The finalists for the prestigious Jostens Trophy were announced today by members of the Rotary Club of Salem, Va. The club is responsible for the initial review of annual nominations and narrowed the pool to 10 men and 11 women finalists.

The Salem Rotary Club 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. This year on the women's side there was a tie for 10th place.  After considerable discussions, the committee believed the equitable method was to forward all 11 nominees to the national selection committee as finalists.

Listed below alphabetically are the 10 finalists for the 2011 Men’s and 11 finalists for the 2011 Women’s Jostens Trophy:

Final ballots are due no later than March 8 with the winning schools notified by March 9. The awards presentation is scheduled for Thursday, March 17 at the Salem Civic Center in conjunction with the Division III men's Final Four being hosted in Salem on March 18-19.

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 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 Division III student-athlete. This year's class marks the 14th year the award has been presented.

Additional information on the award can be found at: http://www.odaconline.com/jostens/jostens.htm