SALEM, Va.- Senior men's basketball guard Kevin Nowoswiat was named one of 11 finalists across Division III Men's Basketball for the Jostens Trophy, presented by the Rotary Club of Salem. 

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.

Nowoswiat, a team captain in 2025-26, wrapped up a season where he earned back-to-back All-Centennial Conference First-Team selections. Among Centennial Conference players, he ranked third in double-doubles (6), in points per game (16.4), fourth in rebounds per game (7.3), fifth in field goal percentage (48.4%), seventh in free-throw percentage (74.4%), 11th in three-point field goals per game (1.4), 11th in assists per game (2.5), and second in minutes per game (34.2). He ended his career as the 40th Diplomats to join the 1,000-point club, and he is just one of nine players in program history with a combined 1,300 points and 500 rebounds.

His 2024-25 season featured a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-America First Team selection, NABC District 5 Player of the Year status, the Centennial Conference's Player of the Year Award, and first-team spots on the NABC District 5 team, D3hoops.com All-Region team, and All-Centennial Conference team.

Nowoswiat will graduate from Franklin & Marshall College this spring with a major in Data Science and minor in Applied mathematics. He maintains a 3.80 GPA through the fall 2025 semester. Nowoswiat's career academic accolades include a spot on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® Second Team last season and selection as the Centennial Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2025. He's been named to the NABC Honors Court once, CSC Academic All-District® Team and Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll twice, and he was named a Charles A. Dana Scholar. 

Nowoswiat has found many ways to serve as a leader both on his team and in the community. A 2025-26 team captain, he played a key role in the 2024-25 Diplomats securing the team's first Centennial Conference Tournament Championship since 2016 and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018. Across his four seasons, the Diplomats earned 20-plus wins in three seasons, appeared in three Centennial Conference Tournament Semifinals, and earned a spot in the conference's tournament in all four seasons. 

Nowoswiat's civic engagement opportunities have included:

• Assisted with a basketball clinic in Costa Rica for special needs students during the Diplomats' international trip clinic last summer.
• Volunteered his time with the Bench Mark Program, helping at-risk youth in Lancaster, Pa. by offering coaching, athletic, and academic support.
• Helped organize the F&M men's basketball team diaper drive for the local community in each of the past four seasons.
• Played a role with Team Impact and the Diplomats' Team Impact Signee Ryan Noyes in each of his four seasons.
• Worked with Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits where they developed an after school program in Stamford, Connecticut.
• Mentored children with disabilities, using animal-assisted activities at The Barn at Spring Brook Farm in West Chester, Pa.

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.

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.)

RELATED: Past Jostens Trophy Winners and Finalists