SALEM, Va. — A banner women’s championship and what is sure to be a stellar men’s event has the excitement high surrounding Division III basketball. That air is further bolstered by the announcement of the 2026 Jostens Trophy recipients to highlight the postseason awards season. Washington and Lee University senior Mary Schleusner and Emory University junior Ben Pearce are this year’s Jostens Trophy award winners, as announced by the Rotary Club of Salem, Va., on Tuesday afternoon.


This season marks the 28th edition of the Jostens Trophy, presented annually by the Rotary Club of Salem, Va. The Jostens Trophy is designed 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.

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 former Salem Rotarian and the first commissioner that founded the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), for his long-time dedication to Division III athletics.

The winners were chosen by a 30-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, select members of the Division III media, and one ballot determined by fan voting on D3hoops.com.

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MARY SCHLEUSNER FROM WLU HONORED AS WOMEN'S JOSTENS TROPHY RECIPIENT
“Ms. Mary Schleusner is a player like none other, and she has set the standard of what it means to be a teammate, a competitor, and an exceptional person,” expressed Jan Hathorn, Michael F. Walsh Director of Athletics at Washington and Lee. “She has represented herself, Washington and Lee, the ODAC, and Division III women's basketball at the highest level with great humility."

Schleusner, a native of Charlotte, N.C., put together a storied career on the floor for Washington and Lee. She is the first player in program history to be named Player of the Year by D3hoops.com while securing her third straight All-America honor from the organization. In addition, Schleusner was also named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches All-America Team for a fourth time (3x 1st Team honors, 1 HM).

The four-time ODAC Defensive Player of the Year and three-time ODAC Player of the Year closed her career as the Division III leader in all-time rebounds (1,992) and double-doubles (97), numbers which rank second and third at all levels of NCAA women’s basketball, respectively. She will graduate as the ODAC’s all-time leading scorer for men’s and women’s basketball with 2,483 points.

This season, Schleusner was tabbed the D3hoops.com All-Region Team and Region 6 Player of the Year. She led the Blue and White with 21.2 points per game and 17.0 rebounds while posting a team-high 66 blocks and 63 steals. She recorded a double-double in 29 of her 30 games played this season, which led all NCAA divisions. She also led the nation in rebounds (528) while ranking second in field goals (261), points (657), and defensive rebounds per game (11.3).

In the classroom, Schleusner carries a 3.232 grade point average as a business administration and strategic communications major. She has previously earned a spot on the ODAC All-Academic Team. She completed a pair of internships with Bank of America and Certus. She also completed an economics project while abroad in Barcelona through the Council on International Educational Exchange.

Schleusner has been quite active on-campus in both service and leadership roles. She served an Adopt-A-Family holiday event in addition to publishing and promoting locations for the local mobile food pantry of Rockbridge Area Relief Association (RARA). She regularly has lunch with retirees at Kendall, the local retirement community. She also serves as a youth swimming coach. Schleusner is a member of Kathekon, which is a student organization designed to improve student-alumni relations. She serves as a University Ambassador for the admission office, is the Co-President of Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), is a radio host for WLUR radio station, and holds the role of Vice President of Delta Society, a local sorority of more than 100 members at Washington and Lee.
  

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BEN PEARCE FROM EMORY UNIVERSITY SELECTED AS MEN'S JOSTENS TROPHY RECIPIENT
“Ben Pearce continues to inspire people with how he lives his life everyday,” explained Jason Zimmerman, head coach for Emory University men’s basketball. “I am blessed and proud to be able to interact and coach Ben every day. He is a tremendous ambassador for Emory Basketball and Emory University.”

Pearce, a native of Tuckahoe, N.Y., is appearing on the Division III men’s basketball awards wire for the second time today, having been named the D3hoops.com Player of the Year. He is the first player in Emory history to earn this distinction and the second to earn a First Team All-America honor by the outlet. He is also the third player in Emory basketball history to be an All-American by both the NABC and D3hoops.com in the same season.

Pearce’s senior season has rewritten the Emory record books as he has established new single season team records in points scored (697), scoring average (24.0), free throws made (172), minutes played (1,081) and is only the second player ever to reach 200 assists in a season with his Division III-leading total of 207 dimes. Furthermore, Pearce has become the all-time Emory leader in points scored (2,070), scoring average (19.0), field goals made (259), games started (109), minutes played (3644) and is second with 609 assists.

