By Alexis Galarza Posted June 8, 2023
Throughout her entire life, Cook has always done sports, all while juggling her academic life as well. Cook has participated in Volleyball, basketball, and softball. For the first year ever, Cook did not do basketball to take her softball career as far as it could.
“My favorite sport is softball,” said Cook.
She enjoys playing sports due to the intense environment it creates.
“I have a super competitive mentality and playing sports feeds into it along with building strong connections with amazing teammates and coaches,” said Cook.
Coach Austin Mayo has coached Cook in softball for the last three years.
“She shows up every day for the most part with a smile on her face,” said Mayo. “She is very dependable and a natural leader on the team.”
Cook’s volleyball coach, Skylar Estes echoed Mayo’s sentiment about Cook’s leadership.
“The way she was able to step into the role of leader on and off the court was amazing to see,” said Estes. “She grew not only as a player but also as a wonderful young lady. She helped to grow Lowry’s volleyball program into one that is filled with hard-working individuals who care deeply about each other on the team, striving for the same goal of winning. Megan will be missed on and off the court but I know she is headed to do great things.“
Cook gives credit to her supportive coaches for her can-do attitude.
“All my coaches have deeply impacted me by making me a better person and forming me into a better person,” said Cook.
Cook fills big shoes both on the field and in the classroom.
“More than just her athletic side of things, Megan achieves and excels at a high level for the student side of things,” said Mayo. “She takes AP classes and is involved with honor society and other things at the school like that, all while maintaining that high academic achievement.”
Cook handles both being a student and an athlete with ease, however, it is quite difficult.
“One of the hardest parts about being a student-athlete is managing your time and making sure you put your academics first while putting in the world on your little spare time,” said Cook. Although it is difficult, Cook loves being a student-athlete.
“One of the best parts of being a student-athlete is getting the recognition of all your hard work specifically in the classroom,” said Cook.
Cook also loves the social aspect of participating in sports, which does not go unnoticed by her coaches.
“It would be hard to choose one best memory because I have built so many amazing friendships within my different sports teams,” said Cook.
Her leadership abilities also transform the environment out on the field.
“She is fairly quiet but she is also not afraid to speak her mind and let somebody know when they need to fix stuff,” said Mayo. “But she’s never going to be uncouth or mean about it, she’s really good at saying things in the right way and making it a positive interaction.”
Cook enjoys being with her team the most and appreciates all their support.
“Throughout the season, when I am struggling, I try to overcome challenges by relying on my team to pick me up,” said Cook.