If you ran across Michael Cook in the halls of Kuna High, you probably would think he’s your average freshman, with his short stature, youthful face and soft-spoken polite manner.

You probably wouldn’t guess that he’s a dominant force on the wrestling mat and considered one of the best wrestlers — if not the best — in the state of Idaho in his 103-pound weight class, having amassed a record of 34-1 in just his first year at the high school varsity level.

 

“He’s had lots of mat time growing up,” said Kuna varsity coach Pat Owens. “He has a couple thousand matches under his belt already, and he’s only 14. He’s put in a lot of time training, and he’s spent a lot of time honing his technique. And it helps that he’s a great athlete.”

Owens, himself a two-time Idaho high school state champion and a member of two conference-winning teams at Boise State University, said someone of Cook’s caliber comes along in Idaho only every three or four years, maybe longer.

It might not be surprising, though, if you knew that Michael Cook’s father, Scott Cook, was an All-America wrestler at Utah State University and that his grandfather, Bruce Cook, was a Pac-10 wrestling champion in 1963. “He’s had some great coaches,” Owens said. “Starting with his dad.”

Michael said he's been wrestling since he was 4 years old and has always loved it. He's been involved in the Kuna youth wrestling program, which his father ran for a number of years, and he goes to several freestyle and greco tournaments throughout the year. When asked what sets him apart from other wrestlers, he quickly says, "Dedication to go year-round."

He said he does a lot of running and conditioning in the off-season and does weightlifting during the high school season.

He's always attended Kuna schools and was three-time district champion on the Kuna Middle School team, which last year completed its historic 30th straight district championship.

He was the middle school state runner-up for three years, having lost twice to Riley Connelly, now a freshman at Mt. View H.S. In a sign of Cook's continuing development, though, he defeated Connelly this month in the championship match at Rollie Lane.

"That kind of improvement says volumes," Owens said. "he's really motivated. He takes his losses well. His losses aren't a hindrance for him. He really learns from them."

So far this year, Cook has been named Tiger-Grizz champion, Rollie Lane champion and went undefeated at the Buck's Bags tournament. He also emerged as the champion at this weekend's Red Halverson Invitational in Rupert. Earlier this season, he finished third at the Tri-State Tournament, but Kuna had been only two weeks into the season at that point, Owens said.

Owens said he likes Cook's chances at district and state this year, as he's already seen the toughest competition he's going to see. As for moving up in weight class next year, which is likely, some kids struggle with moving up, but "with a kid of his caliber, I think we will see continued success."

Cook is also a good student, keeping his GPA above 3.5. If anything, biology might be his favorite subject. He has aspirations of maybe becoming a teacher and coach in the future, and he'd like to attend BSU if possible. He said he's been very happy wrestling in Kuna and he likes the varsity program at the high school.

"It's a good program," he said. "They teach great technique and they know how to run practice."

For Owens, Cook is the complete package of talent, desire, technique and family support.

"He happens to have all those components," Owens said. "He has great technique, great conditioning. His family sends him the right massage. He has desire. He's a very self-motivated person and he's very goal-oriented."