SALEM, Va. --- The 2016 Jostens Trophy timeline reached a benchmark in its annual process with the announcement of the finalists by the members of the Salem (Va.) Rotary Club on Tuesday. Twenty student-athletes -- 10 men and 10 women -- remain in the running for this season's honors from a record number of candidates in the original pool. The Salem Rotary Club is responsible for the initial review of nominations and narrowed the collection of candidates over the past two weeks.
The Jostens Trophy is awarded to an outstanding NCAA Division III men’s and women’s basketball player who excels on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. This season marks the 19th presentation of the awards, with the inaugural trophies bestowed in 1998.
The Salem Rotary Club's Jostens Trophy Committee employs a numerical rating to narrow the list of finalists so that the decision can be made on the most objective basis possible. The 20 finalists continue thru the review process, with a national selection committee of 32 individuals charged with determining the two winners of the 2016 Josten Trophy honors.
Listed below are the finalists for the 2016 Jostens Trophy:
| Men's finalists | Women's finalists |
| Trey Bardsley, Nebraska Wesleyan University | Eireann Anastasi, Delaware Valley University |
| DJ Beckman, Alma College | Cassidy Burkholder, Bridgewater College (Va.) |
| Dillon Bender, Mount Aloysius College | Malory Christenson, Carroll University |
| Jordan Bolger, Concordia-Moorhead College | Holly Denfeld, Milwaukee School of Engineering |
| Tim Daniel, Greenville College | Kathryn Erbelding, Grove City College |
| Ben Gardner, Hope College | Lexi Fisher, Buena Vista University |
| Lucas Hausman, Bowdoin College | KC McConnell, Whitworth University |
| Jared Holmquist, Trine University | Katie McDaniels, Wheaton College (Ill.) |
| Jamie Nikitas, Lawrence University | Jess Rheinheimer, Eastern Mennonite University |
| George Valle, Whitworth University | Katelyn Smith, Transylvania University |
Ballots from the national selection committee are due by March 9 with the winning schools expected to be notified by March 11. The awards presentation is scheduled for Thursday, March 17 at the Salem Civic Center in conjunction with the NCAA Division III men's basketball semifinals and championship in Salem, Va., on March 18-19.
The Jostens Trophy is a national award created by the Salem Rotary Club 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 19th year the award has been presented.
Additional information on the award can be found at http://www.odaconline.com/jostens