February 24, 2005
Release courtesy of Nick Huber, Buena Vista Univ. sports information director

STORM LAKE, IOWA . . . Buena Vista University basketball players Eric Wiebers and Katie Maguire have been named as finalists for the 2005 Jostens Award. The Jostens Award is given to the NCAA III Men’s and Women’s Basketball Outstanding Athletes of the Year. Recipients of the Jostens Award must exhibit excellence in basketball, academics and community service.

Wiebers, a senior guard from Denison, Iowa, has led the Buena Vista men’s basketball team to a 23-3 record. Wiebers, who scored his 1,000th career point earlier this season, is averaging nearly 15 points and four assists per game. He has made the second-most three point shots in school history (231) while playing only three years in the program. Wiebers, an exercise science and sport management major, currently ranks sixth in school history in assists (251) and 11th on the all-time steals list (119). He was selected to the first team all-conference last season after being named the Iowa Conference Player of the Year in 2002-03. Wiebers earned all-region honors both seasons as well. Wiebers, a 2001 graduate of Denison-Schleswig High School, is the son of Rollie and Marcy Wiebers of Denison.

Maguire, a junior guard from Treynor, Iowa, is the conference’s leading scorer and has been the driving force behind the team’s 25-1 start to the season. Maguire, who scored her 1,000th career point earlier this year, is averaging over 18 points and five assists per contest. She has been named the Iowa Conference Player of the Week four times and has earned all-conference honors each of her first two collegiate seasons. Maguire, an elementary education major, ranks first in school history in career three point shots (161), second in career assists (387), sixth in career steals (184), and eighth in career points scored (1,141). Maguire, a 2002 graduate of Treynor High School, is the daughter of Scott Maguire of Treynor, Iowa and Annette Vasicek of Treynor, Iowa.

Ten finalists were named on both the men’s and women’s sides. Buena Vista was one of two schools, along with UW-Stevens Point, to have both a men’s and women’s athlete named as a finalist. Wiebers and Maguire were the only Iowa Conference players to make the round of finalists. Along with Wiebers, the men's finalists are J.D. Byers, Lebanon Valley; Russ Churchwell, Oglethorpe; Seth Hauben, Rochester; Jason Kalsow, UW-Stevens Point; Adam McCoy, Aurora; Jon Nielson, Wheaton (Ill.); Tyler Rhoten, Trinity (Conn.); Andrew Schiel, Amherst; Tommy Stolhandske, Texas Lutheran. In addition to Maguire, the women’s finalists are Alyssa Antolick, DeSales; Amy Argetsinger, DePauw; Ashley Edwards, Concordia-Austin; Diana Martinez, Hardin-Simmons; Amanda Nechuta, UW-Stevens Point; Tara Rohde, Trinity (Texas); Megan Vig, Carleton; Siobhan Zerilla, Wilmington; Olivia Zurek, Bates.

The winners of the Jostens Award will be notified on March 7. The Trophies will be presented on March 17 by the Salem Rotary Club at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia. Buena Vista graduate Adam Jones was presented with the men’s award in 2002.

-30-