student-athlete bio:

2012-13: Finished fourth overall, the highest individual finish in school history, at the NCAA Cross Country Championships to earn his first-career All-America honors ... Placed fifth at the NCAA Midwest Regional, earning All-Midwest Region cross country honors ... Won the men's individual title at the UAA Cross Country Championships to lead WU to the team title for the third year in a row ... Named the UAA Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year and earned first-team all-UAA honors ... Selected as the UAA Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week four times (Oct. 1, Oct. 29, Nov. 12, Nov. 19) ... Won the 3,000 and finished second in the 5,000 at the UAA Indoor Championships to earn all-UAA honors in both events ... Clocked the second-fastest 10,000 time in school history (30:18.89) to win the Augustana Meet of Champions ... Won the conference title in the 5,000 (14:36.18) at the UAA Outdoor Championships ... Named the UAA Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week April 22 ... USTFCCCA All-Academic cross country ... UAA all-academic for indoor and outdoor track & field.

2011-12: Finished second in the 5,000 and third in the 3,000 to earn all-UAA honors at the 2012 UAA Indoor Championships ... Ran the third-fastest indoor 5,000 time in WU school history (14:45.55) ... Earned all-UAA honors with a runner-up finish in the 10,000 at the UAA Outdoor Championships ... His season-best time (30:30.27) in the 10,000 ranks third in school history ... Received USTFCCCA All-Academic Track & Field honors.

PREVIOUS COLLEGE: Competed at North Central College for two seasons of cross country, and one season of indoor and outdoor track & field before transfering to Washington U. ... As a sophomore, finished fourth at the CCIW Cross Country Championships (25:30) and sixth at the NCAA Midwest Regional (25:10) ... Finished 41st at the 2011 NCAA Cross Country Championships (24:52) ... Named CCIW All-Conference and All-Midwest Region for cross country in 2011 ... Placed sixth in the 5,000 at the 2011 CCIW Indoor Championships, and fifth in the 10,000 at the 2011 CCIW Outdoor Championships ... Posted 2011 season-bests of 8:55.37 (indoor 3,000), 14:58.29 (indoor 5,000), 4:09.76 (outdoor 1,500), 15:16.87 (outdoor 5,000), 31:29.19 (outdoor 10,000) ... Academic all-CCIW for cross country in 2010 and 2011, and for track & field in 2011.

HIGH SCHOOL: Team captain and four-year letterwinner in cross country and track & field at Geneva High School ... Received all-state cross country honors in 2009 ... Four-time all-conference honoree in cross country, and three-time honoree in track & field ... National Honor Society member.

PERSONAL: Majoring in political science and German ... Son of Steven Sparks and Nancy Andrews.