Woerner named one of 11 finalists for prestigious Jostens Trophy

WASHINGTON – Senior Jill Woerner has been named a finalist for the 2013 Jostens Trophy, it was announced on Monday. Woerner is one of just 11 Division III women's student-athletes in the pool of finalists. CUA is the only school to have two finalists for this prestigious award, with Chris Kearney from the men's basketball team, also being named a finalist.

The 2013 Landmark Conference Player of the Year, Woerner will leave CUA as the second leading scorer in school history with 1,544 career points. She has been named the Landmark Conference Player of the Week twice this season and earned a spot on the All-Conference First Team.

A native of Providence, R.I., Woerner ranks in the top-10 of seven statistical categories in the Landmark. She scored in double figures 27 times in 2012-13, including a career-high 29 points vs. Eureka in December.

Woerner has posted four double-doubles this season, which includes a season-best 12 rebounds in a win over William Paterson. One of the Cards' captains, Woerner dropped 25 points in an overtime win against Moravian on February 16, which clinched the top seed in the conference tournament for CUA.

Woerner, who averages 16.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, helped lead CUA to its second consecutive Landmark Conference title this season. The Cards also won their first NCAA Tournament game in school history, downing Cabrini on March 1.

A biomedical engineering major, Woerner maintains a 3.5 grade point average in the classroom. She is a multi-year member of the Landmark Conference Academic Honor Roll and the Dean's List, and is also a member of Phi Eta Sigma National Honors Society and the CUA honors program.

The 5-11 guard has received Academic All-District honors in each of the last two years and was named an Academic All-American this season.

In addition to her athletic and academic achievements, Woerner is highly involved in community service. During her time at CUA, she has taken part in Relay for Life, Think Pink: Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 8K Run for Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Run, Race for the Cure, Cheesecake Factory Feed the Homeless Peanut Butter Drive, and Play for Kay Day.

As a member of CUA's SAAC program, Woerner has helped to raise money for Pink Jams charity, Catholic charities, families affected by Hurricane Sandy and to help send a CUA softball student-athlete on a mission trip to Haiti.

The Jostens Trophy is awarded to an outstanding Division III men's and women's basketball player who excels on the floor, in the classroom and in the community.

The Salem Rotary Club Jostens Trophy Committee employs a numerical rating to narrow the list of finalists so that the decision can be made on the most objective basis possible.

Voters' ballots are due by March 13 with the winning schools to be notified by March 15. The awards presentation is scheduled for Thursday, March 21 at the Salem Civic Center in conjunction with the men's Division III quarterfinals and semifinals.

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 Division III basketball players of the year. The award takes into account three vital parts: basketball ability, academic prowess and community service.

Click here to view the entire list of finalists.