Immel ran to historic career

Always on the move. In some ways, no matter how impressive, the accomplishment makes sense. Throughout her youth, Zuri Immel was an avid swimmer and soccer player. Those two sports notoriously expend a lot of energy. The recent Norwalk High School graduate was then introduced to cross country in junior high because soccer wasn't a school sport. She saw it as an avenue to build endurance for her other sports. The rest is rare history. "Freshman year, I told myself I could do it; I could handle the workload and do four sports," Zuri said. "But then I had to kind of block out a little bit what the end result could be." When Immel reached high school, soccer became a fall sport instead of an organized club team. It's also in the same season as cross country. With swimming in the winter and more distance running in track and field in the spring, it all unfolded perfectly over time. "I told myself I'm not going to get injured, and I would contribute every year," Zuri said. "By doing that, I was going to put myself in that position." Near the end of April, it became official. She became the first athlete to earn 16 varsity letters at NHS. "I don't think it registers for me, and it's definitely been a whirlwind," Zuri said. But perhaps most impressive, Zuri didn't do the bare minimum in any sport over the four years. "She didn't just letter," NHS girls soccer head coach Michelle Sandor said. "She excelled in all four sports." There was never a question where Immel made her mark the most. Each fall, she was a dominant distance runner. Last November, she became just the second NHS athlete, joining 1987 graduate Tracy Meyer, to qualify for the state cross country championships in each of her four years of high school. But that was only a part of her long days. Zuri often alternated her days at cross-country and soccer practices to put less stress on her legs. But she was always on the go. After winning the Norwalk Invitational on Sept. 25, 2024, she walked on a school bus with her teammates from the NHS parking lot and traveled to Lexington to play in a girls' soccer match later that day. That wasn't a one-time thing, either. "I don't know how she did it, but she made it look easy," Sandor said. "I would offer for her to rest for a bit before going in the game, but she would always say, 'No, I'm ready to play.' "And she was. You couldn't tell that her legs might be tired. And I definitely never heard a complaint from her." When it came to both running sports, Zuri's quiet nature shined. "She came in every day and just led by example," NHS cross country coach Stephanie Pope said. "She's been such a blessing to coach in that regard. I still don't know how she does it all, but I know she is an amazing athlete, student, and person." In junior high, current Norwalk High track and field head coach Phil Oglesby and assistant coach Tracey Sommers — who both have coached cross country at the middle school — noticed something early on with Zuri. "Her work ethic was exceptional, especially at that age," Oglesby said. "When she was in eighth grade, we told her not to be surprised if she finished her career at Norwalk as one of the top distance runners to ever come through the program. Lo and behold, that definitely came true. "It's really cool that the 16 letters came about in such impressive ways, rather than someone who was trying to go out for multiple sports just to get a letter." Oglesby said from five years ago to present-day, Zuri's mental toughness and work ethic never changed. "And she has a very stoic approach to her races," he said. "I've always used her as an example to my other kids about the mental aspect and art of running. "Being locked in and focused is something Zuri has always exhibited in her career." While starring in cross country, Zuri also managed an all-league caliber season for the girls' soccer team. Playing as a defender, she helped the Truckers win another league title last fall. As a two-year varsity starter, Zuri also played nearly every minute on the soccer field. "One of the things I admired most about Zuri is how humble she was," Sandor said. "While she never complained about being too busy or tired, she also never bragged about her accomplishments. She just continually showed up and worked hard and was a great teammate." In her senior season of swimming in the winter, Immel helped two relay teams — the 200-yard medley and 400 freestyle — reach the district championships. But it was swimming where Zuri admitted there was some discouragement. "I have just never been as strong there as some of the other sports," she said. "After my first two years, I was a little down and didn't know if I could keep going. But I told myself I was already halfway through and needed to stick with it. "But I really liked the girls, and I'm really happy I stuck it out. Not just for the varsity letter, but because I had a lot of fun." In track and field, Zuri and her teammates were competing at the Div. I level as one of the smallest schools. While it didn't result in a state trip on the outdoor surface, there were certainly plenty of highlights along the way. That was led by Zuri teaming with her junior sister, Xavi, along with sophomore Grace Norris and senior Shyla Gruhlke in the 4x400-meter relay. They participated in the Division II OATCCC state indoor championships in Geneva on March 8 and earned All-Ohio honors by placing fourth in 4:12.02. On April 25, they competed at the historic Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. While there, the team ran a new season personal-record of 4:07.24 to place fifth in their heat out of 16 teams. Overall, the quartet finished 155th out of 479 teams at the oldest and largest track and field competition in the U.S. "The environment and experience were amazing," Zuri said. "The officials were so nice and energetic. We met a team from Jamaica, and then on the infield afterward we talked to a team from Puerto Rico. It was really cool and something I'll always remember." For several of her coaches and peers, the marvel didn't stop in athletics. Zuri also worked a full-time job. She was one of the top students in her grade as the No. 9-ranked student academically among 175 classmates. The National Honor Society member also earned the "Hall of Excellence Senior of the Year" award, and she was active in 4-H and showed animals every August at the Huron County Fair. "It's honestly all just amazing," Norris said. "I'm very proud of her. She did every sport she could and maintained her grades and also worked. It's an incredible accomplishment to be proud of, and she also has been a great teammate and huge help for me as well." The daughter of Justin and Brooke Immel credits power naps for helping her get through the long days. Looking back, she left NHS with no regrets. Next, she'll head to NCAA Division II Ashland University, where she will just have to focus on cross country while majoring in exercise science. "I feel like I don't have time to breathe, but I enjoy it so much at the same time," she said. "If I'm not busy, I'm bored. I'd rather be super stressed out and working every day than sitting around with nothing to do." For Sandor, who is also a school counselor at NHS, there is little debate about Zuri's impact. "She is truly an exceptional student-athlete, and I would say one of the most accomplished athletes, male or female, to graduate from Norwalk," she said.