Wheeling, W. Va. - For six seasons, Ally Cook has been a member of the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team, helping the team to the first two Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament appearances in the programs history. On Thursday, it was announced that Cook will continue her work with the Athletics Department, being named a Full-Time Athletic Trainer on the Cardinal's medical staff. She will work alongside Wheeling University Head Athletic Trainer Christy Schoolcraft to support all 22 Wheeling University Varsity sports programs. 

"I'm so excited to be stepping into this role as a full-time Athletic Trainer at Wheeling University," said Cook. "It is an amazing opportunity to work in a familiar environment alongside colleagues who have always supported me, while continuing to grow as an autonomous clinician." 

While Cook was starring on the Soccer field, she was also a stand-out student in the university's Athletic Training program. During her studies, she was president of the Athletic Training Club, while also being a member of the Honors Society for Athletic Training. Just this past year, Cook got the opportunity to present at the 2025 West Virginia Athletic Trainer's Association Student Oral presentation where her and fellow Wheeling University Alumnus Bre'ya Clopper presented their work titled, "Lower Extremity Factors and Their Effects on ACL injuries in Female College Athletics". They were one of two presentations to be awarded for their work at the event alongside fellow athletic trainers from across the state of West Virginia. 

Stepping into the role of Full-Time Athletic Trainer, Cook is already familiar with several of the Wheeling University Athletic programs. During her time in the university's athletic training program, she got the chance to work with the Wheeling Football, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Wrestling, Men's Lacrosse, Women's Lacrosse, and Softball team over her six years. Along with her work on campus, Cook has taken her experience to the local community, where she has gotten the chance to work with Wheeling Park High School's football team. After working as a mentor to Cook as a student for the last six years, Schoolcraft is excited to welcome her into the Athletic training family as a full-time colleague. 

"Ally will help us in the prevention, recognition, treatment, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries on campus," said Schoolcraft. "Ally has shown how knowledgeable and caring she is as a student in our program so I'm excited to welcome her on as a full-time staff member." 

 While attending Wheeling University, Cook played as a member of the Wheeling Women's Soccer team, where she played from 2019-2023. She appeared in 30 games for the Cardinals, starting 29, mostly as a defender. She recorded one goal and one assist in her career, totaling three points, while putting seven of the 10 shots she took in her career on net. Cook was a leader on the soccer field for the Cardinals, helping lead the team to their first-ever MEC Tournament appearance during the 2022 season. 

Cook graduated from Wheeling University in May with a bachelor's degree in athletic training as a member of the Athletic Trainer's National Honors Society.