RP wrestling

MUSKEGON TWP. - Reeths-Puffer’s Ian Cook is an intense competitor who is focused on winning an individual state wrestling championship and helping his team win a second straight conference title.

But he’s also aware of the entertainment aspect of his sport, and wants to start making a few more crowd-pleasing moves to help keep fans interested.

That’s a whole new perspective for Cook, who has always been a very efficient wrestler who almost always wins - frequently by pin - with very little flash involved.

“In the past I have not done much of anything flashy,” said Cook, a junior and third-year varsity wrestler. “I’ve just been pretty much fine-tuning the basics, but lately I’ve been trying to add a little more style. Against Fruitport the other night I pulled a funk roll. I was in a weird position, my opponent had control, and I just did a little flip to get out of it, and I heard a few whistles and claps.

“Wrestling is not a huge sport right now, but I feel that if we make it a little more entertaining, more people will want to watch.”

R-P's Ian Cook

That may be true, but for fans who are simply impressed by talent and a headstrong pursuit of excellence, Cook is doing just fine. He’s already accomplished more than most wrestlers ever dream of, and he’s not even close to being done.

Cook was an individual state medalist in his first two seasons at the varsity level, which is very hard to do. He is also a three-time city meet champion, a two-time conference champion and a one-time district champ.

He has compiled an amazing 136-12 record with 78 pins since joining the varsity as a ninth grader.

But Cook is not going to stop pushing until all of his goals are checked off, or at least until he believes he’s given it his best shot.

“Satisfaction comes when I feel that I have accomplished everything I set out to do,” he said. “I will feel satisfied when I feel like I’ve wrestled to the best of my ability, and I don’t think I’ve done that yet.”

Cook battles an opponent from Holland.

Cook was successful in high school right away, qualifying for the state finals as a freshman in the 103-pound division n 2022. He did great, finishing third in the state and winning a medal, something most high school wrestlers never do.

But he believes he took a big step backward at last year’s Division 1 state finals at Detroit’s Ford Field.

He entered the tournament ranked third in the state at 120 pounds and expected to at least live up to that billing.

But Cook posted a 3-3 record and finished sixth, which he considered completely unacceptable.

He was stunned and upset when he lost his first match, then felt better when he won his next two matches, including a 3-2 overtime victory.

Cook competing at last year's city tournament. 

The second day of the tournament started well when he won his first match, but then he was pinned by the same opponent who had beaten him the day before. He ended the tournament by losing the fifth-place match.

“I just remember coming off the mat and sitting against the wall after my last match,” Cook said. “My coach sat next to me, and I just asked him, ‘What is going on with me?’ I could not figure it out.

“My goal is not to be sixth place in the state. The ultimate goal is to be at the top of the podium as a state champion.”

It didn’t take Cook long to put his finger on the problem – he simply wasn’t good enough yet, and needed to work even harder and compete against more elite opponents.

So he hit the road last summer, joining his travel team and the elite Team Michigan for a series of very challenging tournaments in several different states, including Indiana, Florida, Virginia and Iowa.

Cook dominates an opponent from Fruitport last week. 

“I improved a lot,” he said about his travels and all the tough competition he faced. “It opened my eyes to a lot of different things. I wrestled guys from a lot of different states. I learned a lot and got tougher.”

So far the experience seems to be paying off, because Cook is off to a terrific 37-1 start this season, with 20 pins.

R-P wrestling coach Jared Fleming said he can see an obvious difference in the way Cook is wrestling this year, and he couldn’t be more impressed.

“He would be the first to tell you that he did not wrestle well at the state tournament last year, and it motivated him a lot going into the offseason,” Fleming said. “I think he got like 40 matches in during the offseason, which is kind of like having an additional high school season.

"He started taking it all a lot more seriously, which is saying something because he was already a real serious wrestler. He really doubled down on everything.

Cook gets ready to finish off an opponent. 

“You can just see the difference this year. He’s much more comfortable on the mat with opponents, no matter who he’s wrestling. His wrestling is smoother and has this flow to it. It’s just a beautiful thing to watch. As a coach, I don’t have to yell my heart out, because he knows what he’s doing.”

While Cook is pleased with his record this season, he knows his single defeat was another warning sign he can't ignore.  It was an 8-2 loss to Grandville’s Josh Vasquez, a friendly rival who has owned Cook so far in their head-to-head matchups.

Cook is 0-6 against Vasquez in his career, including two matches in high school.

“He’s a great wrestler and a friend of mine,” Cook said. “We have trained together in the offseason. I knew before that match that it would be tough. He has already beaten me in the district finals and regional finals. He wrestled well and I didn’t wrestle to my ability.

Cook on the championship podium after winning his third individual city title. 

“I went back and watched the film, and I want that match back! I am looking forward to that chance at districts and regionals.”

Cook is also excited about Saturday’s O-K Green conference tournament, which will determine the league’s championship team. Reeths-Puffer won it by a whisker last year, and Cook very much wants to make it two tiles in a row.

“That’s big,” he said. “In prior years Reeths-Puffer had a long championship streak that ended right before I got to high school. We’ve got to get that streak going again!”