OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Evergreen State College is proud to highlight former Geoduck student-athletes Anna Cook from women's basketball and Jayden Upshaw from men's basketball. Cook played for the Geoducks from 2018-20, while Upshaw competed from 2022-24.

Cook arrived at Evergreen in the fall of 2018 after transferring from Quest University in Canada. She received the PACWEST Academic Excellence Award at Quest in 2017-18. She graduated from La Conner High School in La Conner, Washington.

As a Geoduck, Cook played forward and competed in a total of 47 games with 44 starts in two seasons. She earned 475 points in her Evergreen career while averaging 10.1 points per game. She also compiled 271 rebounds, 82 assists, 60 steals, 45 three-point baskets, and 32 blocked shots.

Cook averaged 11.7 points per game in 2019-20 and averaged 5.8 rebounds per game both seasons. She scored a career-high 23 points at Northwest University on Feb. 18, 2020. She grabbed a career-best 12 rebounds versus Northwest on Feb. 5, 2019.

"Being a Geoduck, I learned what it means to 'dig deep.'" Cook said. "From practices every day, to competing in tough conference games in one of the longest seasons for collegiate sports, it took a lot being a student-athlete."

Even so, Cook found solace and happiness at Evergreen. She felt welcomed by her new college and team.

"Growing up Native, I was usually the only Native on my team or in the classroom and I am grateful for Evergreen because while studying there I wasn't alone. I had my first ever Native professors and had multiple other Native women on my basketball team."

According to Cook, she learned a lot while playing for the Geoducks and grew as a player and a person.

"It was a time in my life where I was able to strengthen my leadership abilities and sense of confidence, and be a team player," Cook commented. "I am grateful for my teammates and coaches. They are memories I will hold with me forever and I still share to this day as I continue coaching and playing the sport that helped me create a foundation for who I am. Go Geoducks and dig deep!"

Upshaw, from Silverdale, Washington, transferred to Evergreen from Olympic College in the fall of 2022. He previously competed at Central Kitsap High School.

In two seasons as a guard with the Geoducks, Upshaw scored 556 points, averaged 11.1 points per game, and hauled down 183 rebounds. He also registered 140 assists, 58 three-point baskets, 41 steals, and four blocked shots.

Upshaw put in a career-high 33 points at the Costantino Recreation Center against Eastern Oregon University on Feb. 17, 2024. He earned 24 points against Warner Pacific University on Jan. 13, 2024. In addition, Upshaw grabbed a career-high eight rebounds versus Multnomah on Jan. 12, 2024 and against Corban on Dec. 31, 2022.

He averaged 11.4 points per game in 2022-23 and earned 1.9 points per contest in 2023-24. He recorded 100 rebounds and earned 89 assists in 2023-24.

"Our games against NCAA Division I schools were amazing, traveling to the University of Idaho and to Portland State University," Upshaw recalled. "We also travelled to Eastern Oregon University to watch our volleyball team play in the playoffs in La Grande.

 "My favorite part of playing for Evergreen was the fact that all these other schools could have dozens of sponsors and all this money for travelling and gear to support the team, whereas we have a couple (of sponsors) and travel in vans and buses to our games … being able to compete with these teams was amazing," Upshaw noted. "We competed just as hard as other teams with way less, and it was the true love of the game that drove all of us!"