With pressure-packed league meets resuming next week, Northern Nevada cross country runners took a chance to literally let their hair down on Friday in South Lake Tahoe.
Like it has in past years, the South Tahoe Optimist Retro Relays brought out the kid in each participant. Runners dressed as pirates, butterflies, bananas, black-rimmed bespectacled Gerry Lindgren, a bride and somebody made the effort to don a chicken suit. Prizes were awarded to the top individual and team costumes.
"This is my favorite race because it is so fun and relaxed," said South Tahoe's Karly Arroues, whose team placed fourth in the girls' division. "I like the 'Where's Waldo?' costume, those are pretty cool."
The festive atmosphere in Viking Bowl continued throughout the two-hour meet.
Music blared and competitors were widely encouraged when they entered and departed the dirt oval that loops the football field.
"Pure fun-wise, this is the best race," said Carson's Richard Shroy, one of the top runners on the West Coast. "It's a fun race to just mess around a little."
Shroy said the craziest costume was the bride gown worn by Galena's Tom Sullivan and his favorite, of course, was the banana suits worn by some of his Carson teammates.
Yes, there was also a competitive side to the meet.
South Tahoe's quartet of Kelsey Smith, Cassidy Cichowicz, Torrie Zaccor and Shelby McIntyre won the girls' division in an unofficial time of 55 minutes.
In the relay format, each team member was responsible for a two-mile leg.
Carson's foursome of Yvonne Hollett, Katie McFarren, Nick Schlager and Shroy combined to win the coed division. Shroy, who recently finished fourth at the Stanford Invitational, showed his talent by sprinting out of the track and taking on the hill overlooking the football field. Among the schools Shroy is considering attending next fall are Naval Academy, Wisconsin, Washington and Washington State.
Reno won the boys' division and was followed by McQueen, Carson, Douglas' team of Jeremy Tigh, Andrew Cobourn, Scotty Lococo and Tanner DeGiovanni and South Tahoe. The Vikings' JV came in seventh place.
The South Tahoe girls demonstrated their depth as a second team finished fourth.
Arroues, Lisa Johnston, Kira Smith and Maddie Dant comprised that team.
In the individual two-mile run, Reno's Jordan Cardenas won by more than a minute with his first-place time of 12:36. Douglas' Mark Pieters was fifth.
Carson's Erika Sosa was the top female, finishing 11th overall in 14:30. Teammates Amber Karnofel and Haleiah Ward were second and third at 14:39 and 16:09, respectively.
Douglas coaches Marc Walling, Jay Frey and Derrik Jenkins teamed up with a coach from McQueen to win the coaches' relay.
