NYU's Read, OWU's Axelrod Receive National Honors

SALEM, Va. --- Awards season for NCAA Division III women's and men's basketball continued on Friday afternoon with the announcement of the 2018 Jostens Trophy recipients. New York University star Kaitlyn Read and Ohio Wesleyan University playmaker Nate Axelrod were honored with this year's top laurels, which recognize outstanding student-athletes in Division III basketball for excellence in the classroom, on the court, and in their respective communities.

The Jostens Trophy is a joint creation of Jostens, Inc., of Minneapolis, Minn., and the Rotary Club of Salem, Va. The purpose of the award is to honor the true Division III student-athlete - the athlete that shows excellence in the classroom, on the playing floor and in the community. In addition to the Trophy, the Wooldridge Scholarship, a $1,000 donation, will be presented in the names of the winners to their institutions. The scholarship was named after Dan Wooldridge, a Salem Rotarian and retired Commissioner of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, as a way of honoring him for his long-time dedication to Division III athletics.

The winners were chosen by a national selection committee that consists of past Jostens Trophy recipients, college coaches, former athletes, college administrators, and selected members of the media. The members of the national selection committee cast their votes based on three criteria: basketball ability, academic prowess, and community service.

The awards presentation for the Jostens Trophy is set for March 15, held in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Salem's weekly meeting and as prelude to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball National Championship Series at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Va.

NYU'S KATILYN READ NAMED 2018 JOSTENS TROPHY WINNER
"Kaitlyn is so deserving of this award. She has excelled in the classroom, on the court and in the community," said Head Coach Lauren Hall-Gregory. "Her ability to consistently be at her best is a quality that will leave a lasting impression on our program. She has been a standout in everything she's done, and it's been like that since day one."

Read has concluded an outstanding career at NYU, where she leaves an indelible mark in the team's record books. The University Park, Texas, native has completed her career #2 on NYU's all-time scoring list (1,839), #1 in assists (429) and #2 in steals (400). Playing as a graduate student during her final campaign in 2017-18, Read was named the University Athletic Association (UAA) Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. She led NYU in scoring (19.9 - 3rd-highest in NYU history), assists (5.1) and steals (3.7), while also averaging 5.5 rpg. Her 577 points and 148 assists also set one-season program records. 

"New York University is so proud of Kaitlyn Read," said Assistant Vice President of Students Affairs and Director of Athletics, Christopher Bledsoe. "Throughout her college years, she has battled through adversity and each time Kaitlyn has risen above the challenges to perform at the highest levels both academically and athletically. Kaitlyn is a credit to her family, to New York University and to the game of basketball. Thank you to the committee for selecting Kaitlyn Read and special thank you to Jostens for sponsoring this special award for the past two decades."

Away from the floor, Read completed her undergraduate work last May with a double-major in politics and Spanish, and is now working towards a master's degree in global affairs with a concentration in transnational security. She has been recognized on numerous occasions for her academic success, having earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors twice and UAA All-Academic honors four times.

Read has given back to the campus and local communities in several ways. She led a clinic for aspiring girls basketball players on National Girls and Women in Sports Day in addition to raising funds for breast cancer research at the annual Breast Cancer Walk. She has served in food banks and soup kitchens, and took time out of a study abroad experience in Europe to help at Camp Dynamo, which is a summer camp for ill children.

"I'm so excited to receive such an honor, being chosen among such an incredible group of student-athletes," Read said. "It wouldn't have been possible to achieve without the support from my family, teammates and coaches. I'm especially thankful for the NYU administration for considering me for the nomination process. It has been an amazing last season at NYU!"


OHIO WESLEYAN'S NATE AXELROD RECEIVES 2018 JOSTENS TROPHY
"Nate is an incredibly deserving recipient of the Jostens Award," said Ohio Wesleyan head coach Mike DeWitt. "His receiving this prestigious award is a credit to Nate's incredible work ethic and determination to succeed in every facet of his life, and his efforts along with his eagerness to give back to his community will leave a lasting legacy for our men's basketball program and the entire Ohio Wesleyan family."

Axelrod, a native of Dublin, Ohio, is the first Ohio Wesleyan player to receive the Jostens Trophy. The Battling Bishops point guard was named North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year for the third year in a row, making him the first men's basketball player in conference history to be so honored. He was a first-team All-NCAC selection for the fourth straight season, only the third men's basketball player in conference history to accomplish that feat. He was named NCAC Newcomer of the Year in 2015.

A two-time All-America selection, Axelrod ranks fifth in NCAA Division III in assists (6.8/game). He led the NCAC in scoring (19.2 points/game) and assists, becoming the first player in conference history to lead the league in scoring and assists in a season. Axelrod also ranks second in the league in free throw percentage (.857), is tied for ninth in steals (1.2/game), and is 14th in 3-point field goals (1.9/game). He finished his career as the second Ohio Wesleyan men's basketball player and the fourth in NCAC history to surpass the 2000-point mark, and is Ohio Wesleyan's all-time leader in assists (655) and consecutive games started (114).

"Nate Axelrod epitomizes the values of the scholar-athlete at the Division III level," said Ohio Wesleyan President Rock Jones, Ph.D.  "He has achieved remarkable accomplishments as an athlete, as a student, and as a leader on campus.  He has made an enormous impact at Ohio Wesleyan and will make an even larger one in his life after college.  I can't imagine anyone more deserving or more exemplary than Nate."

Off the court, Axelrod is a finance economics major. He has twice earned Academic All-District distinction, with those honors coming in the past two seasons. He is eligible for Academic All-America consideration, which he also earned in 2017. Both Academic All-District and Academic All-America process are conducted by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Axelrod is active with Big Brothers/Big Sisters as well as in service to the Delaware community through his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta. He is also a volunteer with the ALS Foundation in Delaware, Ohio. He has served his fellow athletes at OWU as a member of the Bishops Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

"It's a huge honor and really means a lot," said Axelrod. "This is something I never thought would happen when I stepped on campus four years ago. I have to give a lot of credit to my family, my coaches, and my teammates. They've taught me a lot of life lessons both on and off the court. This really reflects all the work I've put in over the past 21 years of my life, and I'm really grateful for this honor."

** Minneapolis-based Jostens is a leading provider of products and services that help recognize achievement and affiliation throughout people's lives. The company specializes in championships rings and awards in addition to yearbooks, class rings, graduation products, school photography and corporate programs.