Another portrait was added to the rows of plaques lining the entrance to the Combs Gym. Co-captain of Varsity Basketball, Parker ‘20, was inducted on Jan. 23 into Marlborough’s Athletes of Distinction, formerly known as the Hall of Fame.
Parker qualified the first year she entered Marlborough, in ninth grade, but had the formal ceremony in her senior year. She became eligible after making CIF Southern Selection 1st Team, which recognizes the best players in the league who are not part of the winning team.
“It’s like I’ve made it,” Parker said. “All this hard work that I put into basketball kind of paid off.”
Parker in part contributes her successes to playful competition between herself and Coach Shaina Zaidi ‘03, a Marlborough alum who trains Parker and previously held the individual record for the most career points with 1,369 points. Parker surpassed that record earlier this year.
Varsity Basketball Head Coach Chris Rodgers has been training Parker since 9th grade and was the one to nominate her for the CIF-SS 1st Team in her freshman year.
“Because she was our most valuable player and a main reason why we got there, I nominated her,” Rodgers said. “She comes to practice every day, wanting to get better, trying to compete at a high level and making sure that she’s not the only one.”
Parker has committed to playing basketball for UCSD. Before her last high school basketball season comes to a close, Parker said she and co- captain Erin ‘20 hope to lead the team back to CIF-SS finals and win.
“How much trust [the coaches] had in us and our leadership helped the lower classmen to build up the confidence to where we are now,” Parker said. “We are developing and growing as a team, and we can see something big happening in the future.”
Rodgers gives Parker credit for helping reinvigorate Marlborough’s basketball program and said he is proud to see her portrait on the wall of great athletes.
“I couldn’t see it happening to a better person,” Rodgers said. “To see her up there on that wall is exciting. It’s an honor for me just to be able to coach her and walk in every day and say, ‘That was one of the players that rebuilt the foundation for the basket- ball program and why we are hopefully going to be successful in years to come, as well.’”
