Great finish for senior Mead runner
If there were a relay that started in Spokane and finished in Iraq, Mead senior Taylor Cook would surely be running it.
You see, Cook – whose father has been deployed in the Middle East since February – is a young woman who can do pretty much everything around a track. But her greatest success this season came last weekend at the State 4A championship meet in Pasco, where she ran on all three Panther medal-winning relay teams, including a victory in the 1,600.
Those points contributed to a second-place team finish for Mead, which also had two individual championships, from Nikki Codd in the 800-meter run and Ashley Hutchinson in the shot put. Codd also was runner-up in the 1,600 meters.
Veteran Mead coach Dori Robertson marvels at Cook’s focus.
“I thought when her dad left, that Taylor might understandably be distracted,” she said. “She talks about her dad often, but once she’s on the track, she’s got her own mission, and she just goes out and does what she needs to do.
“Taylor moved to Mead from Virginia as a sophomore,” Robertson continued, “and it was easy to see how talented she was. But she made a huge jump this year, especially as a leader in our relays. She also had PRs this season in pretty much every event she does, which at different times has been almost all of them. She’s just done whatever we’ve needed her to do for the good of the team.”
“It’s hard for my dad being so far away and not being here for my best season or for my graduation,” Cook said. “But he’s my No. 1 fan, and he checks in all the time to see how I’m doing. In fact, I just sent him some pictures from the state meet. He reads everything that’s online about me, and he’ll call after he sees how I did.
“I think I’m able to focus so well because it’s what he’d want me to do,” she continued. “He’d want the best from me whether he’s here or thousands of miles away. I’d love for him to be here, but he’s doing this for our country and I don’t want to be selfish about that. I think his being away has helped to push me harder, in a way, because I want to do so well.”
Robertson characterizes Cook as an assertive leader, one who knows how to have fun but isn’t shy about calling things the way she sees them.
“She’s definitely not afraid to say what needs to be said,” said her coach. “You always know where you stand with Taylor, and I mean that as a big compliment. She’ll do well in the world.
“Taylor really reached her potential as a leader this year, especially with the younger girls in the relays. She figured out that diplomacy is sometimes the best approach. She really cares about her teammates; she loves them all and takes care of everyone. She’s a very selfless young woman.”
Cook laughed when she heard Robertson’s description.
“I’m very outspoken, sometimes loud and opinionated,” she said. “I’ve learned that sometimes I need to be more of a big sister than a coach with the younger girls, so I did my best to say things nicely. With some of my teammates, I learned to be gentle, and with others I was more direct. The main thing is, they know I care.
“We kid around and we have our serious moments, and that has helped us. We have different personalities, but when we’re together, we laugh and play and are really close. I think that’s what’s made this season the way it’s been.
“It hasn’t hit me yet that I’m a state champion. It was one of the best moments of my life watching Nikki coming down the stretch in the 4 by 4. I was so nervous before the race that I was crying. Our freshmen had to calm me down! I wanted to win that one so badly – I told myself before state that no matter what else happened, if we won the 4 by 4 I’d be totally happy.”
Cook will compete at Spokane Falls next year, where coaches will develop her as a heptathlete for the outdoor season. She’d like eventually to return to Virginia, as a student and hopefully an athlete at Old Dominion University.
But in the meantime, Dad, this one’s for you!