ANDERSON, S.C. – After earning Female and Male Athlete of the Year honors at the AU Athletics' A Night at The AUSCARS last week, seniors Jennifer Monroe and Steven Cooper were named to the Anderson Federal Credit Union Gold Standard for their outstanding performances during their respective 2015-16 seasons.
Monroe, a 5-foot-11 forward, helped lead the Trojans to the second round of the NCAA Southeast Region Tournament and a 23-7 overall mark on the season. During the season, AU was ranked as high as 11th in the nation and posted its third 20-win season and third South Atlantic Conference regular-season conference championship in the last four years.
A native of Clemson, S.C., Monroe finished fifth in the Anderson record books with 281 offensive rebounds and tied for eighth in total career rebounds (625), while tying for 10th in defensive rebounds with 345. She earned First-Team All-NCAA Southeast Region honors after being named SAC Player of the Year, while also garnering First Team All-SAC honors. Monroe also captured SAC All-Tournament Team accolades.
She started all 30 games last season and was named SAC Player of the Week twice during the year.
Cooper was a two-time All-South Atlantic Conference first baseman, a two-time team MVP and ranks in the top five in school history in five statistical categories.
Cooper currently paces the nation and led the South Atlantic Conference with a school record 53 walks this past season and also leads all of NCAA D-II by averaging more than a walk a game. He is 11th in the nation with 22 doubles and reached base safely in 37 of his last 40 games, while ranking sixth in the NCAA with a .542 on-base percentage.
The Williamston, S.C., native wrapped up the 2016 campaign ranked in the top-25 in the South Atlantic Conference in on-base percentage, walks, doubles, slugging percentage, batting average, runs batted in, sacrifice flies, runs scored, total bases, home runs and hits. He finished his senior season by leading the team with 21 multiple hit games, 16 multiple RBI games and reached base safely in 22 straight games during the season, while also recording a 10-game hitting streak.
Each month, one male and one female student-athlete or teams are honored as the Anderson Federal Credit Union Gold Standard Performers of the Month for his or her performance in competition, in the classroom, or in the community.
