PULLMAN, Wash. – Freshman Emily Cook has started out her career at Washington State University on a high note.

The Portland, Ore. native owns seven individual wins in her first season with the Cougars and set the school record in the 100 back at the Ohio State Invitational in November while competing against several NCAA Top-25 teams.

In just her sixth meet as a Cougar, Cook touched the wall in 53.70, the 11th-fastest time by a freshman in the country and the fastest time by a freshman in the Pac-12 Conference. In the Cougars win over Oregon State, Cook added another milestone, setting the Gibb Pool record in the 100 Back with a time of 54.51.

"Emily Cook has done a great job this year working hard and trying to stay focused on what makes her great" said head coach Tom Jager. "Emily, and all of our freshmen, have adjusted well swimming in the Pac-12 and it's been a lot of fun watching them compete."

Cook started swimming competitively when she was 11 years old after her mother and father – both former collegiate swimmers at Ithaca College in New York – convinced her to try it out. She came to Washington State University looking for a competitive program and that is exactly what the Pac-12 Conference offers. The Pac-12 is full of great swimmers and swimming against them is what drives Cook.

"I'm looking forward to swimming against Olympians at the Pac-12 Championships" Cook said. "I was there last year to watch for a little bit, and it was super cool. Everyone is just cheering and screaming for their teammates, and I'm looking forward to experiencing that on deck."

In such an individual sport, Cook is a team player. Cook is a member of five winning relays, including the 200 and 400 Medley Relays that are ranked No. 31 and No. 36 in the NCAA and sixth and seventh in the Pac-12 Conference, respectively. Despite setting the school record at the Ohio State Invitational early in the season, Cook's favorite meet to date is the Oregon State meet when the Cougars defeated the Beavers 163-74. Everyone on the team swam well in their own races and she was able to watch the seniors swim in their last meet at Gibb Pool.

"I think it's really cool to see when someone does well" Cook said. "You're like, 'I want to do that well.' Or you're happy for them when they do well in a race. When someone does well, they bring that energy towards you and it makes you want to do better."

Cook's success is also seen outside of the pool. The freshman helped her team earn CSCAA Scholar All-America Team Honors for the Fall 2017 semester. Cook was one of two Cougars to earn a perfect 4.00 GPA.

Cook owes a lot of her success to head coach Tom Jager.

"He has helped me with understanding what my goals are" said Cook. "I'll ask him for help with technique, and he's very accommodating and willing to help me with things that I've done in the past. It sets us up for what we've done here. So that's really been helpful thus far."