Auto Accident Keeps Sparks From Flying -- Sammamish Sprinter Gets Slow Start

This was supposed to be Stacy's Year. The year Sammamish senior Stacy Sparks, who owns the third-fastest 100-meter time in state high school girls track history, would win her first state 100 title.

The year she wouldn't be bothered by either hamstring. Or by recruiting pressures. Or by Lake Washington's Danielle Marshall, who graduated last spring as the state's all-time fastest high school sprinter.

Her senior year. Stacy's Year.

"It's my last year," she said. "I kind of want to go out with a bang."

Bang.

Stacy's Year took a wrong turn into a tree on Stacy's Day last week. She suffered bruises and a cut forehead in a one-car accident on the morning of her 18th birthday, March 23.

The 15 stitches were removed from her forehead Monday, and she has begun to work out. But she'll miss today's home meet against Mercer Island and Juanita, her second absence in two KingCo Conference meets this spring.

So much for a fast start.

"Hopefully, it won't get any worse," said Sparks, who had just recovered from the flu the week of her accident.

"Each year you look forward to going in and doing your best, and sometimes it doesn't really work out like you planned."

Since her Class AAA state 200 meters championship as a freshman, injuries and one Danielle Marshall have pestered Sparks.

Even that year, her 11.6-second performance in the 100 meters ranked her third all-time in Washington high school girls track -

but only second to Marshall at the state meet.

In her sophomore season, Sparks finished second to Marshall again in the 100, but pulled her hamstring muscle at the finish and had to scratch from the 200. Last year she pulled the hamstring in her other leg in midseason and went on to take second behind Marshall in the 200 and third behind Marshall and Celeste Stutheit of Richland in the 100.

Aside from this latest business with the tree, Sparks is as healthy has she has been in her high-school career. In part, motivated by signing early to run track for the University of Houston, her offseason program helped her come into the season strong before the accident, and should help her recover quickly.

Less than two months ago she won the 55 meters at a regional indoor meet in Portland.

"I feel strong, but I want to feel to where I'm sure," she said. "To where I have no doubt in my mind that I'm healthy. I have a long, long way to go."

Unfortunately, a sprint offers only a short distance. Only a small piece of space and time to make your mind tell your legs to push your hamstrings as hard as they will let you.

So far, the hamstrings have responded. But the mind, like so many KingCo opponents, has lagged.

"That's practically all of it," Sparks said. "You can always be physically in shape, but mentally you have to be prepared to know what's out there and be prepared to go about it."

Sparks might be uniquely tempered after six months as a member of the Bon Marche fashion high board, a program for area high school seniors. Students do community service, modeling at store fashion shows and several more activities - some paid, some volunteer.

She remembers one job in particular, last November, when she volunteered to dress as a giant Frangos box and walk in a Thanksgiving parade.

How was it?

"Stupid."

After that, getting past her latest injuries, and past the rest of the AAA state spring field, is easy. If nothing else, she should be better at getting out of the box quickly.