Cockrell attended and graduated from Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2016, at which she was an athlete. In 2016, she won the gold medal in the women's 400 metres hurdles event, with a personal best of 55.20s, at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships held in Bydgoszcz, Poland. She also won the gold medal in the women's 4×400 metres relay event.