Story and Photos by Rusty Ellis
Cookeville senior Rashad Felder took the next step in his athletic and academic career on Friday, as he signed his national letter of intent to run track and field at William Penn University.
It comes on the heels of a junior season that saw Felder fill just about any role head coach Scott Cook asked him to fill. That meant Felder saw time in the 800 meter relay, 4X800, 1600 meter and 3200 meter relays, making him one of Cook’s most versatile athletes.
“He’s a jack of all trades in the middle distance and distance,” Cook said. “Rashad’s a hard worker, and last year, he really started off at one point and you could just see him progressing…he worked his way up to becoming one of our impact guys and one of our point scorers.”
For Felder, the feeling of signing is a rewarding one after all the hard work he’s put in, and his decision was pretty easy.
“It feels good, pretty good,” Felder said. “I’m hoping I can continue (this success) in the future…they gave me a full ride scholarship. It’s different. I’ve talked to the coaches, and I visited over spring break. It’s a nice campus.”
Cook loves the fit, citing Felder’s success both on the field and in the classroom as something that makes it a perfect match.
“I think Rashad embodies the whole student first principle,” Cook said. “I think it’s a fantastic fit…I think a school like that which works on that balanced education and balanced students, I think he’s going to fit right in there perfectly.”
