SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior Meredith Cook will attend Occidental College and will play soccer for the Tigers.

“I am very excited, I think it is a great opportunity for me,” said Cook. “I have always enjoyed soccer and I have been playing since I was little. I’m glad I will get to continue playing especially in that environment. It is going to be a good fit for me.”

Cook will play for Colm McFeely, who is also the Assistant Athletic Director. He is in his eighth season directing the program and has been associated with the school since 1992. Before coaching, McFeely was a professional soccer player for many years. His 17-year playing career included around 500 competitive games in his native Ireland, Australia, and Hong Kong. He has won an Irish Division I league championship medal, played in the European Champions’ Cup Competition, and was a Hong Kong All-League selection from 1974-80.

“Coach McFeely is very experienced, loves soccer and talking about the sport,” said Cook. “I will be happy to get some knowledge from him and he seems like a very nice guy as well.”

She is admitted to school under a Diplomatic and World Affairs major and hopes to work in international business and live abroad. She is looking forward to her new campus environment on the Los Angeles campus.

“It is a small, liberal arts school and the campus is spread out on a hill,” said Cook of the campus. “It is a very pretty campus and the academics are very competitive. I was happy to get in and to play soccer is another blessing.”

Cook chose Occidental, a Division III school that plays in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, after evaluating all her options and was excited to list soccer as something she will continue in college.

“I had some choices and after visiting last weekend I thought it was a good fit for me based on the size, academics and the opportunity to play soccer,” said Cook. “Overall, it seemed like the best choice.”

Cook is in her third season on the St. Francis varsity team. She has scored five goals in her varsity career, including two this season, and has 12 goals overall in her four-year career.

Cook and the Troubies begin the second half of Delta League play this week and hope to make a third consecutive trip to the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

 “We have a large team and a very good team,” said Cook. “Overall, we have done pretty well going into the second half of the season. It has been pretty competitive and hopefully we can improve with some wins.”

Cook, who will travel to Italy this summer with the Romo class trip, said she has benefitted from playing against the talented roster that includes five teammates who have signed to play soccer in college next season.

“It is a very inspiring environment and it makes you work hard as well,” said Cook. “There is a lot of competition and everyone is so talented you have to work hard to keep your spot. But everyone is also friendly and it is a nice environment to play in.”

Cook will participate in the St. Francis Signing Day Celebration on Wednesday in the theatre at 9 a.m.