At Queen Creek High School, the Ripperdan family is laying down a running legacy
Queen Creek track and field coach Shaun Hardt was happy to have one all-state runner when junior Zach Ripperdan emerged on the scene last year, morphing into one of Arizona’s top 800-meter athletes. Ripperdan ended the season ranked eighth overall for the event at 1:53.77, earning a scholarship to compete at Utah State.
But while Ripperdan soon will hang up his purple Queen Creek jersey and begin a two-year mission before heading off to Logan for college, the family’s legacy is just beginning at the school — that’s because little sister, Nicole, is starting to make her presence felt as well.
Nicole, a sophomore who runs the same event as her big brother, is ranked first in the state with her time of 2:13.64 and is a serious contender for the Arizona Interscholastic Association Open Division title. Zach is 10th at the moment at 1:55.95 and will be in contention for a podium spot at the state championships.
They’re easily the fastest pair of siblings in the state, and have a case to make as one of the fastest-ever duos in Arizona prep history.
“It’s like finding a piece of gold,” Hardt said. “To find talent where you got so many schools picking you apart, especially out here — I don’t know which area is picked apart more than the Queen Creek area with the charter schools, ALA (American Leadership Academy), Casteel, Poston Butte — when you find those little golden pieces, it’s like Eureka. We need this. It’s a boost. It’s like getting an IV. It keeps you motivated.”
Zach and Nicole are just the tip of the iceberg; there are four more Ripperdans in the pipeline. Amelia is a freshman and also competes on the track and field team. The rest — Kara, 11, Darren, 8, and Danielle, 5 — are still in middle and elementary school. But with the oldest two laying down a foundation in the sport, it’s a safe bet the younger siblings might follow in the same footsteps.
The journey for the older Ripperdans began when Zach first started when he was 10. He began in the sprints, but quickly realized he was better suited for the distance events after he ran a quick mile time during PE class.
Nicole started running not long after seeing her older brother compete.
“I don’t think I would have ever tried track if he didn’t do it,” Nicole said. “I definitely looked at him and was like, ‘Ah, this is so cool.’ And I started it.”
Their parents hail from Louisville, Kentucky. Dad, Adam, was a football and basketball player and ended up playing wide receiver and cornerback at the University of Louisville. But there’s no lineage of competitive running in the family.
As the oldest of six, Zach knows the others are watching him. All five of them. It can be a lot on the shoulders of someone who hasn’t even gotten his high school diploma yet. But Zach doesn’t see it that way.
“You definitely want to set an example,” Zach said. “I wouldn’t say there’s a ton of pressure. You just got to be careful. They’re like sponges. They watch everything you do. You just got to carry yourself well. Even when it sucks, you run a bad race. You just got to be like, “Oh, big bro will be alright.’ Give your little ones a fist bump.”
Now, Zach and Nicole both are at the top of their sport — and they both live less than 100 feet from each other under the same roof. In fact, Zach’s room is directly right above Nicole’s.
What is it like to be the fastest in the state, but not the fastest in the house?
“We both push ourselves,” Nicole said. “It’s cool that we get to see that we both do that. It’s easier to have someone you can relate to. He’s the most disciplined person I know. He gets up early in the morning, always on top of his recovery. It’s not even a question for him. He just does it. And I look at it, and I want to be just like that. It motivates me.”
And in turn, Nicole pushes Zach.
“First of all, she’s way more mature than I am,” Zach said. “She’s always keeping me in check. She just inspires me, even when I have a bad race. It feels amazing because this year, the girls run before the boys, so I always get to see Nicole win the 800. I get to joke with the guys that I’m about to run with, ‘Oh, there goes my sister. Just the start of the Ripperdan family.’”
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school and Olympic sports. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Stanley at lstanley@gannett.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: At Queen Creek, the Ripperdan family is laying down a running legacy
