6 March 2000
CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, 309-556-3206
 
 

Titans’ Coon Wins 2000 Jostens Trophy

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Wesleyan University senior Korey Coon has been chosen as the winner of the 2000 Jostens Trophy, recognizing the outstanding student-athlete in Division III basketball.

A first team GTE® Academic All-American in 1999 and second team member in 1998, the East Peoria High School product was named the "Academic All-American of the Year" in College Division men's basketball last season and has been one of the 10 Jostens Trophy finalists the past two years.

The Jostens Trophy was a joint creation of Jostens, Inc., of Minneapolis, Minn., and the Rotary Club of Salem, Va. The purpose of the award is to honor the true Division III student-athlete ­ the athlete that shows excellence in the classroom, on the playing court, and in the community.

A national selection committee consisting of college coaches, former athletes, college administrators, and selected members of the media chooses the winners of the Jostens Trophy. Nominations were submitted by chief executive officers of the participating NCAA Division III colleges and the national committee votes on the players based on three criteria ­ basketball ability, academic prowess, and extra-curricular and/or civic activities exemplifying the Rotary motto of "Service Above Self."

Korey Coon

He has a 4.0 grade-point average as a risk management and history major. A member of the IWU Economics Society, he is the author of "Macroeconomic Effect of the GM Strike" paper for economics journal. Coon is a volunteer for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, was a Relay for Life Walk participant, and Kiwanis Club guest speaker. On campus, he is a member of the Titan Law Club, treasurer of the Risk Management and Finance Society, and president of the Phi Eta Sigma scholastic honorary.

For the past two seasons, Coon has been the co-winner of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin "Most Outstanding Player" award and was an all-CCIW first team selection for three straight years.

Coon finished his career fifth in scoring at IWU with 1,782 points, No. 2 in career free throws made (449), and as the all-time leader with 245 3-point field goals.

Coon’s career free throw percentage was .913 (449 of 492), a school standard, and he holds the NCAA Division III and school records for consecutive free throws in a career with 70. His streak was from Feb. 13 (at North Central) to Dec. 4, 1999 (vs. Benedictine) and included 29 straight to end last year.

Coon also etched his name in the CCIW record books for career free throw percentage with a mark of .914 (224 of 245), topping the mark of .890, set by Gary Jackson of Millikin in 1980-81 when he made 89 of 100. Coon also finished as the CCIW's eighth best 3-point shooter with an accuracy of .459 (123 of 268). He is tied with IWU's Steve Kuehl, who shot .459 from 1989-93.

Coon was a 1999-2000 preseason All-American in Street & Smith's and Basketball Times magazines after being named as a second team All-American in 1999 by Basketball Times and on National Association of Basketball Coaches squad.

Jostens Trophy

The other male finalists for the 2000 men’s Jostens Trophy were Ken Allen, Colby; Tim Anderlonis, Cabrini; Patrick Britton, Ithaca; Merrill Brunson, Wisconsin-Platteville; Paris Butler, Roanoke; Christopher Hughes, Penn State-Erie; Jerome Maiatice, Franklin and Marshall; Shawn Swavely, Albright; and Aaron Winkle, Calvin.

Alia Fischer of defending national champion Washington University (Mo.) was the women's winner. The other female finalists include K.C. Hammond of Millikin, along with April Abeyta, Chapman; Jennifer Bulkeley, Sewanee; Erin Cole, Karagory (Colby); Jen Feneli, SUNY-Brockport; Alison Grubbs, Lake Forest; Erin Lunde, Wellesley; Joanne Polakoski, King's College; and Lauren Turnbow, Hendrix.

Michael Schantz of Hamilton and Kristen Venne of Susquehanna were the 1999 recipients while Alicia Moore of Emory and Michael Nogelo of Williams College were the recipients of the first-ever Jostens Trophy in 1998.

In addition to the Jostens Trophy, the Wooldridge Scholarship is given in the name of the winner to his/her institution. The scholarship is named after Dan Wooldridge, a Salem Rotarian and retired commissioner of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, as a way of honoring him for his long-time dedication to Division III athletics.

As Jostens celebrated its 100th year recognizing achievement in America, it inaugurated the Jostens Trophy as a symbol of excellence for the Division III student-athlete. The trophy bears the name of the Minneapolis, Minn., company that is a leading provider of products and services that help people recognize achievement and affiliation throughout their lives. Jostens’ products include yearbooks, class rings, graduation products, school photography and business service and achievement awards.

Designed and sponsored by Jostens and the Salem Rotary Club, the 64-pound trophy stands nearly two feet tall and features an eight-inch crystal basketball.