Greenville, S.C. – Furman women's golfer Anna Morgan was voted the 2022-23 Southern Conference Female Athlete of the Year and men's basketball standout Jalen Slawson was tabbed as the SoCon's 2022-23 Bob Waters Male Athlete of the Year, it was announced on Thursday afternoon by the league office.
 
Morgan, who captured league player of the year honors for the second straight year and became just the third SoCon athlete to win the award twice, gave Furman its fourth consecutive SoCon Female Athlete of the Year award and 12^thin school history. Slawson became the 10^th Paladin to earn the honor on the men's side, following men's cross country/track performer Cameron Ponder, who received the award last year.
 
A two-time Edna Hartness Furman Female Athlete of the Year selection and two-time reigning SoCon Women's Golfer of the Year, Morgan led the league with a 72.43 stroke average over 35 rounds and concluded the season ranked 73rd nationally, the highest ranking among SoCon players. A three-time All-SoCon selection, the senior from Spartanburg, S.C., who led the Paladins to the SoCon Championship and the Lady Paladin Invitational title, won individual medalist honors at the SoCon Championship and the UNF Collegiate and went on to tie for tenth at the NCAA Athens Regional. She tallied four top-10 finishes in 11 events in 2022-23 and competed in her second-straight Augusta National Women's Amateur.  

Morgan, who holds a 3.58 GPA in politics and international affairs, was selected to the CSC Academic All-District Team, WGCA All-America Scholar Team, SoCon Academic All-Conference Team, SoCon Academic Honor Roll, and Furman Dean's List. She was inducted into the Lambda Pi Eta honor society for communications and is a member of Furman's Kappa Delta sorority, where she works with local Girl Scout troops and helped raise money for Greenville's Julie Valentine Center, a nonprofit organization that provides services to sexual assault and child abuse survivors.

Slawson, a second-round selection of the Sacramento Kings in June's NBA Draft, earned Frank Selvy Furman Male Athlete of the Year honors and SoCon Men's Basketball Player of the Year accolades after averaging 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocked shots per game as a senior this past season. The Summerville, S.C., native and former Pinewood Prep standout propelled Furman to one of its most memorable seasons in school history as Furman posted a program record 28 wins, captured a share of the SoCon regular season title, claimed its first SoCon Tournament crown and NCAA Tournament bid since 1980, and toppled ACC champion Virginia, 68-67, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Slawson, who was named to the Lou Henson Mid-Major All-America squad, finished with 19 points and 10 boards in the Paladins' triumph over No. 4 seed Virginia. The victory marked the Paladins first in the NCAA Tournament since 1974.
 
During his fifth season at Furman, the 6-foot-7 forward earned first team All-Southern Conference honors for the second straight year. He concluded his Furman career ranked 19^th in school history in scoring (1,509 points), ninth in rebounds (839), third in steals (192), third in blocked shots (182), and 12^th in career assists (364). Along with fellow fifth-year senior Mike Bothwell, Slawson established a new Furman standard with 116 career victories.