Kenedy Schoonveld lends a hand, whether she is on the basketball court or working within her community. She is passionate about and excels at assisting others.
The decorated Hope College guard and NCAA Division III national champion is adding another accolade to her exceptional resume.
The fifth-year senior and social work major is the 2022 women’s recipient of the Jostens Trophy given to the the most outstanding women’s and men’s Division III basketball players of the year.
Schoonveld said that she is honored to be chosen the 2022 Jostens Trophy recipient from among 11 finalists.
“I want to congratulate all of the other finalists, who I know are outstanding people and athletes, and who were all very deserving of this award,” Schoonveld said. “I am so thankful to my coaches, teammates, family, and friends who have all pushed me to be the best person and player that I can be. I could not have done this without them.”
In addition to the Jostens 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 Salem, Virginia, Rotarian and the retired commissioner that founded the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, for his long-time dedication to Division III athletics.
Schoonveld is Hope’s second Jostens Trophy recipient, joining 2017 men’s honoree Harrison Blackledge.
The 2021-22 season marks the 24th time that Jostens Trophy honors have been awarded. 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.
A 27-person national selection committee composed of men and women from across the country chose the winners. The committee features current and former athletic administrators and head coaches, past Jostens Trophy recipients, and select members of the Division III media. The members of the national selection committee cast their votes based on three criteria: basketball ability, academic prowess, and community service.
Head coach Brian Morehouse called Schoonveld the best player he’s ever coached. Her impact extends well beyond the court, Morehouse added.
“The real beauty to Kenedy lies in her work off the court, serving the at-risk population through her work with local social work organizations, her work with students with special needs, as well as serving for a summer in Africa at an orphanage,” Morehouse said.
This season, Schoonveld helped the Flying Dutch post a 32-1 overall record and claim their third Division III national championship. Hope defeated Wisconsin-Whitewater, 71-58, in Saturday’s title game at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Prior to the game, Schoonveld was named the D3hoops.com Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. On Tuesday, she was named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year.
In all, Schoonveld has earned All-America honors three times apiece from D3hoops and the WBCA. She also is a three-time Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Women’s Basketball MVP and a five-time All-MIAA Women’s Basketball First Team selection.
During her career, Schoonveld and the Flying Dutch went 130-8 over five seasons, including 77-1 over the past three. Hope finished both the 2019-20 and the 2020-21 seasons undefeated and ranked No. 1 after the NCAA Tournaments were canceled in consecutive seasons. The NCAA granted student-athletes an additional year of athletic eligibility due to the pandemic.
Schoonveld ended her career as the Flying Dutch’s second-leading scorer with 1,479 points. She never missed a game, starting all of her team-record 138 games. In the classroom, she already has made the MIAA Academic Honor Roll four times.
After graduating from Hope, Schoonveld will attend graduate school for social work at Baylor University.