GARDNERVILLE - Carson High School's Shanna Sparks started her 2000 cross country season on Friday in exactly the same manner she finished up on the track back in May.
With a convincing victory.
Sparks, who capped off a successful freshman year at Carson by winning the 1,500 meters at the 4A state track and field meet, started her cross country season on a big note when she logged the fasted overall girls time at the Douglas Invitational Friday at Lampe Park.
The season-opening meet attracted all 12 Northern 4A teams, plus Incline and Antioch, Calif., from the Bay Area.
Not surprisingly, Sparks was alone out front of the sophomore class race as she ran 14 minutes, 59.2 seconds that was fastest among all girls in the meet and also broke the girls record for the 2.4-mile course.
By comparison, the second fastest overall time among the girls was turned in by Antioch star Janie Nolan, rated among California's top prep runner, who won Friday's junior race in 15:44.5.
Carson's Cassia Roth also finished second in the freshman girls race in 16:48 and Taryn Joyce-Mendive of Douglas was third in the sophomore girls race in 16:53. Their times were eighth and ninth fastest among the girls overall.
On the boys side, Reno's Dan Wolf turned the fastest boys time of the day, a 13:06.1 effort that was good for first-place in the senior race. Chad Sanada of Galena was second in the senior race and second overall with his 13:32 clocking.
Daryl Nourse of Carson finished fifth in the senior race in 13:51, a time that was sixth fastest overall among the boys.