LAS VEGAS — One quarterback on BYU's sideline for the Las Vegas Bowl matchup with Oregon State had been in Russia 48 hours earlier.James Lark, the 3A all-state quarterback from St. George who attended BYU before going on a Mormon mission to St. Petersburg, Russia, flew in from his mission Monday night and arrived in Las Vegas where his family and friends welcomed him at the airport here.Lark then drove home where he was released from his mission Tuesday morning before driving back to Las Vegas for tonight's bowl. When he arrived in Las Vegas at the airport, he had been up for two days without sleep.It will be an interesting situation for Lark at BYU. Since he left for his mission, his biggest rival in 3A, and a guy who helped defeat his Pine View High team in the state championships, Riley Nelson, is now in the competition to replace Max Hall.In addition, BYU has just admitted Washington prep star Jake Heaps, a top-ranked QB, according to Scout.com. Heaps and several other high school players from the recruiting class of 2010, finished graduation early and will enroll at BYU in January in time for winter semester and spring practice.Since Lark left for his mission, his girlfriend, BYU heptathlete Chelsi Petersen, was killed in a tragic car accident in Provo Canyon in 2008. Her mother, Lisa Petersen was at the airport to welcome Lark home. She is in Las Vegas to support another daughter, Shayli, who is a BYU cheerleader.An all-state player as a QB, played safety as a sophomore, Lark said he has lost about 20 pounds from when he was at BYU and will measure in at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, a weight in which he feels faster.After BYU hired Bronco Mendenhall at the end of the 2004 football season, most of the recruiting for 2005 was already done. Lark became a member of Mendenhall's first recruiting class in which he had complete control over the decisions on who got scholarships. Also in that class were Mike Hague, Max Hall, Brandon Bradley, Ian Dulan, Robbie Buckner and McKay Jacobson.Another missionary QB, Jason Munns, will return from his mission in May. His family has moved to Utah County from Washington.Today, right after leaving the stake president's office, Lark went straight to the gym to run.
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