“It was the icing on top of the cake that was my college bowling career,” Cook said. “I just can’t believe how fast these last four years went by.”
The Centerville High School graduate was also recognized as an All-American for a second consecutive year.
“It definitely makes me think about how much hard work I’ve put in and how it paid off,” he said.
Cook, 22, started pushing the ball down the lane when he was 3. It wasn’t until he was 12 or 13, however, that he got serious about the game.
“That’s when I first wanted to be good and be competitive,” he said.
While he was a standout at Centerville, he took his game to another level when he suited up with the Blue Knights.
“College bowling pretty much improved every aspect of my game,” Cook said. “My spare shooting, my ability to read lane conditions and make adjustments, my stamina.”
Cook and his Urbana teammates made four consecutive appearances at the Intercollegiate Team Championships, finishing a program-best second in 2014.
“I was very fortunate that I never experienced a season when we didn’t go to nationals,” Cook said. “It was a great run.”
He maintained a 213.9 average in his final season with the Blue Knights and has a personal best high average of 239 in league play. While the collegiate stage of his career has ended, Cook has no intention of hanging up his bowling shoes.
“I’m far from done bowling competitively,” he said. “I enjoy the competitive aspect of bowling, so it’s on to the next chapter for me.”
Cook plans to compete in several tournaments this summer including the Proprietors Cup and the Kentucky Open. He also plans to bowl in the PBA Xtra Frame Kenn-Feld Group Classic in Coldwater in August and, ultimately, obtain his PBA card.
And while his collegiate accomplishments are a point of pride for Cook, there is one thing that would make him even happier — if his younger sister Megan, a bowler at Duquesne, could top them.
“I hope she demolishes everything I’ve done,” Cook said, smiling. “That would be even better.”
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