Siuslaw runner Celie Mans is miles ahead of last summer, when two stress fractures — one a heel, the other a tibia — cost her precious training time.

The defending Far West League champion began what she hopes is a stellar junior year with a second-place finish Wednesday in the season-opening North Bend Tugman Invitational at Tugman State Park.

Mans shaved a second off her 2014 time, finishing the 5,000 meters in 19 minutes, 41 seconds, while running a conservative race under the direction of cross-country coach Chris Johnson.

"He said don't go 100 percent, be contributive," Mans said. "It's always good to just ease into it, and whatever coach says to do we do. We ran conservative today, but we're not trying to peak right now."

Mans and the Vikings will be given the green light to go 100 percent Saturday when they head to Monmouth for the third annual Ash Creek Cross Country Festival.

It will be a chance to build on an injury-free summer of training and preparation.

"Last year I couldn't train all summer, and I wasn't able to run until two weeks into the season," Mans said. "So it feels good to have a base. I am really excited about this year."

It wasn't that 2014 was a lost season for Mans, who won individual titles at the Molalla Invitational and the Paul Mariman Invitational in Philomath.

Mans went on to win the league title by more than a minute over her nearest rival. She placed fourth in the state championship, just 17 seconds behind winner Lexi Healy of Henley, 11 seconds behind Danielle Jantzer of Phoenix and 4 seconds back of Aria Blumm of Sisters.

Blumm graduated, but Healy is a returning senior and Jantzer a junior.

But first things first for Mans, a 4.0 student at Siuslaw High School who aspires to run cross country in college and one day be a surgeon.

She may not have been born to run, but close to it. Mans began running in grade school with her parents, Florence optometrists Julie Kittock and Robert Mans.

"They love to run, just for fun," says Mans. "I like running a lot. It makes me feel good."

And run she does, 30 to 40 miles during an average week.

She mixes in other base-building activities, such as weight training, aqua jogging and stretching.

"I feel so much better this year," said Mans. "I can run longer and faster. And I'm really excited about the team.

"I think we have a lot of potential, and I can't wait to see how far we can go with it."