Congratulations to the 2019 Healy High School Hall of Fame Inductees!
2019 Healy High School Hall of Fame Inductees--1995 & 1996 Girls Track Teams
1995 State True Team Championship Girls Track Team
The Pierz High School Athletic Hall-of-Fame Committee has decided to induct all State Championship teams into the Hall-of-Fame starting this fall with the Girls Track teams from 1995 and 1996 seasons. Tonight we will be honoring this group of athletes who totally dominated their sport during this two year run with their overall team strength, balance, and depth, in every area on the track. They were the first State Championship teams in the history of Pierz High School, and many of their performances still stand as school records or honor roll standards to this day. The 1995 team set the tone for the year to come in their very first indoor meet the “Huskie Classic” held at St. Cloud State. They won rather easily over a 12 team field that included Wayzata, Sartell, Willmar, Rocori, Alexandria, and Brainerd. They had top 3 performances in 10 of the 14 events, with 3 first place finishes. In their only other indoor meet they lapped the field at the Central MN Conference Meet beating arch-rival and runner-up Holdingford by over 90 points while winning 7 events and scoring 19 top 3 finishes. Showing their team depth was very evident in their first two outdoor meets of the season. They won 3 of the 4 relays at the Pioneer Invite, which they won by over 30 points, and then at the prestigious “Blaine Showcase Meet”, going against some of the best teams in the State, won two relays and placed second in two others to win the Relay Sweepstakes Silver Bowl. At the Section True Team Meet the girls scored 726 points beating the runner-up team by 230 points while winning 9 events and placing second in 11 others. They won all four relay events and placed two people in the top 3 in 8 individual events. This was the third year in a row that the Pioneers won the Section which qualified them for the State True Team Meet. Despite losing their top distance runner, Nikki Millner, to a stress fracture which ended her season, the girls were still able to edge Holdingford 163 to 155 to win the Central MN Conference outdoor championship. The Pioneers now faced the Huskers and seven other teams at the State True Team Meet on May 20th at the National Sports Center in Blaine.
1996 State True Team Championship Girls Track Team
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For those people who don’t know what “True Team Track” means, here is how it works- unlike a regular track meet that usually scores the top 6 to 8 finishers only, a True Team Meet awards points to EVERY competitor and EVERY relay in EVERY event. It is a TRUE test of your team’s overall strength and depth. At the State Meet the girls demonstrated their team talent by winning with a score of 425 points, beating runner-up Holdingford by 34 and third place Pelican Rapids by 56 points. The girls topped off their season by easily winning the Sub-Section Meet at Becker scoring 199 points to runner-up Foley’s 112, setting five school records in the process. They then closed out the year by winning the Section 5A Meet at Sartell with 72 points which was 10 more than Holdingford and 24 more than third place Sartell. Three of the relays qualified for State as did Julia Karst in the Shot put & Discus and Kayla Karst in the high jump. The 1995 Girls Track team won every meet they competed in as a team and set a total of seven school records at the time. What they were able to accomplish in that amazing season, may never be matched. In 1996 after losing five outstanding seniors (Shannon Loidolt, Julia Karst, Tara Schmidtbauer, and Laura & Lisa Zimney) the Pioneers had a tough act to follow. But led by senior captains Nikki Millner & Tanya Gall, the girls were able to put together another championship season. After losing the Central MN Conference Indoor Meet to Holdingford by 3 points (160-163), the Pioneers came back to beat the Huskers by 30 while easily winning their own 10-team Pioneer Invitational. This started a string of 8 meets in a row that Pierz would come out on top. Next up was the True Team Section Meet which was again dominated by Pierz. Winning all four relays and placing two people in the top 5 in 8 of the individual events, the Pioneers scored 710 points which was 235 more than runner-up Hinckley-Finlayson. This qualified the girls for their 4th straight trip to State True Team. After easily winning the next two smaller meets by 194 and 146 points respectively, the Pioneers edged Holdingford by four and Bemidji by 8 points in winning over a very strong field at the Crosby-Ironton Invitational. The key to their victory was winning 3 of the 4 relays. Going to Blaine to defend their 1995 State Championship was the next order of business for the Pioneers, and they performed like champions once again easily topping the field of nine teams. Scoring 430 points they beat Holdingford by 41 and the 3rd place team by 94 points to dominate the meet. The distance crew, led by senior captain Nikki Millner, had an outstanding day as they scored 30 points in the 800 meter & 1600 meter runs, 31 points in the 3200 meter run, and won the 4 by 800 meter relay for another 27 points. Co-captain senior Tanya Gall also had a great meet as she won the long jump, took second in the triple jump, and ran on the second place 4 by 100 relay. In probably their most dominating performance of the year, the Pioneers won the Central MN Conference Outdoor Meet by 79 points over runner-up Becker (214-136). They then defended their title at the Sub-Section Meet edging a very strong Foley squad by a score of 138 to 116 while sending 13 girls in 12 events on to the Sections. At the Section 5A Meet the Pioneers had another great day just missing the title losing to Sartell 70 ½ to 73 ½. The team did qualify three relays and three individuals in a total of 5 events for the State Meet with the 4 by 800 meter relay setting a new Section record that still stands. At the State Meet all 3 relays placed (4X800 second, 4X400 sixth, and 4X100 eighth) and Tanya Gall earned All-State honors in the Triple Jump placing 7th. Two seasons, two Championship teams, it was a great run that made us all proud to be PIONEERS! Welcome to the Hall of Fame girls, you earned it!
