ELMHURST, Ill. - Elmhurst College senior forward Lyndsie Long has been named as one of the 12 women's finalists for the Jostens Trophy, a national award for the most outstanding student-athlete in NCAA Division III basketball.

Started in 1998, the Jostens Trophy is a national award created by the Rotary Club of Salem, Va,. 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.

Long is the first Elmhurst women's basketball player to be named a finalist for the prestigious award. Elmhurst's Chris Martin was a finalist in men's basketball during the 2005-06 season.

Long led the Bluejays to one of their most successful seasons in school history while being named the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin's (CCIW) Most Outstanding Player. Long led the Bluejays by averaging 24.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. She ranked third in the nation in scoring as well as sixth in free-throw percentage (.893), 11th in 3-point percentage (.425) and 19th in 3-pointers per game (2.7). 

In CCIW play, Long finished as the conference's leading scorer, averaging 26.1 points per game. She totaled 615 points, the second highest single-season total in CCIW history. She ranked fifth in the conference in rebounding (7.4 rebounds per game) while also being named the conference's Player of the Week five times. Long joined elite company when she was named a unanimous first-team all-conference selection, becoming just the sixth player in CCIW history to earn three consecutive first-team all-conference honors. She also became just the 11th player in CCIW history to be named to four all-conference squads.

Long rewrote the Elmhurst record book during her senior year. She broke or tied five Elmhurst and CCIW single-game records in a contest against Carthage. She scored 45 points against the Lady Reds, setting a new single-game scoring record for Elmhurst and the CCIW. Her 16 field goals against Carthage tied CCIW and Elmhurst single-game records. Her eight 3-pointers also set a new single-game Elmhurst record. In addition, she set single-season Elmhurst records for 3-pointers (74), 3-point percentage (.425), and free throw percentage (.893).

Long closed out her career as Elmhurst's all-time scoring leader with 1,866 points, surpassing the previous mark of 1,780 points. She also set Elmhurst career records in 3-pointers made (170), 3-point percentage (.388), and free throw percentage (.842). She ranks third in school history in career field goals (707), and fifth in rebounding (634). She is one of only three players in Elmhurst history to total over 1,500 points and 600 rebounds.

Elmhurst finished the season with an 18-9 overall record and a 10-4 mark in the CCIW. The Bluejays reached the CCIW tournament title game for the first time in school history while winning 18 games for the first time in 24 years. The squad's 10 CCIW victories marked the first time Elmhurst has won double-digit conference contests in 19 years.

The finalists for the Jostens Trophy were announced by members of the Rotary Club of Salem, Va. The committee, which is responsible for the initial review of annual nominations and narrowing the pool to 10 finalists, employs a numerical rating to narrow the list of finalists so that the decision can be made on the most objective basis possible. Due to a three-way tie for 10th place on the initial women's ballot, the committee felt the fairest method was to forward all 12 nominees to the national selection committee as finalists.

The winners of the Jostens Trophy will be notified on March 10. The trophy will be presented on 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. 

Fellow all-CCIW selection Christina Solari of Illinois Wesleyan was also named a finalist. The remaining finalists include: Molly Ariail (Randolph-Macon), Stephanie Boardman (Wittenberg), Colleen Clarke (Cazenovia), Chelsea Edwards (U. of Texas at Dallas), Claire Ely (Puget Sound;), Julia Hirssig (Wisconsin-Stout), Jessica Laing (SUNY-Cortland),  Margo Muhlbauer (Buena Vista), Kym Wenz (Wooster), and Mary Wilkowski (Hamline).

Additional information on the Josten's Trophy can be found at: http://www.odaconline.com/jostens/jostens.htm.