NKyTribune staff
Thomas More College senior guard Abby Owings is one of 10 national finalists for the Jostens Trophy.
The Jostens Trophy is awarded to an outstanding NCAA Division III men’s and women’s basketball player who excels on the floor, in the classroom and in the community.
Owings, a preseason Division III All-American, is second on the team in scoring with 17.5 points per game and assists with 85, while leading the team in steals with 67. She is shooting 46.1 percent (147-for-319) from the field, including 45 percent (72-for-160) from 3-point range. The Independence native is also averaging 2.9 rebounds per game.
Entering the NCAA Division III Tournament, Owings is the all-time leading scorer in program history with 1,724 points, and she is third in assists with 420. The Simon Kenton High School graduate also has 255 career steals.
Off the court, Owings is an education and communication major and carries a 3.60 cumulative grade point average. She is a three-time PAC Academic Honor selection and was named to the 2018 CoSIDA Academic All-District II team. On campus, Owings serves on the Saints’ Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), while volunteering with Special Olympics and the Northern Kentucky Catholic Charities Organization.
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 21st year the awards have been presented.
The Rotary Club of Salem is responsible for the initial review of nominations and narrowed the collection of candidates over the past two weeks. The Rotary Club’s Jostens Trophy Committee employs a numerical rating system in determining the lists of finalists. The system ensures an objective process thru the first round of vetting.
The 20 finalists continue through the review process, with a national selection committee of 30 or more individuals charged with determining the two winners of the 2018 Jostens Trophy honors.
Ballots from the national selection committee are due by March 8, with the winning schools to be notified by March 9. The awards presentation is scheduled for March 15 at the Salem Civic Center in conjunction with the NCAA Division III men’s basketball semifinals and championship in Salem, Va., on March 16-17.
Listed below are the finalists for the 2018 Jostens Trophy:
WOMEN’S FINALISTS
Samm Chandler, Averett University
Mikaela Eppard, Elmhurst College
Alexandra Leslie, University of Rochester
Camille McPherson, Moravian College
Abby Owings, Thomas More College
MEN’S FINALISTS
Nate Axelrod, Ohio Wesleyan University
Marcos Echevarria, Nichols College
Brandon Federici, Franklin & Marshall College
Aston Francis, Wheaton College (Ill.)
Kevin Grow, Carleton College