11/2/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Nov. 1, 1999
Storyline: The UNLV cross country team will use the next two weeks to train for the upcoming NCAA West Regional in Portland, OR, on Saturday, Nov. 13 ... the Rebels posted a fourth-place team finish at the Mountain West Conference Championships last weekend in the altitude of Provo, UT ... the regional will be the Rebels? last team race of the year, but will also serve as an individual qualifying race for the NCAA Championships.
Recapping the Mountain West Conference Championships: The Rebels posted their highest cross country finish in the conference since Karen Dennis took over the program in 1992, finishing fourth of eight teams ... just once in school history has a cross country team posted a better conference finish, as the 1983 squad came in third of three teams at the Big West Conference Championships ... Jenni Nelson (Renton, WA/Univ. of Montana) was the UNLV front runner for the second straight meet, finishing 19th overall 18:58.6 ... Katie Barto (Henderson, NV/Green Valley) was second on the team and 24th overall in 19:10.2 ... Stephanie Davidson (Renton, WA/Coll. of Southern Idaho) made her return to the lineup after missing the UNLV Invitational with an injury, finishing 29th overall ... UNLV?s top five runners finished within a 46-second span.
Head Coach Karen Dennis: Karen Dennis is in her eighth year overseeing the cross country and track and field program at UNLV. In 1997, she was named by USA Track and Field as the head coach for the women?s national team that will compete in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She has coached 13 All-Americans since arriving at UNLV and was the 1993 MPSF Coach of the Year.
Quoting Distance Coach Mary Shea: ?We ran well, but still have some places where we can improve. We were happy with our finish, but it would have been nice to beat Air Force. BYU and Colorado State are ranked teams, and we should be right in there behind them. And from now on, we will be.?
