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The Texas A&M women, coming off of a summer where they produced two Olympians who will return for their junior seasons, have gotten their first public verbal from Meg Cooke. Cooke comes from the Magnolia Aquatic Club and the Woodlands Swim Team in nearby north Houston: only about a 45-minute drive from campus.
Cooke is basically a backstroke specialist, with yards bests of 55.29 and 1:59.98 in the 100 and 200, but that’s exactly what the Aggies need to fill out their lineup. Though most of this team’s strength is concentrated in their amazing junior class (/redshirt sophomores), that class alone isn’t enough to keep them among the top 5/6 teams in the country. They are graduating Tess Simpson this season, who at Big 12’s last year was the backstroker on their 200 medley relay.
That will leaver Paige Miller, who was 7th at NCAA’s last season, as their top sprint backstroker, but if Cooke can come up to speed quickly, she could allow Miller to remain on the butterfly leg, which is probably the Aggies’ best relay over just 200 yards.
Cooke led off the Woodlands High School’s 200 medley relay at the 2011 Texas State Championship meet with a 25.92; she probably needs to get down around a 24-6 or so to have a chance at the A&M medley as a freshman.
Both of her best times in yards are from her sophomore season, with most of her improvements in 2012 coming in long course (1 second in the 100 back, 2 seconds in the 200). She has some potential to contribute as a freestyler as well: she was a 52.22 in the 100 as a 14-year old freshman.