Timeless Lessons, Lifelong Impact: Honoring the 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees

Photo caption, from left to right: Rob Zimmerman `98 (head of school), Cassidy Sachs Masters `13, Shelley Menifee Rose `14, Brad Jones `96, Katherine R. Brooks `89.

On May 10, Cincinnati Country Day School welcomed back four outstanding alumni for induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame, not only for their excellence on the field, court, and track, but for the legacy they have carried forward through lives rooted in character, humility, and community.

This year’s ceremony honored Katherine R. Brooks `89, Brad Jones `96, Cassidy Sachs Masters `13, and Shelley Menifee Rose `14.

“Their statistics already fill our record books,” said Rob Zimmerman `98, head of school. “But their accomplishments now earn them a more permanent place in the pantheon of Country Day athletics.”

Katherine R. Brooks `89

During her time as a Country Day student, Katherine Brooks was a record-setting swimmer, student leader, and scholar. She began her Country Day journey in second grade, and by the time she graduated, she had earned academic honors every year, served as student council president, and qualified for the state swim meet during each of her four high school years.

She went on to swim at Columbia University, where she was team captain and winner of the prestigious Tina Steck Award, which is awarded to the women’s swimming and diving team member who has the strongest impact on the success of her team. Post-college, she competed in triathlons and ran the New York Marathon twice before returning to Cincinnati to work for Procter & Gamble.

But perhaps the most poignant chapter of Katherine’s journey came years later, when she suffered a stroke in her 30s that left much of her body paralyzed and took her ability to speak. Her recovery has been defined, in part, by a return to the pool.

“Progress is hard won and sometimes fleeting,” shared Katherine during the ceremony. “I move forward and inevitably backslide. And then I make progress again. And day by day it becomes easier to make that splash, plunging back into the pool.”

She says it’s not just about competition anymore, it’s about strength, healing, and the enduring comfort of something she’s loved since childhood.

“Katherine is nothing less than a marvel,” says Jamie Bryant, Katherine’s longtime friend, who introduced her during the award ceremony. “She is an amazing athlete, a devoted friend, and a constant source of inspiration.”

Brad Jones `96

Brad Jones did not spend his acceptance speech reciting statistics – though, as one of the best running backs the school has ever had, he could have pointed to his 1,000-plus rushing yards his senior year and to the key role he played leading the football team, one of the most successful in school history, to a regional championship that year. Instead, he chose to talk about perspective, growth, and that attending Country Day taught him to see the world differently and not to take the people that you meet for granted.

“I want to thank all of the teammates that I’ve ever had,” says Brad. “I played a team sport, and I just happened to be recognized for what I did with the help of my teammates.”

Brad spoke with emotion and honesty about the culture shock of arriving at Country Day from the inner city, and how the school expanded his understanding of people, opportunity, and potential. In a powerful moment, he reflected on a phrase he used to hear growing up: “You’re going to school with a bunch of rich kids.”

He now sees it differently.

“I attended school with kids from different backgrounds. With kids whose parents invested in their education, who knew Cincinnati Country Day would challenge their kids scholastically, socially, and physically. Kids like me, whose parents put them in the best possible position to succeed.”

Jones closed with heartfelt thanks to his parents and to the coaches and mentors who believed in him from the very beginning.

Cassidy Sachs Masters `13

A 12-season varsity athlete, Cassidy Sachs earned accolades in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse, scoring more than 1,000 points on the basketball court, captaining all three of her teams, and being named the 2013 Cincinnati Country Day School Female Athlete of the Year.

But when she stood to speak, it was not about stats; it was about people.

“My accomplishments would be nothing without the people I played with,” said Cassidy. “Anyone who knows team sports knows it has just a tiny bit to do with what you contribute, and everything to do with how the team works together.”

Now residing in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and working as a senior editor at Dutton, a publishing company under the umbrella of Penguin Random House, Cassidy credited Country Day with giving her the space to be more than just an athlete. She spoke about balancing sports, piano lessons, student council, and academics – something she said prepared her just as much for life as any game or meet ever could.

Shelley Menifee Rose `14

The fastest female runner in Country Day history, Shelley set four school records, qualified for track regionals in 16 events in four years, and earned nine appearances and one podium finish at state track championships. She also played soccer and basketball with the same fire she brought to the track, winning the Heinichen Award as the school’s top female athlete in 2014.

As her former soccer and track coach, Brittany Woods shared, “Shelley was not just a star athlete, she was a quiet force of determination and grace.”

Brittany continued, “From the very first day, I knew there was something different about her. It wasn’t just talent – it was her focus, her heart, her smile, her quiet determination.”

In a full-circle moment, Brittany reflected on Shelley's breaking the school's 100m record Brittany had set several years earlier in her student days.

“People asked if I was upset. I wasn’t. I always hoped someone would come along and push the limits. I just didn’t expect to be blessed enough to coach that person.”

Now a mother and a role model to many, Shelley continues to pass the lessons of integrity, hard work, and the value of being a well-rounded person to her son and other young people.

“I want them to know that you should do the best in everything that you do, and you should push yourself and challenge yourself,” said Shelley. “But at the same time, there are bigger things in life than athletics.”

Shelley’s words captured a theme that resonated throughout the ceremony - that the value of athletics extends far beyond competition.

“It’s enormously beneficial for those of us who still work at Country Day to hear these stories,” said Rob. “It is so reaffirming to the work that we do, and it spurs us to continue to do it. Athletics gives us not simply a training ground for competition, but for life. The lessons you delivered today are timeless and inspiring for a lot of people.”

Click here for more photos from the event on May 10.