Path to Renewal: A 1,000 Point Journey

It may have seemed like just another first quarter shot attempt, but by the time Rachel Cockman popped out to the three-point arch against Colorado Mesa University on January 14^th,  she had overcome an ankle injury, the rebuilding of a program, and doubts from the media. She had spent four years becoming a true Mountaineer, and now she was on the brink of accomplishing something that only ten lady mountaineers had ever been able to do: scoring 1,000 points in their collegiate career.

“She’s been one of the most consistent players we’ve had and that’s what makes her great,” coach Adam Jacobson said.

The crowd in Western’s Paul Wright Gym watched with anticipation. “I didn’t know exactly how many points I needed to get to a thousand. I was just more focused on getting a dub,” Cockman said, referring to a win. The Mountaineers were on a three game winning streak. And striving to make the RMAC playoffs for the first time in three years.

Cockman received a pass from junior guard Natalie Jojola, and without hesitation shot over the defender’s head. The ball arched toward the ceiling and elegantly swished through the net. The crowd roared with excitement as the Mountaineer announcer unveiled the milestone. 

Cockman is a six-foot-two center from Cantwell, Alaska. She has long blonde hair, athletic build, and has a shot that’s as pure as her smile. On her right forearm she has a tattoo designed by herself of the Alaskan mountains near the house she grew up in. She is outgoing, friendly, and humorous. 

On a Friday night, a Top O’ World reporter suggested a friendly game of HORSE. After she won without receiving a single letter, she joked, “Are you gonna put in that you lost twice in HORSE?” 

Cockman’s road to coronation as one of the school’s top scorers wasn’t an easy one. The coaching staff  that recruited her to Western left after her freshman year. Her Mountaineer career  seemed like it had to start over. “We basically started from the ground up,” Cockman said.

Western announced Adam Jacobson as the women’s head basketball coach in May 2022. He was previously the women’s head basketball coach at North Dakota State College of Science. During his two seasons at NDSCS, Jacobson posted an overall record of 44-12. 

The first year with Jacobson at the helm, the lady Mountaineers went 6-21; the following year they were 7-20. Both seasons ended without an RMAC playoff appearance. At the end of the 2024 season, the Mountaineers had many team meetings. The players felt like they had to rely on each other more and came up with a slogan that represented that: WE. 

On almost all the lady mountaineers gear the word WE is inscribed. Coach Jacobson says it stands for, “Western Excellence… it encompasses all our standards, expectations, and core values, that we have as a program… and this one word really brought it all together. Every time we break a huddle, we are saying “WE.”

For Cockman it stands for,  “Putting the team first and not having an ego… and being part of something bigger than yourself.”

To uphold their motto sophomore forward Alyssa Eckroth said, “We are big in protecting the culture, positivity in being there for each other… so we worked on ‘basketball stays basketball’ if something goes wrong, we just let it go.”

In addition the Mountaineers set seasonal goals. “We have to be top three in defense for the RMAC… by holding teams under 55 points.” junior forward Chole Daniels said.  

On the night Cockman broke 1,000 points, the team fell short of beating Colorado Mesa. “The celebration wasn’t as fun, we were pissed that we lost and they gave me a cake and were like, ‘Congrats on a thousand,’ and “Doodle” (Natalile Jojola) hit her head and spent the night in the ER,” Cockman said. 

But the new approach seemed to work as the Lady Mountaineers had their best season since 2020-2021.They finished 21-8 and making it to the second round of the RMAC Tournament. The Lady Mountaineers ranked 2nd in defense and 11th in offence in the RMAC conference. 

Coach Jacobson said that one of the notable changes this season was the addition of assistant coaches Lauren Bogle and Tia Williams. “They are a huge piece of why this thing has turned around, they are the two best assistant coaches I’ve ever had. They connect to the players and recruiting, they understand how I work which I really appreciate.”

Coach Lauren Bogle, known as Coach Lo to her team, said she understands how to help the team and coach Jacobson. She not only used to play college ball, but also was the head coach at John Wood Community College for two years and before that the head coach at Lamar Community College. Coach Lo supports the team by offering one-on-one skill development, empathy for the players, and offers great insight for the team.         

“I don’t think we would have even been .500 without Coach Lo… She’s the definition of a badass, she’s very passionate about ball,” Cockman said.

The season left the Mountaineers feeling closer as a team, which they credit with improving their performance on the court. “We can all just chop it up,” says Eckroth, the sophomore forward. “We all like to see each other succeed, [but] nobody cares who has 20 [points] or who has 5.”

Cockman, who was named to the RMAC all academic first team, comprised of the conference’s top players who also have a minimum 3.5 GAP, is now finished with her college career but she may not be done with basketball. She has been invited to a showcase in Florida where she will play in front of European scouts recruiting for pro teams overseas. 

“Honestly, I just want to prove I’m just as good as anybody even though I’m D2… I feel lucky I got the invite. So I just want to go prove I’m just as good as these other girls.” 

Meanwhile, the Lady Mountaineers next season will return with two of their starters Ivey Schmidt and Jayda Maves and have high hopes of continuing their recent success.