Porath Named Jostens Trophy Finalist
Senior guard Leah Porath of the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team has been named one of 11 finalists for the 2022 Jostens Trophy that recognizes the most outstanding NCAA Division III player of the year.
The Jostens Trophy, which will be awarded to one men's and one women's player for the 24th time March 24, focuses on three major criteria: basketball ability; academic prowess; and service to one's surrounding communities.
Porath is the program's first player selected as a Jostens Trophy finalist since former Titan Kay Mikolajczak won the prestigious award in 2004. UW-Oshkosh's Rachel Lachecki was also a finalist in 1999.
Joining Porath on the Jostens Trophy list of finalists are Hannah Geistfeld from Bethany Lutheran College (Minn.), Averi Jordan from DeSales University (Pa.), Abbey Lawrence from Case Western Reserve University (Ohio), Shannon McCoy from Kean University (N.J.), Diarra Oden from Johns Hopkins University (Md.), Kenedy Schoonveld from Hope College (Mich.), Elizabeth Singleton from Clarks Summit University (Pa.), Rylee Stafford from Fontbonne University (Mo.), Jenna Taylor from Simpson College (Iowa) and Olivia Weinel from Shenandoah University (Va.).
Porath leads UW-Oshkosh this season with 14.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 46% from the field and 41.2% from 3-point range. Porath has knocked down 35 3-pointers on the year, dished out 42 assists and collected 23 steals to help lead the Titans back to the Division III Championship Sweet 16 for the third consecutive tournament.
A consensus All-American the past two seasons and a two-time Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Porath has scored at least eight points in 70 of her past 71 games played on the way to moving into fifth on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,368 career points. Porath was voted to the All-America Third Team by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and the D3hoops.com Honorable Mention Team in 2020 before being named a 2021 First Team All-American by both the WBCA and D3hoops.com. Porath also earned WIAC Player of the Year honors in 2020 and 2021.
Porath, the 2022 WIAC Judy Kruckman Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, has season highs this season of 28 points against Bethany Lutheran College (Minn.) on Nov. 12 and 13 rebounds versus Carthage College on Dec. 30.
Porath, majoring in both supply chain management and marketing, owns a 3.67 cumulative grade point average while making the UW-Oshkosh Dean's List twice and the school's Honor Roll on seven occasions.
Porath's career totals also include 550 rebounds, 174, assists, 110 made 3-pointers and 97 steals and a .482 field goal percentage.
Off the court Porath has volunteered with the Oshkosh Celebration of Lights and the Fondy Food Pantry in Fond du Lac, and has served internships with Rhino Tool House and Amcor.
Porath and the Titans (21-6), who earned one of 20 at-large berths into the Division III Championship, play Baldwin Wallace University (Ohio) during the third round of the NCAA postseason Friday (March 11) in Whitewater. Baldwin Wallace University (23-4) is ranked 10th in the country by D3hoops.com.