Trio of SLIAC Student-Athletes Named Jostens Trophy Finalists

A trio of St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference student-athletes have been named 2015 Jostens Trophy Finalists. Blackburn College's Briana Rae, Eureka College's Kelsey Shoemake, and MacMurray College's Clayton Whitlock were recognized for their achievements this past season.

All three SLIAC student-athletes were named to the conference's All-Academic Team and recently completed their senior seasons. Rae earned Second Team All-Conference honors this year after averaging 19.8 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Shoemake picked up First Team All-Conference honors after averaging 18.0 points and setting a conference record for ebounds in a season, averaging 13.3 per game. Whitlock meanwhile led the conference in scoring at 17.2 points per game and was named the SLIAC Men's Basketball Player of the Year.

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 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 18th year the award has been presented.

Voters’ ballots are due by March 12 with the winning schools expected to be notified by March 13. The awards presentation is scheduled for Thursday, March 19 at the Salem Civic Center in conjunction with the NCAA Division III men's basketball semifinals and championship in Salem, Va., on March 20-21. The complete list of the 2015 finalists for the Jostens Trophy is listed below.