Cross country has been a long, winding and very successful journey for Circle Christian senior Sinkenesh Parker, who ran her first high school state meet as a sixth grader.
Parker, who signed to run collegiately for Samford University of Alabama on Wednesday, will run her seventh and final Florida High School Athletic Association Class 1A championship race on Friday morning in Tallahassee as the defending state champion.
Sinkenesh and her 12-year-old brother, Aschalew, were saved from utter poverty in Ethiopia when they were adopted by John and Brandy Parker of Winter Springs 10 years ago. They were the fifth and sixth children from Ethiopia taken in by the Parkers.