Coker's Bates Named to Capital One Academic All-American Team

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Coker College men's track & field and cross country runner Dylan Bates has been named to the 2014-15 Capital One Academic All-American Men's Track & Field/Cross Country Team. Bates was selected to the third team in District 3 of Division II.

One of just three South Atlantic Conference runners to be named to the 2015 Capital One Academic All-American team, this is Bates' second national academic award. He was also named to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II All-Academic Cross Country Team.

A Co-Captain of the 2015 Coker Track & Field Squad, Bates notched three top-three finishes on the year. He placed first in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Wingate Invitational and placed second in the event at the Palmetto Classic. He earned honorable mention All-SAC honors with a third-place finish in the steeplechase at the 2015 South Atlantic Conference Track & Field Championship.

Bates, a senior from Scarborough, Ontario, has been named to the Coker College Dean's List every semester and was twice named to the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll. Bates also placed second in the Student Research Competition at the SPLASH Conference in Portland, Oregon during his junior and senior years.

On campus, Bates serves as an academic advisor for his residence hall where he organizes weekly study halls and monthly programs focused on study tips.  He also assists students on campus with computer related issues and has helped with the Coker College K9 5K each of his four years as a Cobra.  Additionally, Bates completed a Dean Commendation Project as he built a 3D printer and learned software to design and print a variety of mathematical 3D surfaces.   A Junior Marshall, Bates conducted research using data mining to analyze GPA and grades to create placement tests.

The president of the Computer Science and Math Club, Bates founded and served as the treasurer of the Astronomy Club.

Dylan graduated in May with honors and a perfect 4.0 GPA, earning degrees in both computer science and mathematics. He is the son of Michael and Barbara Bates.