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Jostens Trophy Info | D3Hoops.com coverage | ASC coverage

The most prestigious award in NCAA Division III women’s basketball now belongs to Tarra Richardson. The senior from Fort Worth added to her plethora of accolades in a big way Tuesday as she was announced the winner of The Jostens Trophy Award by Jostens and the Rotary Club of Salem, Va. The award is given to one male and one female as the Outstanding Athletes of the Year for DIII basketball.

Ten male and female finalists were announced Feb. 26 with Richardson’s nomination as the only representative from the American Southwest Conference. After becoming the first player (male or female) in ASC history to reach 2,000 points earlier this season, she became the first ASC player to win the national award after several nominations over the past decade.

Her career ended Saturday night after McMurry fell in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Howard Payne. However, Richardson’s mark at McMurry will be left in both the conference and school record books. Among several other categories, she is both the conference and school leader in points, rebounds, blocks, field goals made and free throws attempted.

She joined Ronda Jo Miller as the only other NCAA Division III women’s basketball player in school history to have 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 300 career blocks. Richardson finished with 2,164 points, 1,015 rebounds, 304 blocks and 207 steals – all while shooting 55 percent for her career.

The Jostens trophy doesn’t stop at basketball. The national panel comprised of 32 members selects winners based upon three criteria: Excellence in basketball, academics and community service.

“This is the most exciting one fore me because it does recognize more than basketball,” Richardson said of receiving the award. “Most people know me just for basketball but I liked this award because it shows that it is important to work hard in school and in the community.”

Richardson has more than proven herself in the classroom. She has accumulated a 3.87 GPA as a finance major at McMurry and is a two-time academic all-America selection by ESPN The Magazine and CoSIDA. Most recently she earned first team academic all-America honors for her senior season after earning second-team honors as a junior.

Richardson has been very involved in both her hometown community in Fort Worth and her college town in Abilene. She helps with youth sports in Fort Worth and serves in the nursery at her home church congregation among other activities. In Abilene, she’s helped annually to help support the Kiwanis Club’s efforts in raising money for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Among her many basketball accolades, Tarra has been named a pre-season all-American by D3Hoops.com twice, a post season all-American by D3Hoops.com, she was a WBCA all-American her sophomore year, and she is eligible for both D3Hoops.com and WBCA all-America selections in the coming weeks for her senior season.

Statistically, Richardson’s sophomore year proved to be the best. She averaged 20.3 points per game, had 80 blocks (a school and ASC record), and averaged 9.2 rebounds per game. Most recently her senior season, she averaged 19.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and had 71 blocks.

Most impressively, however, was Richardson’s ability to contribute from the day she stepped on the floor. In a time where the four-year collegiate athlete becomes more and more rare, her consistency allowed for her extraordinary career numbers.

“What Tarra brought to this team that may be different than the others was that she brought a stabilizing factor where the girls knew they could count on her,” said head coach Veronica Snow. “She was consistent in her abilities to make a bucket, to play defense and she was consistent in the fact that she was going to make a good decision on and off the court.”

She recorded 40 double-doubles in her career (four shy of the ASC record), was named the ASC Player of the Week on 10 different occasions and was the ASC West Division Player of the Year her sophomore season. She was an ASC all-tournament selection all three years McMurry was involved and earned all-conference honors all three seasons she was eligible (freshmen are excluded from the academic awards in the ASC).

Richardson will receive the award along with Snow, family and friends at next week's NCAA Division III Final Four. The presentation will be made at the Salem Civic Center Thursday at lunch at the Salem Rotary Club's weekly meeting. Troy Ruths of Washington University-St. Louis earned the Jostens Trophy for the men's side.

During her four years with the team, she helped McMurry to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, helped McMurry win its first outright ASC West Division title in 2006 - as well as the ASC Tournament champs that year, and Wednesday McMurry got its first NCAA Tournament win since 2000 thanks to Richardson’s 30 points.

No one can know how long Richardson’s record will stand at both the conference and school levels. However, Richardson is the No. 1 scorer in school history by 733 points (Kristi Risinger – No. 2 with 1,433), the No. 1 rebounder at McMurry by 328 boards, and the No. 1 school shot blocker by 225 blocks.

It’s safe to say that future players at McMurry will have a tough time catching Richardson’s numbers and it would be tough to imagine a more well-rounded player and individual.

“I think [her award] is the highlight of my time as athletic director,” said McMurry athletic director Bill Libby. “It helps people on the campus to see the role of the student athlete in Division III. She is a fantastic player with national recognition, but she also has received recognition both on and off campus for her grades all while doing community service at her church and for other organizations.”

In addition to the trophy, the Salem Rotary Club will award a $1,000 scholarship to McMurry through its Wooldridge Scholarship Fund.

As for the trophy itself, the Jostens Trophy sits two-feet tall, weighs 64 pounds and features an eight-inch crystal basketball. Richardson’s only problem won’t be getting help to carry it in her Fort Worth home, but said she’s not sure where she’ll put it.

“My room in Fort Worth?” said Richardson about the placement of the large trophy. “I don’t know where I’d put it, I haven’t really thought about it.”