Cook's dedication leads to medal

DES MOINES - Tipton's Cole Cook is a perfect example of hard work paying dividends.Cook devoted himself to be a state-caliber competitor on the mat and capped his career with a third-palce finish at the Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 1A state wrestling tournament Saturday at Wells Faro Arena.Cook beat West Marshall's Dale Hilleman, 4-3, in his final match as a Tiger wrestler."I'm very happy," Cook said. "I wish it would have been in the finals, but that been how it pans out some times."It brings an end to an impressive journey that began with just six wins as a freshman. Cook never missed a practice during his time under Tigers Coach Matt Nerem. He made steady gains, qualifying for the state tournament last year and joining the Grand March this year."The past four years I've been dedicated to this program and listened to my coach," Cook said. "It paid off my senior year."Cook was focused on his goals the entire time. The seemed lofty to start, but now he has a bronze medal to hang on his bedroom wall."The goal from Day 1 was get to state," Cook said. "I started slow but I came back strong. Each year I got better."The grind of wrestling makes it hard to avoid injuries and illness. Cook has persevered and punched in every day, even when he was limited to working on conditioning at times as a freshman."It's pretty remarkable," Nerem said. "Especially, when he competes at the level he does every day. He's not just going through the motions."Cook finished with a 43-6 mark this season.