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Cockrell is a senior from Kennewick, Washington, majoring in secondary education. Her career total is 39-82 playing in both singles and doubles events.
Bengal Chat: Denise Cockrell
By: Joe Williams
Posted: 2/8/06
In this edition of the Bengal Chat, we caught up with Denise Cockrell of the women's tennis team. She is a senior from Kennewick, Washington, majoring in secondary education.
Bengal - Let's start out with some of your favorites. Color?
Cockrell - Blue.
Bengal - Movie?
Cockrell - Old School.
Bengal - Food?
Cockrell - Cheeseburgers.
Bengal - Athlete?
Cockrell - Andre Agassi.
Bengal - Team?
Cockrell - St. Louis Cardinals.
Bengal - Did you play any other sports?
Cockrell - I did track when I was in middle school. I ran the short ones.
Bengal - Do you prefer to play singles or doubles?
Cockrell - I like singles better. In doubles there is more pressure because if I screw up I feel like I'm letting my partner down.
Bengal - I hear that your whole family plays tennis. Can anybody in the family beat you?
Cockrell - No. They could when I was younger but not now.
Bengal - You have teammates from all over the globe. What is it like to be on such an international team?
Cockrell - I like it a lot. You learn about all the different cultures.
Bengal - Do you teach each other different languages?
Cockrell - Yeah. It gives me a chance to test my Spanish knowledge.
Bengal - Did you think about choosing any other schools before you came to ISU?
Cockrell - I was at Portland State and they dropped the program so that's when I decided to transfer here.
Bengal - Are you a morning person?
Cockrell - No.
Bengal - What is in your CD player right now?
Cockrell - Techno music.
Bengal - Do you have any superstitions?
Cockrell - If I wear a certain pair of shoes and I lose then I'll wear a different pair the next time I play.
Bengal - How do you pass the time before a match?
Cockrell - I listen to my techno music. I usually talk to my parents. That motivates me.
Bengal - When you go on the road what is the one thing you can't leave home without?
Cockrell - I bring my books and my CD player. I have to listen to music. I bring magazines too because it's hard to study with 8 girls in the car.
Bengal - What is your most embarrassing moment during a match?
Cockrell - I was going for an overhead and missed it and totally fell. I have two, actually. My opponent hit the ball and broke her string and I still missed it. It was basically a free point for me and I whiffed it. That's pretty bad.
Bengal - What is the last book you read? Schoolwork doesn't count.
Cockrell - I just finished "Memoirs of Geisha."
Bengal - What are you afraid of?
Cockrell - Snakes and talking in front of people for presentations.
Bengal - Do you have any hidden talents?
Cockrell - No.
Bengal - Do you have a nickname?
Cockrell - Decog. It comes from my last name.
Bengal - If you could be reincarnated, what would you come back as?
Cockrell - A puppy. You would get petted and lots of attention. And you could lie around and sleep a lot.
Bengal - Today is Groundhog's Day and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow meaning that there will be six more weeks of winter. Did you see your shadow today and what does that mean?
Cockrell - No I didn't. I'm hoping it means we won't have six more weeks of winter.
Bengal - What are your goals for this season?
Cockrell - I just want to play really well because it's my last year. I want to try to come to the net more. That's what I've been working on.
Bengal - Where will you be in 5 years?
Cockrell - Definitely on the west coast. Probably in Washington or California. Probably Washington because the cost of living is cheaper. Hopefully teaching.
Bengal - What grade do you want to teach?
Cockrell - The sixth grade.
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