December 2, 2015-MIAA Offensive Player of the Year Brent Wilson has been named a finalist for the 2015 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year. 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 168 of the division's SIDs will select the award's 30th winner.

Wilson is one of just three finalists who have their teams still in the NCAA Division II Playoffs.  The Hornets play at Northwest Missouri while junior quarterback Jeff Ziemba of Shepherd is playing Slippery Rock and running back Cameron McDondle of CSU-Pueblo hosts Grand Valley State on Saturday.

This is the third time Emporia State has had a finalist for the Harlon Hill and the first since Brian Shay won the award in record setting fashion in 1998. The MIAA has had five winners of the Trophy since 1991.

Wilson was named first-team All-MIAA after going 314 of 483 for 3,920 yards with 39 touchdowns and 14 interceptions for a 154.03 passing efficiency rating. He has carried the ball 110 times for 315 yards and four TD and has 4,235 yards of total offense Wilson leads the nation in total passing years, is ranked third in the nation in touchdown passes, fourth in points responsible for, eighth in completions per game, 11th in passing yards per game, 12th in total offense, 14th in completion percentage, and 15th in passing efficiency.

A three-time MIAA Offensive Player of the Week this season, he is ranked third in MIAA history in single season touchdown passes and fifth in single season passing yards, is third in MIAA history in single season total offense. He set the Emporia State single season record for touchdown passes, single season passing yards and single season total offense this year.

Despite missing seven games as a junior with broken collar bone, Wilson ranks third among active NCAA Division II players in passing yards per attempt, is fourth in completion percentage, fifth passing efficiency and touchdown passes, eighth in total offense per play, tenth in touchdowns responsible for, 12th in completions and total offense, and 13th in passing yards. He is fifth in MIAA history in career touchdown passes and ninth in career passing yards. In 36 career games he has gone 650 of 1,004 for 8,297 yards with 83 touchdown passes and has gained 894 yards with nine touchdowns. He is 22-5 as a starter and has thrown a touchdown pass in 25 of 27 starts. He is the Emporia State school record holder in single game, single season and career passing yards, passing touchdowns and total offense.

Wilson has maintained a 3.71 cumulative GPA in business administration. He is a member of Emporia State Athletic Director's Honor Roll, MIAA Academic Honor Roll, is an MIAA Academic-Scholar and is a D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award winner. He is a member of the School of Business Dean's List and the Emporia State Honor Roll.

National voting will conclude on December 12 and the winner of the 2015 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced on Friday, December 18 via a webcast at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/una/. The winner will be honored at a luncheon on the University of North Alabama campus on January 8, 2016. The Hill Trophy is sponsored by the City of Florence, Ala., Opti-Net, Herff Jones and the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa.

The Hornets have won two NCAA Playoff games for the first time in school history after advancing  to the NCAA Playoffs for the second time in three years this season. Wilson has led the Hornets to 11-2 and 9-2 records in his two full seasons as a starter as Emporia State went 4-7 last year when he was injured for the final seven games. 

Emporia State travels to Northwest Missouri on Saturday in the NCAA Division II National Quarterfinals. Kick-off from Bearcat Stadium/Tjeerdsma Field is set for 1:00 p.m.

2015 Harlon Hill Trophy National Finalists
Damian Baker    5-8    195    SR    RB    Carson-Newman    Columbus, Miss.
Ja'Quan Gardner    5-7    190    SO    RB    Humboldt State    Ceres, Calif.
Cameron McDondle    5-7    202    SR    RB    Colorado State-Pueblo    Littleton, Colo.
Matt Soltes    6-3    220    SR    QB    East Stroudsburg    Vernon, N.J.
Jason Vander Laan    6-4    244    SR    QB    Ferris State    Frankfort, Ill.
Brent Wilson    6-0    194    SR    QB    Emporia State    Ponca City, Okla.
Luke Wingo    6-2    185    SR    QB    North Alabama    Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Jeff Ziemba    6-3    210    JR    QB    Shepherd    Newark, Del.

Emporia State Harlon Hill Trophy Finalists
1997 Brian Shay    RB 2nd place
1998 Brian Shay    RB Winner
2015 Brent Wilson    QB
Emporia State Harlon Hill Trophy Candidates
1992 Quincy Tillmon     RB
1996 Brian Shay     RB
1997 Brian Shay     RB
1998 Brian Shay     RB
1999 Lester McCoy     WR
2000 Lester McCoy     WR
2002 Dontaye McCoy     SS
2003 Tyler Paul      RB
2012 Tyler Eckenrode     QB
2015 Brent Wilson     QB

MIAA Harlon Hill Trophy Winners
1991 Ronnie West      WR     Pittsburg State University
1992 Ronald Moore      RB     Pittsburg State University
1996 Jarrett Anderson RB     Truman State University
1998 Brian Shay      RB     Emporia State University
2010 Eric Czerniewski QB     University of Central Missouri

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