RIPON, Wis. - Cory Zimmerman '14 is one of the most successful runners in Ripon College track & field history, with a men's program record 11 conference championships to his name. A three-time National qualifier in the 800 meters (twice Outdoor, once Indoor), Zimmerman also excelled on the Red Hawks cross country team where he was a two-time All-Conference and three-time All-State performer. The owner of five school records for track, Zimmerman was named Performer of the Meet at the 2011 MWC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

"Cory was as gifted an athlete as I've ever had the privilege to coach and was one of the most fun to watch also," former Ripon Cross Country and Track & Field Coach Bob Duley said. "It seemed like Cory always had an extra gear at the end of any race. He competed at a very high level every time he stepped on the track and was always a team-first guy, running events and relays under any circumstance."

As impressive as Zimmerman's collegiate career ended up being, it was almost over before it even began for the Grand Marsh, Wis. native and Adams-Friendship High School alum.

"I honestly thought my running career would be over after High School, but Coach Duley and the admissions staff at Ripon found me in my small town and recruited me, which was the experience of a lifetime, and made me treat running for Ripon as a true opportunity and a gift," Zimmerman said. "Being a member of both teams was like having another family. My teammates and I sat together during most meals, hung out and studied together outside of practice. It was such an amazing experience that I wouldn't trade for anything."

Luckily for Coach Duley, and Ripon's admissions staff, they were able to pull Zimmerman out of his hometown, which has a population of 127. Once Zimmerman arrived on campus, he hit the ground running, winning the 800 meters as a freshman at the 2010 MWC Outdoor Championships, marking his first of four consecutive conference championships in that event. As a sophomore, he ran a leg on Ripon's first-place Sprint Medley Relay (SMR) team at the MWC Indoor Championships, along with teammates Matt Wood, Jamie Reese, and Derek Nelson. Zimmerman followed that up at that year's MWC Outdoor Championships by winning the 800, 1500, and 4x400 Relay, with teammates Spiros Angelakos, Wood, and Nelson.

"Monmouth had won the 4x400 in five of the previous six seasons heading into that meet and their relay consisted of all seniors that year, so it was expected that they'd win yet again. Derek, Matt, Spiro, and myself were all at the top of our game that day however, and we won by 0.15 seconds to set a new school record," Zimmerman said. "Even as the anchor for our team, I wasn't sure if we had beaten Monmouth to the finish line. After it was reviewed on camera, we were declared the winning team, followed by our teammates rushing the field and picking us up because they were so happy for our victory. That event helped me become one of the MWC Track Performers of the Meet." 

He would be a part of the conference championship SMR team the following year as well, and would later add another conference championship in the Outdoor 1500 and two more in the Indoor 800. In cross country, Zimmerman is one of just nine runners in program history to finish with an 8K time of 26:11 or better. As one of the most influential people in bringing Zimmerman to Ripon, and one of his biggest supporters, Coach Duley still holds a special place in his heart.

"Coach Duley never seemed to rest and always pushed us to become better student-athletes. I couldn't have asked for a better coach because he was so motivated to help his athletes succeed and strived to help us perform at our best, but more than anything, Coach Duley always wanted us to think of each other like a family," Zimmerman said. "He'd schedule team gatherings at places like Green Lake for a day, which helped my teammates and I create a bond so strong that we still get together at least once a year as a team."


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