In what one veteran coach called the fastest state meet in its 31-year history, Lowell’s Zachary Parker became the school’s first male cross country medal winner by placing sixth in the Division IV race in a San Francisco Section- and school-record time of 15:33.3.
Parker led the Cardinals to an eighth-place team finish, where they set a section and school record for combined time, at 82:44.
Parker, a senior, is only the second male and fifth runner overall from the San Francisco Section to win a medal at the state meet.
The Lowell girls team also showed well achieving the school’s fifth top-10 finish and the third-best team time. Elizabeth Holcombe was the Cardinals’ first runner, placing 21st with a time of 18:43.9 in the Division IV race.
Other local finishers:
Washington senior Kiara Neely finished 183rd in girls’ Division I with a time of 22:28, while Galileo junior Maia Piomelli finished 169th in 21:20.
St. Ignatius’ Evie Cohen finished ninth with an 18:11.3 in the girls’ Division III race, while Burton sophomore Emelife Lillan finished 154th with a time of 21:01.3.
In the Division IV girls’ race, Academy sophomore Naomi Manuel finished 147th out of 211 runners in 21:21.1.
In the boys’ races, Lincoln basketball star Charlie Moore finished 164th out of 178 runners in Division I with a mark of 17:11.6, and in Division III, Burton junior Jamison Smallwood finished 148th out of 217 runners with a time of 17:17.0, while Burton senior Daniel Cavanaugh finished 161st with a 17:32.
