When talking about the greatest athletes in school history, it’s hard not to talk about Denise Zimmerman. From Reinholds, Pa., Zimmerman was the first female athlete at the school to compete at a national level. She won a school-record nine MAC swimming titles, a school-record five All-American honors and nearly 30 years after she left the pool, she still holds school records in the 200-yard freestyle (1:58.94), the 200-yard butterfly (2:14.66) and the 200-yard backstroke (2:13.61). As a freshman, Zimmerman became the first female athlete at Lycoming to win a MAC Championship, posting a win in the 200-yard backstroke before also adding wins in the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard freestyle. In 1982, she added MAC titles in the 200-yard freestyle and the 200-yard backstroke and, at the first NCAA Division III swimming championships, she earned three First Team All-American honors, taking fourth in the 50-yard backstroke, sixth in the 100-yard backstroke and seventh in the 200-yard butterfly. As a junior, she added MAC titles in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard backstroke and earned Second Team All-American honors in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke. As a senior, she wrapped up her career with conference titles in the 100-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke. Zimmerman was elected to the College’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994.
