Memphis golfer Maggie Cook stays focused despite juggling sports, academics

There's something about Maggie Cook.

Whether she’s built different or there's something in the water in Memphis, Texas, there is just something about Maggie that lets her ... well, cook. There doesn't seem to be any other explanation as to how a student-athlete can juggle all of her activities like she does — including girls golf.

"I like to set myself up for success in the future," Cook said.

The senior is taking part in the state golf tournament for the third consecutive year, earning that distinction by winning Region I-2A tournament for the second year in a row just a few weeks ago. She gets golfing done when she's not busy with National Honors Society, working community service or taking part in a regional winning speaking competition.

And that’s not all.

Four years as the school mascot Dusty the Cyclone, which also garnered her an award. All-Star cast in one act play. In the classroom, she did enough to graduate as the valedictorian and will parlay that into enrolling at the University of Texas. Considering she already graduated with an associates degree from Clarendon College, it's really just icing on the cake.

Keeping balance in life

So, how does she manage to get it all done?

“I think that mindset has been instilled in me by both of my parents," Cook said. "They both always tell me to learn from their past. They always talk to me about what they wish they did and everyone tells you what they wish they did in high school. I just decided to listen."

Cook's father is a civil engineer who owns his own wind company, while her mother owns a catering company. The two successful small business owners have taught Maggie and her younger brother Murphy — who wants to work for NASA one day — the value of doing things well.

“Her parents have really put her in a position to do great things," Memphis principal and former golf coach Dick Hutcherson said. "They help her do everything that gets her ready for everything she needs to do. They’re just good people.”

That was evidenced in the choice they presented Maggie in the eighth grade. She'd been golfing since kindergarten and wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to be coached by Matt Monzigo, who also coached her mother at Memphis.

The more important question was how early did Maggie want to start preparing for college. Did she want to go through high school, while also adding studies at Clarendon College for an associates degree?

"It’s a huge decision to make for a 13-year old," Maggie Cook said. "I considered it for a long time because I knew it was going to take up a lot of time on top of my high school classes. It wasn’t dual credit or anything, I had to go to high school all day and then take my college classes on top of that. I did decide to do it and I’m glad that I did because I feel so much more prepared for college now.”

College being UT, where she plans to study graphic design. Her hope is that she'll work for the PGA channel, or creating golf animations in general somewhere in the field. Her résumé in the classroom speaks for itself, but so too does her résumé on the greens.

Solid with the swing

Cook's freshman year was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic, but she advanced to the state tournament her sophomore year before winning the regional the past two. She finished eighth individually at state last year and hopes to finish in the top three this year.

“I really like gold medals," Cook said with a laugh. "I like to taste the gold, I like to win and I figured out how I can win in anything I just apply myself to. I always give my 110%. Even though I am stretched so thin across all of these activities that I’m doing, I want to win so I go as hard as possible on every single thing that I do.”

So, does Cook sleep? About four or five hours a night by her own estimate. She was joking, but Cook added that she does find time to enjoy life outside of her studies and activities.

“Having friends is important to me," Cook said. "Spending time with family is important to me. If anything is important enough to you, you’ll make time for it. That’s something that I’ve learned throughout this entire process. There’s no such thing as ‘I don’t have time.’ You just haven’t made time. I’d say that my time management skills have improved very much from freshman year to now.”

Speaking of time, hers is almost up.

Before giving the valedictorian speech, Cook has a state tournament to compete in that runs Monday and Tuesday at Lions Municipal Golf Course in Austin. Memphis has won state in girls nine times before and Hutcherson noted that the team "will have their work cut out for them" this year. Still, he says the team has the ability and Monzingo always sets the expectation of winning.

Most important, though, Cook is just glad to be out there representing the area and golfing with her friends one last time as she won't be golfing on the team at UT.

“I’m super excited to be representing the Panhandle and the 806 at the state tournament," Cook said. "I’m glad we still have a footing in there. I always like to put Memphis on the map. I’m glad to be a part of that tradition.

"My team has been putting in work since we were in kindergarten. This will be our last time playing together which makes me a little sad, but I’m really excited. We’ve been putting in so much time and work into the season. We’ve been in season since August so I hope we have a grand finale. I’m super confident in our ability and I think that we’ll win it.”

The ballad of Maggie Cook is still being written, but that's where things stand right now. She's got her present right before her and the future mapped out years in advance. She's set herself up for success and she'll likely continue to achieve it.

It does beg the question though, what's she going to do this summer? Whether she wins state or not, she's doing what all champions do.

"I'm going to Disney World."

GIRLS STATE GOLF TOURNAMENT

When: Monday and Tuesday

Where: Class 6A, Legacy Hills Golf Club; Class 5A: White Wing Golf Club; Class 4A Legends Golf Course; Class 3A, Jimmy Clay Golf Course; Class 2A, Lions Municipal Golf Course; Class 1A, Plum Creek Golf Course

Panhandle representatives:

Class 5A: Amarillo High, Kylee Demtro, Christie Jones, Addi Britten, Tyler Held, Charlee Thacker

Class 4A: Canyon, Shaylin Schulte, Hartley Davis, Gracie Sutton, Chloe Stenberg, Lauren Robason; Randall, Kimber Nunn

Class 3A: Childress, Elena Jurado; Bushland, Riley Gerber, Isabelle Fox, Ava Permenter, Anaston Tabor, Logan Culpepper

Class 2A: Olton, Kylee Noack, Memphis, Eliana Gonzales, Katelyn Morris, Braylee Brooks, Kiyonna Matthews, Maggie Cook

Class 1A: Wildorado, Falon Rendon, Makenna Byrd, Abby Albracht, Jaci Allen; Happy, Halee Jo Johnson; Springlake-Earth, Taytum Goodman

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Memphis golfer Maggie Cook stays focused despite juggling sports, academics