Hall of Honor
A Rockford native and graduate of West High School, “Ced” Blazer came to Beloit College to run for the distinguished and inspiring coach Herb Hodges, who later called him “the toughest competitor he ever coached.” A four-year track man, he earned great recognition as the anchor for the Midwest Conference winning mile relay team in 1950 and ’51. Blazer was also the sprint-medley relay anchor on teams that set Purdue Relay records, won the Beloit Relays and finished second at the Drake Relays. He was a member of the sprint-medley team that finished 2nd in the College division at the Kansas Relays, where the team’s time was faster than all but one team in the University division. At the 1951 conference meet, he was the high scorer, winning the 440 and anchoring the mile relay team as Beloit edged Monmouth for the Conference title. A dash man who consistently finished the 100 in around 10 seconds and the 220 around 22, Blazer was relied upon to pull the team through the most difficult competitions. Co-captain his senior year, he also held the field house record for the 440. In 1984, Blazer and his teammates were honored when Beloit College recognized the accomplishments of the exemplary 1951 track team and their contributions to the fine athletic heritage of the institution. Blazer is president of Zenith Cutter Co., Inc., and is a noted corporate leader and philanthropist in Rockford.