The greatest honor of all could still be coming for Pearce. He and his Eagles’ teammates will play for the Division III title next month. They square off with the University of Mary Washington on Sunday, April 5, at 4:30 p.m. ET in Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

In the classroom, Pearce maintains a 3.50 grade point average as a strategy & marketing consulting and sociology double-major. He has twice been recognized on the University Athletic Association (UAA) Winter Academic Team. A research assistant for the Emory’s Department of Sociology, Pearce has completed three internships with TNT Sports Productions, Freelance Consulting, and Cast Iron Media.

Pearce is the founder and President of Emory Sports Business Association (ESBA), which was developed to create a community of students who are interested in the sports business landscape. Through this venture, Pearce led planning efforts for Emory's inaugural Atlanta Sports Business Conference, which featured 250+ attendees. He also founded a basketball skills camp using NIL in his hometown.

An Eagles’ men’s basketball captain, Pearce was a Strategy Student Consultant for United Health Group, attended the 2024 NIL summit, served as a panelist for the 2025 Black Student-Athlete Summit, and attended the 2024 Black Sports Business Symposium. Pearce was also named an Arthur Blank 100 Scholar.
  

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HISTORY OF JOSTENS TROPHY WINNERS

YEAR	MEN	WOMEN
1998	Michael Nogelo, Williams	Alicia Moore, Emory
1999	Michael Schantz, Hamilton	Kristen Venne, Susquehanna
2000	Korey Coon, Illinois Wesleyan	Alia Fischer, Washington-St. Louis
2001	David Jannuzzi, Wilkes	Alison Grubbs, Lake Forest
2002	Adam Jones, Buena Vista	Heather Kile, Swarthmore
2003	Derek Reich, Chicago	Whitney Bull, Wilkes
2004	Justin Call, Emory & Henry	Kay Mikolajczak, UW-Oshkosh
2005	Jon-David Byers, Lebanon Valley	Tara Rohde, Trinity (Texas)
2006	Chris Braier, Lawrence	Megan Silva, Randolph-Macon
2007	Ryan Cain, WPI	Lisa Winkle, Calvin
2008	Troy Ruths, Washington-St. Louis	Tarra Richardson, McMurry
2009	Jimmy Bartolotta, MIT	Melanie Auguste, Colorado College
2010	Blake Schultz, Williams	Julia Hirssig, UW-Stout
2011	Steve Djurickovic, Carthage	Elizabeth Sunderhaus, Cedar Crest
2012	Aris Wurtz, Ripon	Taylor Simpson, University of Chicago
2013	Colton Hunt, Randolph	Carissa Verkaik, Calvin
2014	Richie Bonney, Hobart	Katelyn Fischer, Marymount
2015	George Bugarinovic, Johns Hopkins	Jess Rheinheimer, Eastern Mennonite
2016	Trey Bardsley, Nebraska Wesleyan	Holly Denfeld, Milwaukee School of Eng.
2017	Harrison Blackledge, Hope	Lisa Murphy, Carnegie Mellon
2018	Nate Axelrod, Ohio Wesleyan	Kaitlyn Read, NYU
2019	Aston Francis, Wheaton (Ill.)	Madison Temple, Thomas More
2020	Kena Gilmour, Hamilton	Sydney Kopp, DePauw
2021	Not awarded	Not awarded
2022	Jack Davidson, Wabash	Kenedy Schoonveld, Hope
2023	Tyson Cruickshank, Wheaton (Ill.)	Elyce Knudsen, Millikin
2024	Tyler Dearman, Guilford	Aleah Grundahl, UW-Whitewater
2025	Tate Ivanyo, Anderson (Ind.)	Natalie Bruns, NYU
2026	Ben Pearce, Emory	Mary Schleusner, Washington and Lee

   
** Minneapolis-based Jostens is a leading provider of products and services that help recognize achievement and affiliation throughout people's lives. The company specializes in championship rings and awards in addition to yearbooks, class rings, graduation products, school photography and corporate programs.