Nov. 15, 1999
The UNLV cross country team finished the 1999 season strong, earning a fourth-place team finish at the inaugural Mountain West Conference Championships and posting a 16th-place mark at the NCAA West Regional.
Credit third-year distance coach Mary Shea with an outstanding job of improving her athletes this season as eight Rebels ran career best times in the standard 5-kilometer cross country race. Most of the runners trimmed their times from week to week, struggling only slightly when moving to the altitude of Provo, UT, for the Mountain West Championships.
Senior Stephanie Davidson (Renton, WA/Coll. of Southern Idaho) led UNLV early in the season as the top Rebel finisher in each of the team?s first three races. She was able to shave more than 1:30 off her career best before slowing to a lower leg injury just before the UNLV Invitational.
Junior transfer Jenni Nelson (Renton, WA/Univ. of Montana) was the team?s top newcomer. She took over the top spot in the lineup following the injury to Davidson, leading the Rebels in their final three races of the year. The highlight of her season came at home, finishing third overall and running a career-best 18:11.0 at the UNLV Invitational.
Senior Sharlene Downing (Las Vegas, NV/Southern Illinois Univ.) also battled injury early in the season, but fought her way back into training and competition by the season?s end. She posted her best mark in the season finale, clocking a 19:12 at the NCAA West Regional.
Senior Kathryn Goetz (Denver, CO/Univ. of Nevada, Reno) reaped the benefits of a redshirt season in 1998 with the most successful year of her career. She posted her first-ever top 10 finish at the UNLV Invitational, coming in ninth in a personal best 18:49.0.
Juniors Katie Barto (Henderson, NV/Green Valley) and Paula Lechner (Bend, OR/Coll. of Southern Idaho) held down spots in the lineup all year. Barto was the No. 2 Rebel at the MWC Championships and finished fifth overall at the UNLV Invitational. Lechner was a steady improver, breaking the 20-minute mark at the UNLV Invite.
The home meet was kind to two newcomers, also. Senior Wendy Murphy (San Diego, CA/Granite Hills) and freshman Erin Sully (Las Vegas, NV/Cimarron-Memorial) both contributed throughout the year and ran top marks at home.
Nelson, Barto, Lechner and Sully all return in 2000.
