Ivanyo Named 2025 Jostens Trophy Winner

Anderson University men's basketball senior Tate Ivanyo has been named as the 2025 men's basketball Jostens Trophy Winner, as announced by the Rotary Club of Salem, Virginia, on Wednesday afternoon.

This season marks the 27th edition of the Jostens Trophy, presented annually by the Rotary Club of Salem, Va. The Jostens Trophy is designed to recognize the most outstanding men's and women's Division III basketball players of the year. The awards focus on three major criteria: basketball ability, academic prowess, and service to one's surrounding communities. The Jostens Trophy models the Rotary International motto of "Service Above Self" by recognizing those who truly fit the ideal of a well-rounded Division III student-athlete.

"I could not be more excited to see Tate win the Jostens Trophy," Head Coach Carter Collins said. "Tate and I have been talking about this since his sophomore year, and it is awesome to see it come to fruition. At the same time, it's not the least bit surprising - when I wrote Tate's letter of recommendation for the award, I ended with, 'This is my 12th season as a member of a Division Three program, and I can say with absolute certainty that there is nobody in the country more deserving of the Jostens Trophy than Tate Ivanyo. At most, he may have an equal, but I'd be surprised even by that. I cannot overstate how closely the description of the Jostens Trophy aligns with the Tate I have come to know over the last four years.'"

In addition to the Trophy, the Wooldridge Scholarship, a $1,000 donation, will be presented in the names of the winners to their institutions. The scholarship is named after Dan Wooldridge, a former Salem Rotarian and the first commissioner that founded the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), for his long-time dedication to Division III athletics.

The winners were chosen by a 30-person national selection committee composed of men and women from across the country. The committee features current and former athletic administrators and head coaches, past Jostens Trophy recipients, select members of the Division III media, and one ballot determined by fan voting on D3hoops.com.

Ivanyo, a native of Valparaiso, Indiana., has received numerous postseason awards over the past week-plus following an outstanding senior season for the Ravens. He has twice been honored as an All-American this year, earning First Team All-American distinction from the National Associate of Basketball Coaches (NABC) -- he was a Second Team choice in 2022-23 -- and Fifth Team All-American laurels from D3hoops.com. The three-time All-HCAC First Team honoree is two-time recipient of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year awards, pairing this season's honor with his 2022-23 recognition.

The NABC further recognized Ivanyo as the District 8 Player of the Year, highlighting six total all-region/district plaudits from the NABC and D3hoops.com. Ivanyo closed his career by participating in the NABC All-Star Game at the finals site in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This season, he averaged 20.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game to go with 69 assists and 52 steals. He will graduate as the school-record holder in career three-pointers made (255) and attempted (635), while his 1,755 points are third in school history and first in Anderson's Division III era. He went 258-of-301 from foul line, making his .857 career free throw shooting percentage fourth in AU history.

In the classroom, Ivanyo as much if not more than on the basketball court, boasting a 3.99 grade point average as a biology major. A member of the Anderson Honors Program, Ivanyo has received a perfect "A" in 30-of-31 courses completed. He has already accepted a spot in Marian University's Tom and Julie Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine for next academic year, marking acceptance at one of the top medical schools in the Midwest. 

As is customary with Jostens Trophy winners, Ivanyo's civic and leadership engagements are numerous. He has volunteered at multiple Special Olympics events including bowling, bocce, and outside of the athletic arena at trivia events. He has also been a volunteer at local food drives, but also in aiding the AU basketball team with a trip to the Dominican Republic. He spends time over the summer helping youth players develop their basketball skills in practice and camp settings. Invanyo is a three-time captain of the Ravens' basketball team. He serves as a team representative on the Anderson Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and has attended a leadership conference with SAAC. He is treasurer of the pre-professional health society.

"I am extremely grateful and honored to have been selected for this award," Ivanyo said. "I want to thank God for putting me in this position and surrounding me with amazing people that have allowed me to be successful and grow. I am thankful for my coaches, teammates and professors for always believing in me and pushing me to be the best version of myself. I also want to thank my friends, family and girlfriend for always being there for me and supporting me throughout my life."

Tate Ivanyo (Senior; 6-4 Wing; Valparaiso, Ind./Morgan Twp.)

• Two-time NABC All-American (First Team: 2024-25; Second Team: 2022-23)
• NABC District 8 Player of the Year (2024-25)
• Josten's Trophy Finalist (2024-25)
• D3hoops.com Fifth-Team All-American (2024-25)
• NABC NCAA D-III All-Star (2024-25)
• Three-time NABC All-Region Selection (First Team: 2024-25, 2022-23; Second Team: 2023-24)
• Three-time D3hoops.com All-Region Selection (First Team: 2024-25, 2022-23; Third Team: 2023-24)
• Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Player of the Year (2024-25, 2022-23)
• Unanimous First-Team All-HCAC Selection (2024-25)
• First-Team All-HCAC (2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23)
• HCAC All-Tournament Team (2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23)
• HCAC Tournament MVP (2023-24, 2022-23)
• Two-time HCAC Athlete of the Week recipient in 2024-25 season (Earned player of the week three times in career)
• Named to D3hoops.com Team of the Week during 2024-25 season
• 20.5 Points Per Game (47th in nation, 3rd in HCAC)
• .889 Free-Throw Percentage (104-of-117) (19th in nation, 2nd in HCAC)
• 2.89 3-Pointers Made Per Game (33rd in nation, 3rd in HCAC)
• .395 3-Point Field-Goal Percentage (81-of-205) (40th in nation, 2nd in HCAC)
• 1.9 Steals Per Game (4th in HCAC)
• .468 Field-Goal Percentage (195-of-417) (7th in HCAC)
• 2.5 Assists Per Game (10th in HCAC)
• 1,755 Career Points (3rd in School History, 1st in Anderson D-III Era)
• 255 Career 3-Pointers Made (School Record)
• .857 Career Free-Throw Percentage (258-of-301) (4th in School History)
• 621 Career Field Goals Made (T-7 in School History)
• 141 Career Steals (9th in School History)
• 16.6 Points Per Game in Career (9th in School History)
• .402 Career 3-Point Field-Goal Percentage (255-of-635) (10th in School History)
• 635 Career 3-Pointers Attempted (School Record)
• 106 Career Games Started (2nd in School History)
• 1,286 Career Field Goals Attempted (8th in School History)
• 81 3-Pointers Made in 2024-25 Season (T-2 in School History)
• .889 Free-Throw Percentage (104-of-117) in 2024-25 Season (4th in School History)
• 205 3-Pointers Attempted in 2024-25 Season (2nd in School History)