ROCK HILL, S.C. --- After last weekend's record-setting performance, Tusculum College men's cross country senior David Cooper has been named the South Atlantic Conference AstroTurf Runner of the Week for the week ending October 5.

Cooper, a native of Greeneville, Tennessee, turned-in a new career-best time at the Greater Louisville Classic in Louisville, Kentucky. He ran the 8,000-meter course in 26:02.63, which stands as the fourth-fastest 8k time in Tusculum men's cross country history. Cooper finished seventh in the event which featured competitors from NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, and NJCAA.

It's the third time in Cooper's career that he has been honored as SAC Runner of the Week. He is a three-time All-Southeast Region honoree, and a two-time All-SAC standout. In his four-year career at TC, Cooper has been the Pioneers' top finisher in every event except one. He has won three meets and has recorded eight top-five finishes.

Cooper has also excelled in the classroom as he is a two-time Capital One Academic All-American, and is the reigning SAC Men's Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year. The Chuckey-Doak High School alum has a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade point average while majoring in Biology.

Cooper and the rest of the Pioneer harriers will be back in action this Saturday morning (Oct. 11) in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Royals XC Challenge. The men's race will begin at approximately 11 a.m.