CHRIS LOWRIE

 When Williamsburg Track Coach John Harris wants something done within his high school team he looks to senior Chris Lowrie.

“Chris has been in our program for seven years and has been a contributing member ever since he started,” said Harris. “He became a team leader at a very young age because he is so versatile. He can jump and he is a good sprinter. I put him at the start of my relays because I don’t have to worry about a false start or a bad start. He is going to give me 110 percent all the time, every time.”

“Even when he was a young runner he took on that role and just really cherished it and I appreciate that,” said Harris. “He not only leads by example, he’s not afraid to get on somebody and tell them we have a reputation, we have things we want to accomplish and you need to get on board or do something else.”

Lowrie developed into a track star at an early age. In 2006, he was the Middle School Pole Vault State Champion and has advanced to the state every year since 2004. “He was one of our young pole vaulters who came up through the ranks,” Harris said.

If the 2011 Mason-Dixon Indoor Track Meet is any indication of how well his senior year will go then Lowrie is off to a great start. Just several weeks ago, he was third in the High Jump, fourth in the Pole Vault and fifth in the Triple Jump at the prestigious Mason-Dixon Games.

“He has already accomplished a lot of things and we have only been out here a short time,” said Harris. “He ran a .58 in the 400, which I didn’t know he could do. He has always been a short sprinter for us because he is so versatile in the jumps. He is our big field event guy, a pole-vaulter, long jumper, and high jumper. He can do anything in the field events. I utilize him there to jump-start our team. He can start our team off on a really good note and let everybody else relax and do their business.”

“He may not win all of those events, but he scores high in all of those events,” said Harris. “His leadership is invaluable. I can say Chris go do this and I don’t have to look back because I know it’s going to get done.”

“He has been a positive influence on a lot of kids in our school from that role, not only his athletic ability, but also his desire to be a winner,” said Harris. Not only is he a success on the track, but also he was the SEKC Running Back of the Year in football where he has played since middle school. He helped lead the Yellow Jackets to three district championships, something no other senior class has done before them.

On the basketball court, he helped lead the Jackets to the 2009 All “A” Classic Region championship. He has served as captain in all three sports.

It’s not sports Lowrie wants to be remembered for at WHS. “I don’t know if I even want to be remembered for what I did on the field, that’s nice and all, I want to be remembered as a leader that little kids could look up to and hopefully something they could strive to be and hopefully I had a good influence on them,” said Lowrie.

The track season signals an end to his high school career. “It’s hard to believe we are finally here. When I first started I thought it would never end, but now its here and I wish I had another year,” he said.

Lowrie said he didn’t know if he could choose a favorite sport. “They all have so many different aspects to them. They all have different things I like, there is nothing better than going out on the field for Friday night lights or walking out on the floor at the state All “A” Tournament, then going to the state track at the University of Louisville.”

“I have been really pleased with his time with me,” said Harris. “He is going to be hard to replace. I can say that about a lot of my kids, but he has been with me so long.

To close out his high school career Lowrie said he would like to return to the state track meet in all four of his events again. “That’s a big goal,” he said.

His goal after high school is to go to college and major in Biology and get into a good PA school. With Lowrie wanting to tackle the tough field of Biology, he doesn’t know if he will play sports at the next level. “It is something that I need to pray about and see what the good Lord has intended for me.”