BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Illinois Wesleyan senior center Christina Solari is one of 12 women's finalists for the Jostens Trophy, recognizing the outstanding student-athlete in Division III basketball.

The Jostens Trophy is a national award created in 1998 by the Salem (Va.) Rotary Club to honor the most outstanding men 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 motto of “Service above Self” by recognizing those who truly fit the ideal of the well-rounded Division III student-athlete.

Solari is the second Illinois Wesleyan women's basketball player to be considered for the Josten's honor - Claire Sheehan was a finalist in 2009.
Korey Coon was the 2000 Jostens Trophy winner and was also a finalist in 1999 while Keelan Amelianovich was a Jostens finalist in 2006 and Zach Freeman was a finalist in 2007.

Solari (Park Ridge, Ill., Maine South HS) is averaging a team-leading 13.1 points for the No. 3-nationally ranked Titans, who are 26-1 prior to Friday night's NCAA Division III first round tournament game against Franklin. Solari also averages 8.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, both team highs. She has been the Titans' leading scorer in seven games, was a unanimous first team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin first team selection for the second straight season and was the league's 2009 “Player of the Year.”

For her career, Solari is No. 2 all-time at IWU with 854 rebounds, trailing all-time leader Elaine Hill by only 47 boards. Hill corralled 901 rebounds from 1986-90.
Solari is No. 2 in career field goal percentage (.599), No. 3 in free throws made (299) and No. 5 in assists (327). Her 1,139 points makes her No. 11 all-time at IWU. 

Solari has a 3.84 grade-point average as a political science major and was elected to the all-District V academic team in 2009 and 2010.

The Jostens Trophy finalists were announced by members of the Salem (Va.) Rotary Club, which is responsible for the initial review of annual nominations and narrowing the pool to 10 men and ordinarily 10 women finalists. The 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 three-way tie for 10th place and, after considerable discussions, the committee felt the fairest method was to forward all 12 nominees to the 35-person national selection committee as finalists.

A committee will complete the selection process by picking a men and women's Jostens Trophy winner. The winning schools will be notified on March 10 and the awards presentation is scheduled for Thursday, March 18 at the Salem Civic Center in conjunction with the Men's Division III Championship being hosted in Salem, Va., on March 19-20.

In addition to Solari, Elmhurst's Lyndsie Long is among the other female finalists. The remainder of those in consideration are Molly Ariail of Randolph-Macon; Stephanie Boardman, Wittenberg; Colleen Clarke, Cazenovia College; Chelsea Edwards,  U. of Texas at Dallas; Claire Ely, Puget Sound; Julia Hirssig, Wisconsin-Stout; Jessica Laing, SUNY-Cortland; Margo Muhlbauer of Buena Vista; Kym Wenz, College of Wooster; and Mary Wilkowski, Hamline.

The male finalists include Wheaton's Ben Panner along with Brandon Altmann, U. of Mary Washington; Zach Ashworth of Scranton; Josh Hoch, Carroll University; Corey McAdam, Nazareth; Daniel McKeehan of Thomas More College; Cameron Mitchell, Willamette; Danny Noll, Centre College; Blake Shultz of Williams College; and Aaron Trigg from Gordon College.

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