ELMHURST, Ill. - For the second consecutive season, Elmhurst's Mikaela Eppard has been named as one of the 10 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 joint creation of Jostens, Inc. and 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 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.
 
Eppard is the first Elmhurst player to be selected as a finalist in back-to-back seasons. Her selections mark just the third time an Elmhurst player has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious award, joining Lyndsie Long, a finalist in 2010.  

Earlier this week, Eppard was named a first-team all-conference player for the third consecutive season for her play on the court. A second-team all-conference selection as a freshman, she became just the second Bluejay in program history to finish her career as a four-time all-conference honoree.
 
A first-team Preseason All-American from D3hoops.com, Eppard finished the season as the Bluejays' leading scorer and rebounds, averaging 17.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. She also led the Bluejays in field goals (173), field goal percentage (.549) and free throws made (95). She closed out the regular season with 1,806 career points and 1,025 rebounds. She ranks second in Elmhurst history in points scored, rebounds and field goal percentage (.545) while ranking fourth in field goals made (690). She is Elmhurst's all-time record holder in free throws made with 412. She's one of just two Elmhurst players in school history to record over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career.
 
Against CCIW competition, Eppard led the league in both scoring (18.3 ppg) and rebounding (11.3), finishing as the only player to average a double-double. She also ranked sixth in field goal percentage (.509). Eppard averaged a double-double in back-to-back conference seasons.

Last season, Eppard turned in one of the most dominant single-seasons in Elmhurst history. She tied an Elmhurst single-game record for field goals made, hitting 16 in the Bluejays' win over Millikin in February. Her 39 points scored against North Central and Millikin established a new career high while ranking fourth in Elmhurst history. She collected 20 rebounds in a game on two occasions this season, matching the sixth-highest single-game total in Elmhurst history. She also became the first player in Elmhurst history to score 30 or more points and collect 20 or more rebounds in the same game.
 
A nine-time CCIW Player of the Week in her career, Eppard has earned multiple accolades for her success in the classroom. Earlier this week, Eppard was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District squad. As first-team honoree, she will be placed on the national ballot to earn Academic All-America honors. The national Academic All-Americans for 2018 will be announced in March. Last season she was one of just five players named as a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American. A communication sciences and disorders major and four-time academic all-conference selection, Eppard maintains a 3.92 grade-point average. She is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society and a member of the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association. 

Eppard also serves as the Vice President of the Elmhurst Best Buddies chapter, a group dedicated to creating friendships for those with intellectual and development disabilities and Elmhurst students. She also works with the College's ELSA (Elmhurst Learning and Skills Academy) program, a four-year program that offers a full-time, post-secondary educational experience to young adults with developmental disabilities. She also is working on her clinical hours at the Elmhurst College Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, helping to provide individuals of all ages with communication deficits. She has also previously assisted as a life coach for ELSA students, helping them with their homework and schedule planning for the week. Last year, she spent one day a week as a substitute assistant at the Soaring Eagle Academy, a school for students affected by autism.

The finalists for the Jostens Trophy were announced by members of the Rotary Club of Salem, Va. The club's Jostens Trophy committee, which is responsible for the initial review of annual nominations and narrowing the pool to 10 finalists. The initial review employs a numerical rating to narrow the list of finalists so that the decision can be made on the most objective basis possible.The 10 finalists are voted upon by a national selection committee of 32 members comprised of coaches, directors of athletics, members of sports media, and business and local leaders.

The winners of the Jostens Trophy will be notified on March 9. The trophy will be presented on Thursday, March 15, at the Salem Civic Center at the Salem Rotary Club meeting. 

The other finalists include: Samm Chandler (Averett), Alexandra Leslie (Rochester), Camille McPherson (Moravian), Abby Owings (Thomas More), Raquel Pederzani (Johnson & Wales), Kaitlyn Read (New York Univ.), Ali Rinfrette (Pittsburgh-Bradford), Katie Sommer (Wartburg) amd Jess Vormelker (Thiel).  

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