ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Tusculum College's David Cooper has been named the 2013 South Atlantic Conference Men's Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year announced league officials Monday.

The SAC Scholar Athlete of the Year Award is a distinction that recognizes excellence in athletics, academics, service and leadership. It is presented to one student-athlete in each of the conference's 18 championship sports and is selected by the league's faculty athletics representatives.

Cooper, a junior from Greeneville, Tenn., becomes the second men's runner in program history to earn this award, joining two-time SAC Scholar Athlete Simon Holzapfel, who earned this honor in 2009 and 2010.

Cooper carries a perfect 4.0 GPA majoring in biology at Tusculum. Last year, he was named to the Capital One Academic All-America® second team as a sophomore. The Chuckey-Doak High School graduate is a three-time member of the Tusculum Dean's List, Tusculum President's List and the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll. He is also a member of the Alpha Chi Honors Society and the Charles Oliver Gray Honors List.

On the course, Cooper is a two-time All-SAC selection earning first team honors in 2012 and finished eighth at this year's championship, garnering second team recognition. In 2011, he named to the SAC All-Freshman Team and is a three-year team captain.

Cooper has been involved in numerous campus and community leadership roles, serving with the Nettie Day of Service, the Greene County YMCA, the TC Athletic Judicial Board and the Greene County Humane Society. He is also the current president of the Pioneer Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and is a past participant of the SAC Student-Athlete Leadership Conference.

Cooper and the Pioneers will be competing at this Saturday's NCAA Division II Southeast Regional in Charlotte, N.C.

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