HENDERSONVILLE - North Mecklenburg\'s Kimberly Spano started her season with a victory Saturday at the Providence Invitational at McAlpine Park.
Spano, one of the Southeast\'s top returning cross-country runners, beat Alyssa Kulik of Mauldin (S.C.) High on the 3.1-mile course, 18 minutes, 57 seconds to 19:05.
Last year, Spano was third at the N.C. 4A championships and Kulik was runner-up at the S.C. 4A championships. Mauldin\'s Hannah Morgan (19:32), Hopewell\'s Hannah Orders (19:44) and Mauldin\'s Alexa Neiling (19:55) completed the top five.
Becky Hetherington (sixth, 20:16) led Providence, last year\'s N.C. 4A runner-up, to second place. Reigning S.C. 4A champion Mauldin put four runners in the top seven to win 29-50.
In the boys\' race, Mauldin\'s Chad Holt, last year\'s S.C. 4A champion, beat Rock Hill Northwestern\'s Stuart McDaniel, 16:10 to 16:22. Providence\'s John Curtiss (16:29), Northwestern\'s Jonathan McGinnis (16:56) and Indian Trail Sun Valley\'s Will Taylor (16:58) completed the top five.
Reigning S.C. 4A champ Northwestern won the team title, 53-90 over Providence, with three in the top six (McDaniel, McGinnis and Tyler Hudgins).