HARTSVILLE, S.C. - The Coker University Athletics Department were once again amongst the leaders in DII in community service hours during the 2022-23 academic year, completing over 6,200 hours of community service and finishing eighth in the DII Helper Helper National Service Hour rankings. These efforts by the nearly 450 student-athletes, coaches and administrators had nearly $192,000 of economic impact in the community.

In total, 11 teams finished in the top-10 in their respective sports, highlighted by women's golf and field hockey having the most hours amongst their DII counterparts. Women's basketball finished second, while women's soccer finished in third. Women's lacrosse finished the year in seventh, while also being named a finalist for the NCAA DII Award of Excellence for their work with the Darlington County Humane Society.

Baseball, men's golf, wrestling and men's soccer all finished in the runner-up spots in their respective sports, while men's track and field finished seventh and men's lacrosse came in the 10th spot, thanks to their continued food recovery program partnership with Sodexo dining services and the Hartsville Soup Kitchen.

"Service is not only one of the characteristics we emphasize in our department's Values of Excellence, but it is key when we discuss building vibrant communities in the Coker University Strategic plan," said Aaron Beebe, Senior Associate Director of Athletics. "We are building a college of leaders and our student-athletes continue to be at the forefront of leading through their service efforts. Whether it was helping with the NASCAR race in September, handing out candy to thousands of children at Treats on the Street or making sure those in need were served a hot meal at the Hartsville Soup Kitchen, Cobras stepped up and supported our local community when called upon and that is #CokerPride at its finest."

This is the first year Coker Athletics has topped the 6,000 community service hour mark and the second-straight year finishing in the top-ten nationally. 

To view the full Helper Helper yearly report, click here