St. Mary's College of Maryland men's basketball senior captain Nicholas LaGuerre has been named one of the 10 men's finalists for the prestigious Jostens Trophy by members of the Rotary Club of Salem, Va. The club is responsible for the initial review of annual nominations and narrowed the pool to 10 men's and 10 women's finalists.

LaGuerre is just the second Seahawk to be named a finalist as Sam Burum '11 was in the final 10 for the 2011 Jostens Trophy.

Click for complete release on 2015 Jostens Trophy Finalists

The Jostens Trophy is awarded to an outstanding NCAA Division III men's and women's basketball player who excels on the floor, in the classroom and in the community. It is a national award created by the Rotary Club of Salem, Va., to honor the most outstanding men's and women's NCAA Division III basketball players of the year.

The award takes into account three vital parts: basketball ability, academic prowess, and community service. The trophy models the Rotary International motto of "Service Above Self" by recognizing those who truly fit the ideal of the well-rounded NCAA Division III student-athlete. This year's class marks the 18th year the award has been presented.

"Nick had a tremendous career here at St. Mary's both on the court and off of it, and to be a finalist for the Jostens Trophy speaks to that. Nick is a great representative of St. Mary's and the character and integrity every coach looks for in our student-athletes. He is on the path to do great things after he graduates from here," expressed 10th-year Head Coach Chris Harney.

The Salem Rotary Club Jostens Trophy Committee employs a numerical rating to narrow the list of finalists so that the decision can be made on the most objective basis possible.

Last year, Katelyn Fischer of Marymount became the first recipient of the Jostens Trophy in CAC history. 

Listed below are the finalists for the 2015 Jostens Trophy:

Voters' ballots are due by March 12th with the winning schools expected to be notified by March 13th. The awards presentation is scheduled for Thursday, March 19th at the Salem Civic Center in conjunction with the NCAA Division III men's basketball semifinals and championship in Salem on March 20-21.

Additional information on the award can be found at http://www.odaconline.com/jostens

The 6-3 guard not only stars for the Seahawks on the hardwood but has also been an amazing ambassador for St. Mary's around campus and within the community at-large. LaGuerre is an economics major who minors in dance when he's not on the court or in the community.

His work in the community includes LaGuerre's talks to young children in the local elementary and middle schools about achieving success in college and playing sports at a high level even when the odds may be stacked against you. LaGuerre finished his four-year career as one of the program's top scorers while keeping an eye on his Type I diabetes.

He has also spent the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays delivering meals to the less fortunate in the local community.

On Monday afternoon, LaGuerre was named the 2015 Capital Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year and wrapped up his outstanding career as a three-time first team All-CAC honoree. He joined Sheldon Taylor '01 (2001) and Alex Franz '11 (2011) as the only St. Mary's players to be named CAC Men's Basketball Player of the Year in the 25-year history of the conference.

LaGuerre led SMCM to an 86-25 overall record and a 50-12 CAC mark during his four-year career. The Seahawks garnered three CAC regular-season titles (2012, 2013, and 2015), two NCAA Tournament berths (2012 and 2013), and the 2013 CAC championship title under his leadership.

A two-year team captain, LaGuerre finished in the Top 20 among 250 Division III players ranked in three categories – 12th in scoring with 22.0 points per game, 17th in total points with 551, and 18th in free throws made with 142.

He was also ranked in the Top 10 among conference players in six categories – first in scoring, fourth in free throw percentage (77.6%), sixth in assists with a 3.2 average, seventh in steals with a 1.8 average, and ninth in field goal percentage (47.6%) and three-point field goal percentage (36.9%).LaGuerre led the team in scoring and three-point shooting.

A four-time CAC Player of the Week this season, he scored in double digits in all but one game, matching his career-best of 36 points in the CAC semifinals against Christopher Newport University. LaGuerre tallied 20 or more points in 15 games, including four 30-point performances.

He notched 1,581 points in 111 games to finish third all-time. He also shot 47.7% (532-of-1,115) from the field for his career, including 37.8% (197-of-521) from downtown, and 77.3% (320-of-414) from the free throw line. LaGuerre grabbed 353 rebounds, dished 331 helpers, and picked 194 pockets as well.