Feb. 28, 2017 OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Kasey Cooper was named as a candidate for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award, Premier Sports Management announced Tuesday. Cooper is one of 30 players up for the annual award and is one of only three players from the SEC in contention.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Cooper has already cemented her name into the Auburn record books midway through her senior season at the hot corner. She is the program's all-time leader in batting average, slugging percentage, RBI and home runs.
The Dothan, Ala. native is a standout in the classroom, maintaining a 3.98 GPA as a mechanical engineering major and has picked up a plethora of awards such as being named an Academic All-American and the 2016 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Cooper has also been involved with more than 15 community service projects since she stepped foot on campus in the fall of 2013. She is personally involved with a non-profit charity that collects and sends service men and women non-perishable hygiene products.
The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later in the season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2017 Women's College World Series.