March 11, 2009

MIT's Jimmy Bartolotta Captures Prestigious Jostens Trophy

SALEM, Va.- MIT senior guard Jimmy Bartolotta added more hardware to the most decorated basketball season in Institute lore as he was selected as the 2009 recipient of the highly coveted Jostens Trophy. The annual award recognizes outstanding student-athletes in NCAA Division III basketball for excellence in the classroom, on the playing court and in the community.

The winners are chosen by a national selection committee that consists of college coaches, former athletes, college administrators and selected members of the media. The members of the national selection committee cast their votes based on three criteria: basketball ability, academic prowess and community service.

The awards presentation for the Jostens Trophy is set for March 19 held in conjunction with the Salem Rotary Club's weekly meeting at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia.

"As a member of the MIT men's basketball team, Jimmy's athletic skill has made him a leader, but his leadership extends past the court and into his daily life," said MIT Director of Athletics Julie Soriero. "He is a consummate competitor; hardworking, persevering, and measuring success in terms of effort and dedication. By serving as an example, he engenders the respect of his teammates, coaches, and all those around him."

A native of Littleton, Colo. and a graduate of Heritage High school, Bartolotta has been a dominant force on the Engineers' basketball team for the past four years, where he averaged 20.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game throughout his career.

Bartolotta finished his extraordinary career with 2,279 points, 688 rebounds, 331 assists, 184 steals and 100 blocked shots. This year he averaged 27.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per outing. He is the first 2,000-point scorer in MIT history, while currently ranking second in the nation in scoring.

At the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament last weekend in Rhode Island, Bartolotta dropped 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a first-round, overtime upset of No. 17 Rhode Island College followed by another 27-point outing in a 67-61 second round loss to Farmingdale State.

A recipient of many athletic awards over the years, Bartolotta has been selected as a first-team member of the NEWMAC All-Conference team three times, including being named the 2008-09 Player of the Year. He was also tabbed as a 2009 D3hoops.com and Sporting News Preseason All-American.

In the classroom, Bartolotta carries a 4.6 out of 5.0 grade point average while double majoring in management science and physics. He has extensive experience as a research analyst and consultant for the MIT Sloan School of Management and has been selected to the NEWMAC Academic All-Conference team on three occasions. This year, he was also named CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America of the Year.

Bartolotta has also been heavily involved in community service work while at MIT. He has volunteered at Cambridge Community Charter School where he mentors middle school children, has taught classes at a Summer Enrichment Program and organized and coached a tee-ball team in his community.

The Josten's Trophy is a joint creation of Jostens, Inc., of Minneapolis, Minn., and the Rotary Club of Salem, Va. The purpose of the award is to honor the true Division III student-athlete - the athlete that shows excellence in the classroom, on the playing floor and in the community. In addition to the Trophy, the Wooldridge Scholarship, a $1,000 donation, will be presented in the name of the winner to his/her institution. The scholarship was named after Dan Wooldridge, a Salem Rotarian and retired Commissioner of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, as a way of honoring him for his long-time dedication to Division III athletics.

Bartolotta's selection as this year's Jostens Trophy recipient is also great news for the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). In 2007, WPI's Ryan Cain captured the prestigious honor, giving the conference two of the last three men's awardees.