Nov. 22, 2002
FLORENCE, Ala. - A field of 24 candidates has been trimmed to nine national finalists - including UC Davis wide receiver Michael Oliva - in regional voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year.
The top two players from each of the Northeast, South and Midwest regions advanced through regional voting, along with three players from the West, where there was a tie in the voting. The finalists were selected by the NCAA Division II sports information directors in regional voting and will now be placed on the national ballot where all 156 of the division's SIDs will select the award's seventeenth winner.
The list of finalists was announced by Harlon Hill Voting Coordinator Dee Corum.
The list of 2002 finalists is comprised of six quarterbacks, two running backs and a receiver.
Five of the finalists have helped lead their teams into the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs this weekend.
Advancing from the Northeast region are quarterback Curt Anes of Grand Valley State University and running back Ian Smart of C.W. Post.
Finalists from the South region are quarterback Zak Clark of Central Arkansas and Carson-Newman quarterback Leonard Guyton. Running back Kevin Curtin of Winona State and quarterback Keith Heckendorf of St. Cloud State advanced from the Midwest region, and quarterbacks Phillip Boggs of Midwestern State and Abel Gonzalez of Texas A&M-Kingsville and wide receiver Michael Oliva of the UC Davis were selected from the West region.
The award is sponsored nationally by Coca-Cola, The North Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic, First Metro Bank and The Johnson Companies - Industrial and Commercial Contracting.
Candidates for the 2002 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.
National voting will conclude on December 2 and the top three finishers will be invited to the Shoals are for the presentation banquet. The winner of the 2002 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 13 in Florence, prior to the NCAA Division II Football Championship Game on Dec. 14.
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 has thrown for 2,560 yards and 33 TDs this season alone.
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.
Clark, a junior from Fayetteville, Ark., set an Arkansas state record by throwing for 3,157 yards this season and helped lead Central Arkansas to an 8-3 record. A transfer from the University of Arkansas, Clark threw for 24 TDs for the Bears this season and ranks fifth nationally in total offense (289.6) and 24th in pass efficiency.
Guyton, a senior from Thomasville, Ga., has posted a 37-4 record as a starting quarterback, including leading Carson-Newman to a perfect 11-0 record this season. He has thrown for 1,372 yards and 13 touchdowns this season and has rushed for another 456 yards and 10 TDs to pace an Eagles offense that is tops in Division II in both rushing offense and total offense.
Curtin, a junior from Midlothian, Ill., led Division II in both all-purpose yards (196.7) and punt returns (22.6) and ranked 23rd nationally in scoring this season. He rushed for 1,000 yards, had 141 receiving yards and more than 1,000 return yards this season alone and has ranked among the Division II national leaders in multiple categories each of the last three seasons.
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.
Boggs, a junior from Hallsville, Texas, threw for 1,763 yards and 16 touchdowns this season and ranked 16th nationally in pass efficiency. In three seasons at Midwestern he has already rewritten the school record books and has thrown for 5,683 career yards and 34 touchdowns.
Gonzalez, a senior from Rio Grande City, Texas, was a Harlon Hill candidate in 2001 and highlighted the 2002 season by surpassing three-time Hill Trophy winner Johnny Bailey's school record for career total offense with 6,804 yards. This season he ranked seventh nationally in pass efficiency while throwing for 1,480 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also rushed for 525 yards and five touchdowns. Gonzalez helped guide Kingsville to an 8-2 record that includes a Lone Star Conference title and a Division II playoff berth.
Oliva, a senior from Tuolumne, Calif., helped lead UC Davis to an 8-2 record and into the Division II playoffs this season. He had 50 catches for 806 yards and nine touchdowns this season and broke the school record for career touchdown receptions with 35. Oliva has caught at least one pass in 28 straight games and he caught two touchdown passes in four different games this season.
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.