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2019 Healy Hall of Fame Inductee--Coach Rey Zimney
Coach Zimney started his career in Pierz in the fall of 1973. In his first year he started the Boy’s Cross Country program, was the B Squad Boys Basketball coach, and was the Head Boys Track Coach. For the next 46 years, Coach Z would continue to coach 2 or 3 sports every year. This fall was his 39th year as Head Cross Country coach, he coached a total of 25 years in the boys basketball program, and this spring will be his 45th as Varsity Track coach. This adds up to a total of 109 seasons of coaching. After seven seasons as Coach John Hellie’s assistant basketball coach, Rey became the Boys Head coach in 1980. He would remain as head coach for 16 years. His teams won a total of 191 games. The ’85-’86 team won the school’s first conference championship winning the Great River Conf. with a perfect 12-0 record. In the 5-year span (1990-95) Coach Zimney’s teams won nearly 80 percent of their games which included three Central MN Conference championships and the school’s first District championship in 1995. The ’94-’95 team, led by Hall of Famers Scott Geiger, Scott Kimman, and Adam Langer, finished with a record of 24-2, which is still the best overall season in school history. In Track, Coach Z was the Head Boys Coach for a total of 16 years. His teams won 5 conference and 4 District championships. A total of 14 athletes during those years earned All-State honors. He was also the Head Girls Coach for 3 seasons. Since 1992 Coach Z has been one of Head Coach Craig Johnshoy’s assistant coaches. During this period the Boy’s teams have earned three more conference titles, three Subsection and two Section championships. The Boys also qualified for 4 State True-Team Meets finishing third in 2009. The Girl’s teams have also had a great run during this time with 8 conference, 5 Sub-section, and one Section Championship in 1995. Even more impressive is their True-Team history. In the last 26 seasons the Girls have won 15 Section championships and placed in the top 5 at State six times including State Championships in ’95 & ’96. What made the ’95 championship extra special for Coach Zimney was that his twin daughters, Laura & Lisa, were members of the team.
Cross Country was the sport that Coach Zimney had the most impact. In just the third year of existence, the Boys won the conference and District titles, and in the fourth year they won the conference, district, and Region meets and placed 6th in State. Over the years his teams won 22 conference, 8 Sub-section, and one Section Championship. Four Boys and one Girls team qualified for State. Thirty-three individuals qualified for the State Meet with 15 of them earning All-State honors. John Perleberg won Pierz’s first individual State Championship in any sport in 1979 and Steve Faust finished second in 1976. Top Girl finishers at State were Jamie Talberg- 10th & 13th, Becky Girtz- 13th, and Stacy Britz- 15th. Rey started the Pioneer Stampede Cross Country Meet in his second year as coach in 1974 (this fall was the 46th annual). Itt has grown into one of the premier meets in Central MN, with some 25 teams and about 800 runners competing. The meet now bears his name. Pierz has hosted many conference, Subsection, and Section meets, sometimes all 3, in the same year. Coach Zimney figures he has been the manager and starter of well over 100 meets. Rey retired from teaching in 2007, his last 11 years he was the school Athletic Director. During his tenure as AD Rey started the Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame and was the chairman of the Hall of Fame committee for years. Coach Z has received many coaching honors including: Section Cross Country Coach of the Year 5 times; State Boys CC Coach of the Year in 2004; Section Track Coach of the Year in 1986: Section Assistant Track Coach of the Year in 2005 & again last Spring. He was also selected Section Athletic Director of the Year in 2004 and Central MN Conference Head Coach of the Year twice and Assistant Coach of the Year once. Rey would like to thank all the coaches he has had the pleasure of working with over the years, all the great athletes that have worked so hard to make Pioneer athletics so successful, all the fans who have come out to support the teams, the parents for all their sacrifices to make it possible for their kids to compete, and his family for their love and support, especially his wife Jacki.
Cross Country was the sport that Coach Zimney had the most impact. In just the third year of existence, the Boys won the conference and District titles, and in the fourth year they won the conference, district, and Region meets and placed 6th in State. Over the years his teams won 22 conference, 8 Sub-section, and one Section Championship. Four Boys and one Girls team qualified for State. Thirty-three individuals qualified for the State Meet with 15 of them earning All-State honors. John Perleberg won Pierz’s first individual State Championship in any sport in 1979 and Steve Faust finished second in 1976. Top Girl finishers at State were Jamie Talberg- 10th & 13th, Becky Girtz- 13th, and Stacy Britz- 15th. Rey started the Pioneer Stampede Cross Country Meet in his second year as coach in 1974 (this fall was the 46th annual). Itt has grown into one of the premier meets in Central MN, with some 25 teams and about 800 runners competing. The meet now bears his name. Pierz has hosted many conference, Subsection, and Section meets, sometimes all 3, in the same year. Coach Zimney figures he has been the manager and starter of well over 100 meets. Rey retired from teaching in 2007, his last 11 years he was the school Athletic Director. During his tenure as AD Rey started the Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame and was the chairman of the Hall of Fame committee for years. Coach Z has received many coaching honors including: Section Cross Country Coach of the Year 5 times; State Boys CC Coach of the Year in 2004; Section Track Coach of the Year in 1986: Section Assistant Track Coach of the Year in 2005 & again last Spring. He was also selected Section Athletic Director of the Year in 2004 and Central MN Conference Head Coach of the Year twice and Assistant Coach of the Year once. Rey would like to thank all the coaches he has had the pleasure of working with over the years, all the great athletes that have worked so hard to make Pioneer athletics so successful, all the fans who have come out to support the teams, the parents for all their sacrifices to make it possible for their kids to compete, and his family for their love and support, especially his wife Jacki.
