FLORENCE, Ala. --  A field of 24 candidates has been trimmed to nine national finalists 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, while  three players advanced from the West due to ties 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 sixteenth winner.  The list of  finalists was announced  by Harlon Hill Voting Coordinator Dee Corum.

The list of 2001 finalists, which includes two players who were finalists for the award in 2000 - including last year's winner, is comprised of seven quarterbacks, a running back and a receiver.  Four 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 quarterbacks  Curt Anes of Grand Valley State (Mich.) University and flanker Clarence Coleman of Ferris State (Mich.) University.  Finalists from the South region are the 2000 Hill Trophy winner -  Dusty Bonner, quarterback from Valdosta  State (Ga.) University, and  Presbyterian College (N.C.) quarterback Todd Cunningham.  Quarterback  Eric Howe of  Truman State (Mo.) University and running back   Josh Ranek of South Dakota State University advanced from the Midwest region,  and quarterbacks Scott Mitchell  of the Western Washington,  J.T. O'Sullivan of   the University of California-Davis and Matt Strand  of Chadron (Neb.) State were selected from the West region.  The award is sponsored nationally by Coca-Cola , the Florence Gas Department, The Real Yellow Pages from BellSouth and Northwest
AirLink.

Candidates for the 2001 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 November 26 and  the top three finishers will be invited to the Shoals are for the presentation banquet.  The winner of the 2001 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 7 in Florence, prior to the NCAA Division II Football Championship Game on Dec. 8.

Anes, a junior  from Kentwood, Mich., led Division II in both passing efficiency and total offense this season, completing 189 of 271 passes for 3,086 yards and 48 touchdowns, while being intercepted just three times.  In the process he led Grand Valley State to a perfect 10-0 record and into the Division II playoffs. He led the Lakers to set a Division II record for
points scored in a season (584) and a No. 1 ranking in team total offense at 600.8 yards per game.  

Coleman, a senior from Miami, Fla., led Division II  in all-purpose this season with an average of 238.0 yards per game. He was also fourth nationally in pass receptions per game 98.5), third in receiving yards per game (122.4) and sixth in punt returns (15.9). He set Division II records for career pass receptions with 323 and receiving yards at 4,983, and closed his career ranked second in all NCAA divisions in receptions, third in receiving yards, sixth in all-purpose yards (8,009), ninth in receiving yards per game (118.6), tied for 13th in receptions per game (7.7) and tied for 16th in touchdown receptions (42).  

Bonner, a senior  from Valdosta, Ga., won the 2000 Hill Trophy and has quarterback the Valdosta State Blazers to a perfect 11-0 record and No. 1 national ranking this season, entering the Division II playoffs. He has completed 231 of 319 passes for 3,214 yards and 43 touchdowns this season and has 98 TD passes in just two years at VSU. He finished second nationally in passing efficiency this season and ranked eighth in total offense.  

Cunningham, a senior from Irmo, S.C.,  became the Division II career total offense leader this season with  11,235 yards. This season alone he completed 302 of 483 passes for 3,514 yards and 32 touchdowns, ranking second in the nation in total offense at 361.6 yards per game. In a single game against Tusculum he completed 50 passes, which is second best in Division II history, and also posted the division's best single-game passing total this year with 560 yards against West Georgia.  He ranks among the division's all-time best in virtually every career category.  

Howe, a senior from West Des Moines, Iowa, threw for more than 9,000 yards during his career at Truman State, including  throwing for 2,838 yards and 24  touchdowns this season. He ranked among the division's leaders in passing efficiency and total offense and closed his career as the second most prolific passer in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association history. This season he completed 228 of 357 passes with
just 13 interceptions.  

Ranek, a senior from Tyndall, S.D., is in the running for the Hill Trophy for the third time, and finished fourth in 1999.  he finished third in Division II in rushing this season with 1,804 yards, second in all-purpose yards with a 237.1 yard average, and tied for fifth in scoring with a 12.5 point per game average. Ranked finished second on the all-time Division II rushing list with 6,794 yards and rushed for more than 200 yards in a game 13 times in his career, including four times this season.

Mitchell, a senior from Kennewick, Wash., threw for 2,778 yards and 25 touchdowns this season, finishing ninth nationally in passing efficiency (154.2) and 12th in total offense (279.0). He also rushed for five TDs.  Mitchell led Western Washington to a school record 77 points in one game this season and holds numerous school records, including the career total offense mark at (7,877).

O'Sullivan, a senior from Folsom, Calif., was a finalist for the Hill Trophy in 2000, finishing fourth in the voting. He has led UC Davis to an 8-2 record and back into the Division II playoffs, completing 191 of 297 passes for 2,854 yards and 26 touchdowns. He ranks fourth nationally in total offense (316.7) and sixth in passing efficiency (165.2). He also holds
numerous school records, including career passing yards  (9,773), TD passes (90) and career total offense (10,514).

Strand, a senior from Imperial, Neb., quarterbacked Chadron State to a perfect 10-0 record and into the Division II playoffs this season. he completed 175 of 313 passes for 2,406 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for five more TDs. During his career at Chadron he has thrown for 6,340 yards and 49 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 last season.  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.