Zierten returned to the Hilltop in August 2024 as Cornell’s head athletic trainer.
Zierten served Cornell’s student-athletes as an athletic trainer intern during the 2019-20 academic year.
Zierten has been an adjunct faculty member in Cornell’s kinesiology department since August 2023.
Zierten will oversee Cornell’s 20 intercollegiate varsity sports teams. Her primary sports coverage are football, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track & field and men’s and women’s tennis.
“We are very excited to have Courtney on our team,” said Director of Athletics Jeff Meeker. “Her connections to Cornell, passion for college athletics, tremendous work ethic and diverse experiences make her a valuable asset for our department and student-athletes.”
Zierten received her bachelor’s degree in athletic training from the University of Northern Iowa in 2019. She earned a master’s in epidemiology from the University of Iowa in 2023.
During her first stint at Cornell as an intern, Zierten covered the tennis, track & field and women’s soccer programs. She’s also assisted as strength and conditioning coach for Cornell’s men’s lacrosse team.
Zierten was assistant athletic trainer at Coe in 2023-24. She also held previous roles as graduate assistant athletic trainer for women’s soccer at Western Illinois University (2020), outreach athletic trainer at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (2020-24) and studio manager and coach at Orangetheory Fitness in Cedar Rapids (2021-23).
While at Northern Iowa, Zierten was named Terry G. Noonan Athletic Training Student of the Year. She was also recipient of UNI’s Purple and Old Gold Award, Athletic Training Leadership Award and Athletic Training Student of Distinction Award.
Zierten is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (NSCA).
