SALEM, Va. – Junior Jack Plesser of the Union College men's basketball team is one of 11 finalists for the 2026 Jostens Trophy recognizing the most outstanding Division III basketball player of the year, the Rotary Club of Salem, Va., announced on Thursday afternoon.
 
Plesser is the fourth Union basketball player – and third student-athlete on the men's side – to be named a finalist for the prestigious honor since its inception in 1998. Plesser joins Keven Donohue '13, Erika Eisenhut '06 and Aaron Galletta '02 as Union student-athletes on the exclusive list and is the first Union junior ever selected as a finalist. He is the first men's player from a Liberty League school to be a finalist since 2014 and gives Union three of the conference's seven all-time men's finalists.
 
The Jostens Trophy honors – one for men's basketball and one for women's basketball – are national awards created by the Rotary Club of Salem and sponsored by Jostens, Inc., 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. The 2026 season marks the 28th time the Jostens Trophy honors will be awarded.
 
Plesser had a fantastic junior season for the Garnet Chargers, becoming the first non-senior in program history to be named Liberty League Player of the Year after averaging 22.6 points per game – leading the Liberty League in scoring by 3.5 ppg –  and finishing his season 23rd in Division III in scoring average and 17th in field goals made. The junior also led the conference in field-goal percentage (55.3 percent), finished second in both rebounding (7.6 rpg) and blocks (35), and ended up third in free-throw percentage (76.2 percent). On the season, Plesser scored double figures in 24 of 25 regular-season games, highlighted by six games with 30+ points and 15 games with 20 or more points to go along with seven double-doubles.

"Jack's dedication to continually improving his strength and skill is evident in his performance this season," said head coach Chris Murphy '06. "Being named a Jostens Trophy finalist - especially as a junior - is a well-deserved recognition of the impact that he has made on the team this season."
 
Plesser ended the year sixth on Union's all-time single-season scoring list with 566 points and his 22.6 ppg average is fifth-best by a Union player. He also tied for fourth in single-season field goals (214) and sixth in free throws (128), while his 37 blocks are sixth-best in a season as well. In three seasons, Plesser already ranks 13th in program history with 1,263 points and his 16.4 ppg scoring average currently is ninth-best among Union players all-time.
 
The Rotary Club of Salem is responsible for the initial review of the nominees, which it conducts over a two-week period. The Club's Jostens Trophy Committee objectively reviews the nominees and uses a numerical system to pare down the pools to an initial list of 22 finalists -- 11 for the men's award and 11 for the women's trophy.

The finalists will now be reviewed by the Jostens Trophy National Selection Committee. The committee is composed of men and women from across the country. The committee features current and former athletic administrators and head coaches, past Jostens Trophy recipients, and select members of the Division III media. The committee will spend the next week-plus reviewing the nominees with the aim of announcing the two winners the week following both national championship events.

Listed below are the finalists for the 2026 Jostens Trophy awards (listed alphabetically by last name):
 
MEN'S FINALISTS
Chris Bryant, Hardin-Simmons University
Brady Burman, Sarah Lawrence College
Mason Dopirak, Milwaukee School of Engineering
Mason Funk, Illinois Wesleyan University
Sam Grieger, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Scott Gyimesi, Tufts University
Chase Morgan, Maryville College (Tenn.)
Kevin Nowoswiat, Franklin & Marshall College
Ben Pearce, Emory University
Jack Plesser, Union College
Soren Richardson, Wheaton College (Ill.)

Additional information on the award can be found at https://odaconline.com/sports/jostenstrophy