Joseph Cook '17 Recruiting Profile

My name is Joseph Michael Cook and I am currently a senior at Nash Central High School in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.  I play golf on our high school golf team where I have been unanimously voted captain for the past two years.  I also play in a variety of tournaments outside our high school.  Although golf is my passion I do think grades are of the utmost importance.  I take golf and my grades very seriously.  

My freshman year I had surgery on my right leg due to it being two inches shorter than my left leg which caused my spine to be curved.  I had my surgery at Duke University where they broke my right leg and attached a halo frame around my leg with two pins going all the way through my leg and five screws screwed into my bone.  I was unable to play my first match of the season because my doctor had not released me to play so this required me to play in the rest of the matches to even have a chance at regionals.  My first golf match of the season after not swinging the golf club for three months and barely walking for three months I shot a 90.  Not too bad considering I had a broken leg, a cane, and a push cart.  My team did not make it to regionals but I qualified as the number one individual in our conference to go to regionals.  At regionals I placed exactly in the middle of the field.  Not being able to play at my full potential my freshman year encourages me to do my best in every aspect of the game now.

I train with my swing coach roughly three to five times a month and attend golf practice every day and practice a lot on the weekends.  I know that golf alone will not get me into college but my grades will.  It is very difficult to maintain high grades whilst playing a very time consuming sport, but I am willing to study all night if I must to do my best on the test.  I want to attend a college that is great in both academics and athletics.

I am currently the Fellowship of Christian Athletes vice president, my savior Jesus Christ is a huge part of my life.  I use the talents he has given me to my fullest potential.  I am a member of the golf team, show choir, cross country team, quiz bowl team, and Ive been taking piano lessons for three years.  I am also a Hartwell Scholar at Duke University, in National Honors Society, and I received the Nash Rocky Mount Outstanding Student Award.  My main goal ever sense I was a young child was to attend a great college and play college golf.  I know the only way I can achieve these goals are through hard work and dedication so Im going to give it everything Ive got to make it happen.