The Rotary Club of Salem, Virginia, announced Emory University senior guard Ben Pearce as the 2026 Jostens Trophy Award winner on Tuesday, March 24. The award, presented by the Rotary Club of Salem and Jostens, is given each year to the most outstanding Division III men's and women's basketball player.
The Jostens Trophy Committee reviews nominees based on three major criteria: basketball ability, academic prowess, and service to one's surrounding communities. Award winners model the Rotary International motto of "Service Above Self" by recognizing those who truly fit the ideal of a well-rounded Division III student-athlete.
This is the 28th season the Jostens Trophy has been awarded with today marking the first time that an Emory men's basketball player has been the recipient of the prestigious award.
"Ben continues to inspire people with how he lives his life everyday," explained Jason Zimmerman, head coach for Emory University men's basketball. "I am blessed and proud to be able to interact and coach Ben every day. He is a tremendous ambassador for Emory Basketball and Emory University."
The Tuckahoe, New York native has put together a senior season for the ages as he has lifted Emory men's basketball to its greatest heights in program history. Behind Pearce, the Eagles have established a new program record with 27 wins on the strength of two separate 13-game winning streaks and captured the University Athletic Association championship for the first time since 2022 earlier this spring.
In addition to his Jostens Trophy win on Tuesday, Pearce became the first Emory Eagle to be honored with the label of D3hoops.com National Player of the Year and is the second player in team history to be chosen as a D3hoops.com First Team All-American. Furthermore, Pearce was a Second Team All-America nod by the NABC, the UAA Player of the Year as well as the first Emory Eagle to be a four-time All-UAA First Team selection. He is also currently a finalist for both the Bevo Francis and Trevor Hudgins Awards by Small College Basketball.
The season Pearce is a six-time UAA Athlete of the Week, most recently being chosen after powering the Eagles to their first-ever national championship appearance as he averaged 21.0 PPG in two games at Fort Wayne and drained perhaps the biggest shot in Emory history with his game-winning three-pointer with 1.4 seconds left to defeat Illinois Wesleyan in the Elite Eight.
In the classroom, Pearce maintains a 3.50 grade point average as a strategy & marketing consulting and sociology double-major. He has been recognized on the University Athletic Association (UAA) Winter Academic Team. A research assistant for the Emory's Department of Sociology, Pearce has completed three internships with TNT Sports Productions, Freelance Consulting, and Cast Iron Media.
Pearce is the founder and President of Emory Sports Business Association (ESBA), which was developed to create a community of students who are interested in the sports business landscape. Through this venture, Pearce led planning efforts for Emory's inaugural Atlanta Sports Business Conference, which featured 250+ attendees. He also founded a basketball skills camp using NIL in his hometown.
An Eagles' men's basketball captain, Pearce was a Strategy Student Consultant for United Health Group, attended the 2024 NIL summit, served as a panelist for the 2025 Black Student-Athlete Summit, and attended the 2024 Black Sports Business Symposium. Pearce was also named an Arthur Blank 100 Scholar.
The greatest honor of all could still be coming for Pearce as he and his teammates will play for the Division III title next month. They square off with the University of Mary Washington on Sunday, April 5, at 4:30 pm ET in Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
