SALEM, Va. --- Eastern Mennonite University forward Jess Rheinheimer and Randolph-Macon College guard Sarah Parsons were announced as two of 10 women's finalists for the 2015 Jostens Trophy. Ten men's finalists joined the women in a national release on Tuesday. The winners will be presented with their honors on Thursday, March 19, in a presentation at Roanoke College as part of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship Series hosted in Salem.
Full Jostens Trophy Release
The Jostens Trophy is a national award created by the Rotary Club of Salem, Va., to honor the most outstanding men's and women's NCAA Division III basketball players of the year. The award takes into account three vital parts: basketball ability, academic prowess and community service. The trophy models the Rotary International motto of "Service Above Self" by recognizing those who truly fit the ideal of the well-rounded NCAA Division III student-athlete. This year's class marks the 18th year the award has been presented.
Rheinheimer, a junior from Manheim, Pa., is just the second women's basketball player to earn both the ODAC Player of the Year award and the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete laurel in the same season. Megan Silva from Randolph-Macon College garnered both awards in 2005. On the court, Rheinheimer leads the league with 20.1 points per game and her 199 field goals and 523 total points are also ODAC-best numbers. She is grabbing 7.8 rebounds per game and has registered 10 double-doubles so far this season. Rheinheimer poured in a season-high 41 points earlier this year against a non-conference opponent and has scored 20 or more points in 13 contests. She is also connecting on 41.3 percent of her triples, the second-best percentage in the ODAC.
In the classroom, Rheinheimer is an EMU Honors Student with a 3.96 grade point average as a nursing major with a minor in history. She is also a member of the EMU Student Nurses Association. She was named to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team earlier this week, making her one of five players to earn that distinction in NCAA Division III. An EMU Dean's List recipient and an ODAC All-Academic honoree, Rheinheimer was also tabbed Academic All District in District 5 earlier this winter.
Parsons, a senior from Glen Allen, Va., earned a spot on the All-ODAC First Team in 2015 following two straight appearances on the All-ODAC Second Team. She is currently third in the ODAC in scoring at 16.6 points per game, fourth in free throw made (99), and seventh in free throw shooting (78.6%). She scored in double figures in 22-of-24 games played, including eight games of 20 or more points. She finished her career with 1,636 points scored. She ranked in the top-five in the ODAC in scoring in each of her four seasons in a Yellow Jacket uniform.
In the classroom, Parsons maintains a 3.79 grade point average as a Business and Economincs major with minors in Accounting and Psychology. A perennial member of the R-MC Dean's List, Parsons has been named to the ODAC All-Academic Team three times, with a fourth honor likely to come her way at the end of the 2014-15 academic year. She is also a Phi Beta Kappa candidate.
For more information on ODAC women's basketball, visit the websites of any of the participating programs, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com. Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter.