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EIGHT NEWS AT TEN ALGONA AUDI CROOKS IS OFF TO A STRONG START AT IOWA STATE. THE CYCLONE FRESHMAN CENTER IS QUICKLY BECOMING ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE BIG 12 CONFERENCE. HER DESIRE TO BE GREAT IS MATCHED ONLY BY THE HARD WORK SHE PUTS IN TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS. BUT SHE’S NOT ALONE IN HER QUEST. THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE ALWAYS WATCHING OUT FOR HER. IT’S THE CYCLONES FINAL GAME OF JANUARY, AND ISU’S NUMBER 55 IS ONCE AGAIN PUTTING ON A SHOW THOUSANDS WATCH AS SHE CONTINUES BUILDING HER OWN LEGACY WHILE ADDING TO ONE TWO. MY DAD WAS NUMBER 55. MY MOM WAS NUMBER 55. AND AS I STARTED TO EMERGE IN JUNIOR HIGH IN HIGH SCHOOL, THEY ASKED, WHAT NUMBER DO YOU WANT? IT WAS AN EASY ANSWER FOR ME. 55 MOM IS NOW MICHELLE COOK, ALWAYS IN THE CROWD. I LOVE GOING TO ALL THE GAMES. ONE OF AUDI’S BIGGEST FANS. BUT AS MICHELLE VITZTHUM, I COULD HOLD MY OWN. SHE’S THE NUMBER 55 PICTURED HERE, PART OF BISHOP GARRIGAN’S 2001 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM. JUST LIKE AUDI, I WAS SURROUNDED BY OTHER GOOD PLAYERS AND I WAS ONE OF THE TALLER ONES AS WELL. I HAD GOOD COACHES, MODEST, BUT ALSO SINGLED OUT ON THE SCHOOL’S RECORD BOARD FOR CAREER FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE UNTIL IT’S UPDATED BECAUSE THE CURRENT DOUBLE NICKELS KNOCKED HER OFF, SHE OBVIOUSLY CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE OF OUR OF OUR RECORD BOARD HERE AT GARRIGAN. BRANDON SCHWAB COACHED IOWA’S REIGNING MISS BASKETBALL TO TWO HIGH SCHOOL STATE TITLES. COACH SCHWAB HELPED ME, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT HIGH SCHOOL. AND HE WAS THERE. HE WAS SOMEBODY THAT I KNEW I COULD TALK TO AND RELY ON. HE’S BECOME A FIXTURE IN THE STANDS AT CYCLONE GAMES, CHEERING ON ADDIE AS A FIRST TIME SEASON TICKET HOLDER, I CONSIDER HER A FRIEND OF MINE WHO LOVES WATCHING. NUMBER 55 CONTINUE TO DOMINATE. I WANT TO SEE HER DO AS WELL IN COLLEGE AS SHE DID IN HIGH SCHOOL. YOU KNOW, SHE’S TURNING INTO A FACE OF IOWA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FOR THE STATE. WALK AROUND HER OLD HIGH SCHOOL IN ADDIE’S FACE IS TOUGH TO MISS, AND IN THE LOCKER ROOM, HER FORMER TEAMMATES FONDLY REMEMBER THE PAST. THIS WAS ALWAYS AUDI’S LOCKER BECAUSE SHE HAD THE OUTLET SHE ALWAYS PLUGGED THE SPEAKER IN, AND WE WERE ALWAYS BUMPING TO GOOD MUSIC BEFORE GAMES. THEY STILL SUPPORT 55. THE PLAYER, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY AUDI. THEY’RE FRIEND. I CALLED HER FOR ABOUT A HALF HOUR THE OTHER NIGHT. JUST TALK THROUGH STUFF. YOU KNOW. SHE’S A GREAT PERSON. SHE’S SHE’S MORE THAN A BASKETBALL PLAYER. SHE’S A GREAT FRIEND. AND THAT NUMBER THAT BOTH MOM AND AUDI STARTED AT GARRIGAN, A HOT COMMODITY IN TOWN. IT’S IT’S HER AUTHENTIC SIGNATURE. IT’S HER VISION. IT’S HER COLORS THAT SHE LOVES. IT’S ALL FOR SALE IN A STORE CALLED THREADS. WE HAVE NOW SHIPPED ANYWHERE FROM TEXAS TO CALIFORNIA ALL OVER. UM, THE MORE SHE PLAYS, THE MORE PEOPLE JUST FALL IN LOVE WITH HER OWNER, TRICIA GEARY WORKED WITH THE MOTHER DAUGHTER DUO ON EVERY DESIGN. IT WAS JUST COOL TO BE ABLE TO PUT THAT VISION AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I LIVE BY AND THEN TO LIKE, BE PLAYING IN HILTON AND I, YOU KNOW, I’M RUNNING BACK ON DEFENSE AND OH, SOMEBODY WEARING MY SHIRT, SOMEBODY GOT THAT ON YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY OUT THERE KNOWS WHO I AM. SOMEBODY SUPPORTING ME. I THINK THAT’S PRETTY COOL. THESE FANS OF 55 ARE ALWAYS EASY TO SPOT. THEY’RE AUDI’S AUNTS, BARBARA CROOKS AND CHRIS CROOKS. ROCHA. WE’RE A CLOSE KNIT FAMILY. AND WHEN YOU SEE ONE, YOU SEE MULTIPLE OF US. THEY’RE HERE FOR THEIR NIECE. IT’S AWESOME. IT’S SO SURREAL. JUST SEEING HER JUST BATTLING AND DOING HER THING ON THE COURT AS SHE ALWAYS HAVE DONE. AND FOR THE 55 WHO CAN’T BE, HE KNEW SHE WAS GOING TO BE HERE. HE HAS THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE. HE DOES AUDI’S DAD, JIMMY CROOKS, WHO STARRED AT FORT DODGE IN THE MID 80S, DIED IN 2021 WHEN SHE WAS 16. HOW MUCH DOES IT MEAN TO YOU THAT YOU’VE BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, CARRY ON THE CROOKS LEGACY ON THE BASKETBALL COURT? AND NOT JUST THAT, BUT HOW PROUD DO YOU THINK HE WOULD BE OF YOU AND WHERE YOU’VE MADE IT TODAY? YEAH. UM, SORRY. UM, NO, IT MEANS A LOT THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, TO CARRY THAT ON. AND I KNOW, I HOPE, I KNOW HE’S PROUD OF ME AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, HE’S WATCHING, UH, FROM FROM UP ABOVE. AND IT JUST MEANS THE WORLD. UM, I’M HONORED TO TO HAVE THE SAME LAST NAME AS THAT MAN. I MEAN, HE, UH, HE GAVE ME THE FOUNDATION CARSON, UM, NOT ONLY AS A BASKETBALL PLAYER, BUT BECOMING THE WOMAN THAT I AM TODAY. I WOULDN’T BE THAT PERSON IF IT WASN’T FOR HIM. THAT PERSON IS THE ONE WE’RE ALL WATCHING NOW, ADDING TO A LEGACY. THERE’S ALREADY SO MUCH TO BE PROUD OF. AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO SAY I JUST ENJOYED, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO KNOW EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTS AUDI AND OF COURSE, AUDI HERSELF AND ALSO WANT TO THANK PHOTOJOURNAL