State University 1999 Corte McGuffey SR QB University of Northern Colorado 2000 Dusty Bonner JR QB Valdosta State University 2001 Dusty Bonner SR QB Valdosta State University