Hastings College linebacker Mackenzie Hemje, Hastings, Neb., has been named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy. Hemje is a senior, Pre-Med major and two-year team captain for the Broncos. He is one of only 14 NAIA scholar athletes nation-wide to be named a semifinalist.

Semifinalists for the 20th Anniversary William V. Campbell Trophy were announced on Oct. 1 by The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF).

To qualify for nomination, students must have at least senior standing, a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, possess outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.

The NFF Awards Committee will select and announce up to 15 finalists on Oct. 29 and the winner will be announced at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 8 in New York City. The winner receives a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship.

Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative to award post- graduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments. The William V. Campbell Trophy, first awarded in 1990, has been awarded to two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist and a Heisman winner among many more of the best and brightest from the college gridiron.

Home of the Hastings Broncos, Hastings College is a private, four-year liberal arts institution, founded in 1882, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Hastings College received the 2009 GPAC All-Sports Trophy for the best overall performance in 19 conference sports, and 53 Broncos were named Academic All-American this year.

Hastings College was named 75th Best Value College in the nation and #1 in Nebraska by Forbes.com and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. It was named a 2010 “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review and rated a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s.