SUNY Cortland women's basketball senior forward
Jessica Laing (Bloomville/South Kortright) has been selected as one of 12 national finalists for the prestigious Jostens Trophy. The list of finalists was announced by the Rotary Club of Salem, Va., which is responsible for the initial review of annual nominations.
The Jostens Trophy is a national award that honors the most outstanding men's and women's Division III basketball players of the year. The award takes into account three vital components: basketball ability, academic prowess and community service. This year's class marks the 13th year the award has been presented. The men's and women's winners will be honored on Thursday, March 18, at the Salem Civic Center.
The SUNYAC Player of the Year each of the last two seasons, Laing is averaging 20.4 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. She has career totals of 2,146 points and 1,296 rebounds and is all-time scoring leader in the 27-year history of SUNYAC women's basketball.
Off the court, Laing is a physical education major with a 3.11 cumulative grade point average. She has worked with kids with spina bifida at the SUNY Upstate Center and has participated in a program through SUNY Cortland's physical education department to educate children of migrant workers on identifying inexpensive physical activities and games. She has also worked with students with disabilities at Marcellus Elementary School through Cortland's Adapted Physical Education program and serves as a team representative on Cortland's Student Athlete Advisory Committee.
2010 Jostens Trophy – Women's Finalists
Molly Ariail - Randolph-Macon College (Va.)
Stephanie Boardman – Wittenberg University (Ohio)
Colleen Clarke – Cazenovia College (N.Y.)
Chelsea Edwards – Univ. of Texas at Dallas
Claire Ely – Univ. of Puget Sound (Wash.)
Julia Hirssig – Univ. of Wisconsin-Stout
Jessica Laing – SUNY Cortland
Lyndsie Long – Elmhurst College (Ill.)
Margo Muhlbauer – Buena Vista University (Iowa)
Christina Solari – Illinois Wesleyan University
Kym Wenz – College of Wooster (Ohio)
Mary Wilkowski – Hamline University (Minn.)
