Dean, Cooper named Applebee's Student-Athletes of the Month for October

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum College volleyball libero Caitlyn Dean and cross country runner David Cooper have been named the Applebee’s Student-Athletes of the Month for October announced College officials Thursday.
 
Dean, a 5-5 junior from Fort Wayne, Ind., averaged 8.36 digs per set to lead the TC volleyball team to a 7-3 record in October, including a four-match winning streak to end the month and move the Pioneers to sole possession of second place in the South Atlantic Conference.

The two-time All-America standout established a pair of school records during the month.  In last Saturday’s 3-1 win at Anderson, Dean set a four-set record with her 47 digs against the Trojans.  During the match, she also became the program’s all-time leader in total digs.  She posted 326 digs during the month, giving her national leading 662 on the season.  Her career dig tally now currently stands at 2,191, which are the most in TC history and third-most in SAC history.
 
During the month, the Northrop High School graduate posted 22 or more digs in every match, including five with 30 ore more and two with 40-plus digs.  She is averaging 7.70 digs per set, which leads all three NCAA divisions.

The Tusculum volleyball team (17-6, 11-4 SAC) is ranked fourth in the latest NCAA Division II Southeast Region poll.

Cooper, a 5-7, 135-pound sophomore from Greeneville, Tenn., became only the third male runner in program history to earn All-SAC First Team honors as he finished fourth at the 2012 South Atlantic Conference Championship, held this year on the Tusculum campus.  He posted an 8,000-meter time of 27:11.3 as the Pioneers finished seventh in the team championship.

The Chuckey-Doak High School alum opened the month by winning the Maryville Invitational with his 8K time of 27:29.  It was his second individual title of the season and third of his young TC career, tying him for second all-time in career victories.

Cooper has finished fourth or better in his last five meets, including first place at the Warren Wilson Invitational, runner-up honors at the Carson-Newman Challenge and a fourth-place finish at The Citadel Invitational.

The Tusculum College Student-Athlete of the Month Award is sponsored by Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar of Greeneville.  The Applebee’s Student-Athlete of the Month Award honors one male and one female student-athlete each month from an in-season sport during the 2012-2013 academic year, recognizing their hard work, effort and performance.

- TC -

2012-2013 Applebee’s Student-Athletes of the Month
Month            Male Athlete of the Month          Female Athlete of the Month
September 2012   Xzanvion Smith (Football)          Tramicka James (Women’s Soccer)
October 2012     David Cooper (Men’s Cross Country) Caitlyn Dean (Volleyball)