Katy Cooke signs with Tennessee Tech
Katy Cooke (seated) signs her contract to play for Tennessee Tech as her parents, Donna (left) and Harold Cooke, look on.
MARBLE FALLS — Since elementary school, Marble Falls High School point guard Katy Cooke has dreamed of playing Division I-A basketball.
On Wednesday her dream came true.
Cooke made her commitment to Tennessee Tech official by signing on the first day she could at Max Copeland Gym.
“I knew I was going to play some form of college basketball,” she said. “That was a dream of mine. Now it’s here, and it hasn’t hit me yet.”
If anyone understands commitment, it’s Cooke, head coach Stephanie Gamble said.
“She has definitely made an impact on what we do on the basketball court,” she said. “She’s a gift to Marble Falls. She puts in a lot of extra time.”
The point guard said the moment could not have happened without the help and support of many people.
“I’d like to thank my parents (Harold and Donna Cooke) and everyone who supported me,” she said. “A lot of people made this happen, so thank you everyone.”
Cooke played Amateur Athletic Union basketball every summer leading up to her senior year. She also missed proms and other functions to play during the spring once basketball season ended.
“It’s a lot of commitment,” she said. “You always put your whole life on hold and put it to basketball.”
Practicing twice a day with her high school team was not enough, Cooke said. She was known for practicing on her own complete with dribbling drills, running and shooting.
“It’s a lifetime commitment,” she said. “Once you achieve the goal you’ve been working for, it’s a good feeling.”
The most talented and exceptional athletes reach the next level, the guard said.
“If you want to be the best, you can’t be lackadaisical,” she said. “If you look at the past players, they’d say the same thing. You can have the talent and skill, but if you don’t work at it, you’re never going to get it.”
Cooke joins former teammates Kelsey Ansley of the University of New Mexico, Katie Meador of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and Morgan Shell of Southern Methodist University as Division I-A players. Together, they led Marble Falls to the Class 4A state tournament in 2007.
Mustangs athletic director Cord Woerner said it was an honor to have Cooke wear a Marble Falls uniform.
“It’s a very rare privilege that an athlete of that caliber comes through and gets to move on to a Division I school,” he said. “And gets to play big time athletics.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com
Photo by Virgil Belk/Hill Country Sports Images