Many Hoya athletes were racking up medals, honors and accolades this summer, and they were not all basketball players. Some of Georgetown’s unheralded stars have been busy making names for themselves in the sports world outside Healy Gates. Here are two to watch in the coming months:
Nick Cook (CAS ‘04), Men’s Golf?On Aug. 5, Cook placed third in the U.S. Amateur Qualifying Tournament in New Canaan, Conn., advancing to the U.S. Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills Golf Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Cook shot a 76 on the North Course and a 75 on the South Course in the two opening rounds of stroke play on August 19 and 20. His combined score of 151 failed to qualify him for Match Play at the Championship.
“To even qualify for that tournament is a major feat,” said Men’s Golf Head Coach Tommy Hunter. “We’re extremely proud of Nick. He’s the first Georgetown player under my [18-year] tenure to qualify for the U.S. Amateurs.”
Hunter points to Cook’s focus and mental strength as his biggest assets. Cook has been named team captain for his junior year, which, according to Hunter, “doesn’t happen very often here.”
“He’s our number one, our go-to guy when times are tough,” Hunter said. “Nick is a sharp, intelligent young man and a very talented golfer.”
Andrew Campbell (SFS ‘06), Co-ed Sailing?Incoming first-year Campbell won the Laser Class at the Volvo Youth Sailing International Sailing Federation World Championships held in Nova Scotia in July. He helped the United States secure a third-place finish, its highest ever. Campbell, who is currently participating in a pre-Olympic regatta in Greece, was the first American sailor since 1991 to win a gold medal in Laser competition.
According to Co-ed Sailing Head Coach Mike Callahan, Campbell plans to participate fully in Georgetown’s 2002-2003 sailing season and then take a year off to train for the 2004 Olympics in Athens before returning to school. “In my opinion, Andrew has the most legitimate shot of any Georgetown athlete of actually making it to the Olympics,” he said.
Campbell’s specialty is the Laser, a single-person boat. “We haven’t really had a really good Laser sailor ever at Georgetown,” Callahan said.
Georgetown graduated five All-Americans and its top six sailors, leaving a major void in the co-ed team. Callahan says Campbell will most likely be among the top three positions by the end of the fall. “Andrew is as motivated a sailor as anyone I’ve ever come into contact with,” he said.
