SALEM, Va. - For the second straight season, senior Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard East) has been announced as a finalist for the prestigious Jostens Trophy Award. The announcement of the 10 finalists was unveiled Friday, March 14, hours before tipoff of the Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team's Sweet Sixteen bout.

The Jostens Trophy honors are national awards created by the Rotary Club of Salem and sponsored by Jostens, Inc., to recognize the most outstanding men's and women's Division III basketball players of the year. The awards focus on three major criteria: basketball ability, academic prowess, and service to one's surrounding communities. The Jostens Trophy models the Rotary International motto of "Service Above Self" by recognizing those who truly fit the ideal of a well-rounded Division III student-athlete. The 2025 season marks the 26th time the Jostens Trophy honors have been awarded.

Huber will look to become IWU's first Josten's Award winner in program history, and join former Titan men's basketball standout Korey Coon (2000) as Illinois Wesleyan's all-time recipients. She was one of two College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin student-athletes named to the 10-person list (Olivia Rangel - Carroll).

A Preseason All-American selection by D3hoops.com, Huber has helped lead Illinois Wesleyan to one of the greatest seasons in program history. She captained the team to CCIW regular season and tournament titles, as IWU swept the league championships for the first time since 2018. Huber fueled the Titans to their best start since the 2008-09 season at 20-0 and heads into tonight's Sweet Sixteen game with a 28-1 record. Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer, Huber is averaging 15.3 points per game alongside a team-best 8.0 rebounds per contest.

A two-time CCIW Player of the Week pick this season, Huber broke the program's all-time scoring record - a mark that had stood for nearly 30 years. She is third all-time in rebounding and is the only one in program laurels to accrue 1500+ points and 800+ rebounds in a career.

Off the court, Huber has excelled academically as a biology major at IWU. A two-time Academic All-CCIW honoree, she was also recognized as College Sports Communicators Academic All-District in 2023 and 2024. As a junior, Huber was voted a CSC Second Team Academic All-America selection. Additionally, Huber is a trained and licensed Emergency Medical Technician, and has held the position of General Biology Lab Preparator for Dr. Libby Haywood for the past few years. She has also served as an athletic training student assistant, where she helped provide treatment to IWU student-athletes.

Huber is one of the busiest student-athletes, but somehow excels in all aspects of academics, athletics, and service. She has organized, led, and participated in many community service activities including: serving as a youth basketball camp counselor, serving on our Student Athlete Advisory Committee, assuming the role of Director of Student-Athlete Development for SAAC, being a member of the Pre Healthy Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, while also spending her time as a Night to Shine Volunteer, Trick or Treat Canned Food Drive leader, Timber Lake 5K Set Up Volunteer, fundraising for St. Jude's, participating in the Impact Life Blood Drive, a leader on the Pink Zone Decorating Committee, and has volunteered with several other entities.

She has held leadership positions within our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and in other areas on campus. She was the single student representative from our entire campus chosen to speak at the benefactors dinner last year and represented the IWU student-athletes as a speaker at the Shirk Center's 30th Anniversary event. She is the Director of Student-Athlete Development for our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), where she works to create leadership development and community service opportunities for our entire student-athlete body. She is also an active member of Beta Beta Beta and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where she has led various initiatives.

The winners will be chosen by a 27-person national selection committee composed of men and women from across the country. The committee features current and former athletic administrators and head coaches, past Jostens Trophy recipients, and select members of the Division III media. 

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 is named after Dan Wooldridge, a Salem Rotarian and the retired commissioner that founded the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), for his long-time dedication to Division III athletics.

The award recipient will be announced in the coming weeks.

About the Trophy
This impressive award will honor the Division III Men's and Women's Basketball Outstanding Athletes of the Year. Recipients of the Jostens Trophy must exhibit excellence in basketball, academics and community service. Designed and sponsored by Jostens and the Rotary Club of Salem, Va., this 64-pound trophy stands nearly two feet tall and features an eight-inch crystal basketball. The recipients will be announced the week following the NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Basketball Championships in March. The Rotary Club of Salem, through its Wooldridge Scholarship Fund, will award $1,000 to the scholarship fund of the recipient's institution in his/her name.

The Award's Significance
The Jostens Trophy bears the name of the Minneapolis, Minn. company, a leading provider of products and services that help people recognize achievement and affiliation throughout their lives. Jostens products include yearbooks, class rings, champ rings and graduation products. The Jostens Trophy is a symbol of excellence for the Division III student-athlete. 

Jostens Trophy Chairman Mark Henrickson comments, "The Rotary Club of Salem, Va. is honored to present this prestigious award to such outstanding recipients. We greatly appreciate Jostens' valuable contributions as we partner to recognize excellence in basketball, academics and community service. The Rotary Club motto is 'Service Above Self,' and we are proud to acknowledge those well-rounded student-athletes who exemplify this motto."

WOMEN'S JOSTENS TROPHY FINALISTS
Daniella Bessler, Yeshiva University
Grace Bezold, Hanover College
Natalie Bruns, New York University
Kacie Carollo, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Lauren Huber, Illinois Wesleyan University
Kailey Jones, Luther College
Cam Lexow, Gallaudet University
Catherine Or, Carnegie Mellon University
Olivia Rangel, Carroll University
Zoë Tomlinson, Colorado College

MEN'S JOSTENS TROPHY FINALISTS
Ryan Broeckel, Wisconsin Lutheran College
Hayden Doyle, Washington University in St. Louis
Scott Gyimesi, Tufts University
Tate Ivanyo, Anderson University (Ind.)
Hank Morgan, Hamilton College
Jordan Oates, Salisbury University
Logan Pearson, University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Aamari Smith, Whittier College
Sam Trunley, Case Western Reserve University
Jack Spellman, Stevens Institute of Technology