Harlon Hill Release

DETROIT -- Wayne State University junior running back Josh Renel (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams) is one of 24 players vying for the Harlon Hill Trophy (Division II Heisman) after the Hill Regional Advisory Committees, trimmed the list of candidates.

Below is the official release from the Harlon Hill Committee (there is also a link above to the pdf of the official release).

A year ago, WSU senior running back Joique Bell became the first Wayne State football player to receive the Division II national player of the year award (Harlon Hill Trophy).  Bell is currently a member of the Indianapolis Colts, after spending the last six weeks with the Philadelphia Eagles.


FLORENCE - Ala. -- A total of 24 candidates are in the running for the 2010 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year.

The list of candidates was announced Thursday by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee.

The list includes six players from each of Division II's four Super Regionals.

Players are nominated and voted on by the sports information directors at the 148 NCAA Division II football-playing institutions.

The 24 initial candidates will be placed on regional ballots and the top two players from each of the four NCAA regions will advance to the national ballot when regional voting concludes on November 19.

The winner of the 2010 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the 25th annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, December 17 at the Florence Conference Center at 6:30 p.m. This year's Hill Trophy Banquet will also include the 12th induction into the Division II Football Hall of Fame, with Ken Sparks, Mel Tjeerdsma and Bobby
Wallace becoming the first coaches to be inducted.

Tickets are $50 each or $400 for a table of eight and can be purchased by calling the Shoals Chamber of Commerce at (256) 764-4661.

The NCAA Division II Championship Game is scheduled for December 18 at Florence's Braly Municipal Stadium at 10 a.m.

The Hill Trophy is sponsored by the City of Florence, Ala., Florence-Lauderdale Tourism, Opti-Net, the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa and Herff Jones.

There were 31 candidates initially 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.

Among the 2010 candidates are three players who were also candidates a year ago. West Liberty
University quarterback Zach Amedro was a national finalist in 2009 and Mars Hill College running back
Jonas Randolph and Southwest Baptist University quarterback Steve Gachette were regional candidates
last season.

The group of 24 candidates includes 15 quarterbacks, seven running backs, one receiver and one
linebacker. There are 13 seniors, six juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen.

Among the players vying for the 2010 award from the Super Regional 1 are Amedro, a senior
quarterback from West Liberty (W.V.) University, senior linebacker Matthew Freed of East Stroudsburg
State (Pa.) University, sophomore quarterback Kevin Morton of Kutztown (Pa.) University, senior quarterback Josh Portis of California University, Pennsylvania, freshman running back Franklyn Quiteh
of Bloomsburg (Pa.) University and senior tailback Walter Sanders of St. Augustine's College.

Candidates from Super Regional 2 are sophomore quarterback Bo Cordell of Tusculum (Tenn.)
College, junior quarterback Cody Haffly of Wingate (N.C.) University. senior quarterback Nick Hardesty
of Henderson State (Ark.) University, junior quarterback Stanley Jennings of Albany State (Ga.)
University, junior running back Jonas Randolph of Mars Hill (N.C.) College and senior quarterback
Deon Williams of the University of West Alabama.

Super Regional 3 is represented by junior quarterback Clay Garcia of Colorado School of Mines,
senior wide receiver Kyle Kaiser of the University of Nebraska-Kearney, junior tailback Jesse Lewis of
Colorado State University-Pueblo, senior running back Phil Milbrath of Michigan Tech University, junior
running back Josh Renel of Wayne State (Mich.) University and senior quarterback Troy Weatherhead
of Hillsdale (Mich.) College.

Selected from Super Regional 4 are freshman running back Josh Birmingham of the University
of Central Oklahoma, senior quarterback Blake Bolles of Northwest Missouri State University, senior
quarterback Eric Czerniewski of the University of Central Missouri, senior quarterback Steve Gachette
of Southwest Baptist University, sophomore quarterback Mitchell Gale of Abilene Christian University
and senior quarterback Taylor Harris of West Texas A&M University.

* * *

North Dakota State quarterback Jeff Bentrim won the initial Hill Trophy in 1986, followed by
three-time winner - Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville) running back 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, Valdosta State quarterback Chris Hatcher in 1994.

North Alabama linebacker Ronald McKinnon became the first and so far only defensive player
to win the award in 1995, followed by Truman State running back Jarrett Anderson in 1996, Bloomsburg
University running back Irvin Sigler in 1997, Emporia State running back Brian Shay in 1998 and
Northern Colorado quarterback Corte McGuffey in 1999.

The award had its second two-time winner when Valdosta State quarterback Dusty Bonner
claimed the Hill Trophy in 2000 and 2001.

Grand Valley State quarterback Curt Anes won the Hill Trophy in 2002, followed by North Alabama
quarterback Will Hall in 2003, Colorado School of Mines quarterback Chad Friehauf in 2004 and
East Stroudsburg's Jimmy Terwilliger in 2005. The last four Hill Trophies have been won by running
backs, beginning with Chadron State's Danny Woodhead in 2006 and 2007. Abilene Christian's Bernard
Scott won in 2008 and Wayne State (Mich.) running back Joique Bell was the 2009 winner.