TOP THREE NAMED FOR  HARLON HILL TROPHY AS NCAA DIVISION II FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

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 12, three players have received invitations to attend the Eighteenth Annual  Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet for the naming of  the top player in Division II.

Senior  quarterback Will Hall of  University of North Alabama, senior quarterback Keith Heckendorf  of St. Cloud State and senior running back Justin Kammrad of Nebraska-Omaha emerged as the top three vote-getters from  a  field of eight 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 Hill Trophy is sponsored by Coca-Cola, the City of Florence, Ala., and Trustmark Construction. 

Candidates for the 2003 Hill Trophy were nominated 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 winner of the 2003 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the Harlon Hill Trophy and  Division II Football Hall of Fame  Banquet on Friday, December 12 in Florence, prior to the NCAA Division II Football Championship Game on Dec. 13.  Tickets are $35 each or $280 for a table of eight and can be purchased by calling the Shoals Chamber of Commerce at (256) 764-4661.  Other finalists for the 2003 award  were junior quarterback Drew Beard of SE Oklahoma State, senior defensive back  Ricardo Colclough of Tusculum, senior linebacker Dan Holland of Mansfield,  junior quarterback  Mark Radlinski of Saginaw Valley State, and senior quarterback Cliff Watkins of Tarleton State.

Hall, a senior from Amory, Miss., finished the regular-season as the top passer in the NCAA Division II and has led North Alabama to a perfect 13-0 record, No. 2 national ranking and into the semifinal
round of the Division II playoffs. Hall has completed a remarkable 70.1 percent of his passes this season while throwing for 2,586 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Heckendorf, a  senior from Mosinee, Wisc., finished third in the 2002 Hill Trophy voting and has been a four-year starter at St. Cloud State. He has thrown a touchdown pass in 22 straight games and threw for 2,905 yards and 30 touchdowns this season. He ranks 11th nationally in total offense (289.9) and 18th in passing efficiency. Academically, he is a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete award recipient.  

Kammrad, a  senior from Council Bluffs, Iowa, leads Division II in rushing this season with an average of 169.2 yards per game. He rushed for a school-record 1,866 yards this season with 10 straight 100-yard games and four straight 200-yard games. He also  ranks fifth in all-purpose yards (174.8) and scored 14 touchdowns.  

The initial Harlon Hill Trophy was won by North Dakota State quarterback Jeff Bentrim in 1986, followed  by  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. Grand Valley State quarterback Curt Anes won the 2002. award