Zimmerman’s win paces Bruins to third place

TROUTDALE — The Columbia High girls cross country team, led by individual winner Lilah Zimmerman’s 12-second lifetime best, finished third in the Division 3 varsity race at the Sept. 26 Nike Portland XC race at Blue Lake Regional Park.

Zimmerman, a junior, won the 5,000-meter race in 19 minutes, 32 seconds, pulling away from runner-up Ada Harris of Pullman (19:44). The Bruins scored 141 team points in the race, which included 18 scoring schools. It was the second win in three days for Zimmerman, who also won a three-mile race at Columbia’s home meet on Sept. 24 (see related story above).

Sophomore teammate Kathryn O’Connor was sixth for Coach Michael Hannigan’s team in 20:14, a season best. Senior Maisy Kollman was 45th in 22:30; junior Maya Tama was 53rd in 23:43; and sophomore Eda O’Connor was 65th in 23:05 (personal best) to complete the Columbia team score.

The Bruin boys were sixth in the Division 3 race, led by the 13-14 finish of Luther Thomas and Colby Clark. The two ran together, finishing in 18:11.7 and 18:12, officially. Columbia’s No. 3 runner was senior Ethan Hayes (27th, 18:31); Everett Coyner was 45th in 19:02; and Thatcher Wallace was 81st in 20:20. The latter four runners each ran lifetime bests in the meet, which included more than 120 schools.