FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dan Donohue, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information, 610-606-4666 x. 3725
SUNDERHAUS ONE OF 11 NATIONAL FINALISTS FOR PRESTIGIOUS JOSTENS TROPHY
Salem, VA (March 1, 2011) - Cedar Crest's Lizzy Sunderhaus (Hamilton, OH/Stephen T. Badin) has been named as one of 11 national women finalists for the 2011 Jostens Trophy, as announced by the Rotary Club of Salem, VA.
The Jostens Trophy, publicized by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), is widely regarded as the highest honor awarded in the sport of basketball in NCAA Division III. One male and one female winner are chosen annually by a national selection committee consisting of college coaches, former athletes, college administrators and members of the media, and the voting is based on three criteria: basketball ability, academic ability and community service. The Trophy echoes the Rotary International's motto of "Service above Self" and seeks to recognize men and women who fit the ideal of the well-rounded Division III student-athlete. This year's class marks the 14th year the award has been presented.
When told of her selection, the always-modest Sunderhaus stated, "I am thrilled and honored to be under consideration for such a prestigious award. Even though I still have one year to go in my college career, I am already amazed at all that being a Division III athlete has allowed me to achieve."
Lizzy's coach, Val Donohue, was pleased by the recognition. "This is such a well-deserved honor for someone who has excelled on the court and in the classroom for a long time," she said. "It's great to see her recognized in this way and I hope the National Committee feels the same way."
Cedar Crest Director of Athletics Kristin Maile agreed. "I am not surprised at all to see Lizzy rise to the top. She is an outstanding and well-rounded student-athlete and the type of future leader that Cedar Crest strives to produce. It's wonderful that the Rotary Club of Salem and the ODAC take the time to honor student-athletes in this manner," said Maile.
The finalists will now be considered by the national selection committee and the winners will be announced by March 9th. The awards will be presented on Thursday, March 17 at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, VA.
Sunderhaus, a junior center, is a former CSAC Women's Basketball Rookie of the Year and Cedar Crest's first three-time All-Conference selection. Although her season has ended, she is leading the nation in rebounding at 15.6 rebounds per game and is 20th in scoring at 19.7 points per game. She led the CSAC in both categories, was ranked second in the conference and tied for fourth in the nation in double doubles with 21 in 24 games, and was tied for second in the Conference in blocks at 1.9 per game. She was named to the CSAC Player of the Week Honor Roll several times.
She scored her 1000th point against Gwynedd-Mercy this season, in a game in which she made a career-high 12 free throws. This year she also scored a career-high 37 points in a win at Bryn Mawr and pulled down a career-high 25 boards in a win against Keystone.
Not only does Sunderhaus have outstanding academic credentials, she has achieved them in one of the most demanding fields Cedar Crest College offers. She is majoring in Genetic Engineering with a concentration in Forensic Science and has a minor in Chemistry. In addition, she is a member of the College's Honors program, for which she must complete additional multidisciplinary coursework beyond the normal course requirements. She is a member of several honor societies and has been on the Dean's List and the CSAC All-Academic Team every semester of her career. She has been an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team selection and last summer was selected as an Amgen Scholar for which she spent ten weeks at the University of Washington conducting research and a final presentation on "The Evolutionary History of Complex Human Diseases."
Lizzy is very active on campus, holding officer positions in several clubs and organizations as well as acting as a mentor. In the community she has worked with youth groups such as Head Start and the Boys and Girls Club, as well as an adult day care facility and a shelter for victims of domestic abuse. At home, Lizzy is a parish volunteer at Queen of Peace church and a member of the Paragon Optimists Society, a service organization that holds breast cancer fund-raisers, sponsors middle school movie nights and conducts a middle school essay contest for which Lizzy is a judge.
More information on the Jostens Trophy is available here.
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