CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Country Day girls' basketball is making its first ever trip to the OHSAA state semifinals, and one family has its fingerprints all over the team’s success.
“Two years ago, we got to the regional finals — that was historic,” Snell said. "Then this year has been magically historic, so that’s what’s been awesome about it.”
But when you look close at the makeup of the team, you find some commonalities. Senior Forward Sarah Zimmerman and her twin sophomore sisters, Megan and Elizabeth Zimmerman, are a huge driving force in the team's success.
“We lost to these teams that we’ve beat in the past couple years. I think a lot of people didn’t expect us to get this far,” Sarah said. “So, it’s been really fun to be the upset team.”
Megan and Elizabeth are triplets along with their brother Andrew. Megan said it’s been a special moment going on this run with her sisters.
“I really like it. We’re all like best friends and we hang out all the time,” Megan said.
But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a little sibling rivalry.
“It gets really competitive, especially with me and Megan, especially since we’re twins,” Elizabeth said. “It’s always been competitive. And then with Sarah, she’s older, so it’s always been like she’s better. But Sarah and I get really mad at each other, too. Sometimes there will be some fights in practice, but at the end of the day we’re all friends.”
But there’s more to this story. Mom and Dad are both former star athletes at Country Day. Mary Zimmerman is in the school’s hall of fame, and James Zimmerman was on the last boys' basketball team to make the state Final Four in 1992.
Now, they said it’s a joy to watch their daughters find similar success together.
“That's really special. I mean, it's been fun on so many levels,” James said. “I mean, in part being back at Country Day, which is a school that we think is a really special place. Obviously went here and knowing so many people here and just seeing the three of them play together, is this a lifetime experience we're really lucky to see and it's been a lot of fun.”
Mary said while it’s easy to draw the connection to their family lineage, it’s really all about the entire Nighthawks team.
“You know, it’s a total team effort, like all this whole tournament run,” Mary said. “It hasn’t been one person. They’ve all done it together, someone has stepped up. Hopefully they’ll bring it all together and finish it off.”
The Nighthawks are working hard to make a first-ever trip to the state finals a reality.
“Oh it’d be awesome,” Elizabeth said. “That would be so fun if we could do that. I really hope we can. I think we have a good shot, too.”
Cincinnati Country Day faces New Knoxville on Friday for a chance to play in the OHSAA Division IV State Finals.