LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of North Georgia softball players Stephanie Hartness and Kylee Smith were two of twenty-five student-athletes that were selected as finalists for the 2017 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player of the Year award. The winner will be announced on May 24 at the NCAA Division II National Championship banquet in Salem, Virginia.

This group of student-athletes, which includes 2016 recipient Lyndsay Butler of Wayne State University, is represented by 23 different programs and 18 conferences. Sixteen from the original Top-50 “Watchlist” made the cut with the final group consisting of 10 seniors, 11 juniors, two sophomores, one freshman and one graduate student.

Top-ranked Angelo State University and No. 3 University of North Georgia had two selections each. The Great Lakes Valley Conference topped the list with four honorees. The Lone Star Conference led the way with three student-athletes, while the Great Lake Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Great Lakes Valley Conference, Peach Belt Conference, California Collegiate Athletic Association and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference garnered two nods apiece.

Collecting one plaudit apiece was the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, Great American Conference, Great Northwest Athletic Conference, Gulf South Conference, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, Mountain East Conference, Northeast 10 Conference, Pacific West Conference, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Southern Athletic Conference and Sunshine State Conference.

The Top 10 finalists will be announced on May 11 and the Top 3 on May 17 with the 2017 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player of the Year revealed on Tuesday, May 24 prior to the start of the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championships.

The award was created in 2015 to honor the outstanding athletic achievement among softball student-athletes throughout Division II. North Georgia’s Courtney Poole was the inaugural winner of the award.

Schutt Sports / NFCA Division II Player of the Year Top 25

* Denotes original Top 50 “Watch List”