August 2, 1999
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV womens cross country team will kick things off this fall in Fullerton, CA on September 4. Expectations are high with four seniors returning to a starting lineup that claimed seventh place at last years Western Athletic Conference Championships in Houston.
Despite returning four seniors, UNLV must still cope with the loss of Angie Fortner. Fortner completed her senior season last year in spectacular fashion, winning two races and finishing second in two others. Her second place finish at the WAC Championships earned her the right to be UNLVs first-ever representative at the NCAA Championships.
Behind Fortners leadership, the Rebels improved significantly from their 15th-place finish in 1997. They look to improve that even further as members of the brand new Mountain West Conference.
",We have more depth this year, we just lack a front runner,", says Rebel assistant coach Mary Shea, who oversees the distance and cross country runners. ",You never know what the girls did over the summer, but Im sure someone will step up to the challenge.",
Busy trying to fill the large shoes left behind will be senior Sharlene Downing. A Las Vegas native, Downing returned to UNLV last year after transferring from Southern Illinois University, where she was a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection. She consistently trimmed her 5K time and ran a season best 18:40.0 at the West Region Championships in Fresno, CA.
",Sharlene finished strong last year, had a great season on the track and had good summer workouts,", Shea says. ",She has the talent to do well in cross country. This could be a good year for her.",
Eulista Clemons, a senior out of Detroit, MI, should be a mainstay in the Rebel lineup. Clemons has been primarily a middle-distance runner on the track and uses cross country to improve both her speed and endurance. She ran in the top seven consistently last year, logging a best time of 20:00.0 at the Oregon Invitational, and had a successful spring on the track. She ran a personal best 2:10.06 to finish fourth in the 800 meters at the WAC Indoor Championships.
",Eulista is stronger at the middle distances, but gives us everything we need from her when we need it,", Shea reports. ",She will run in our top seven.",
Senior Stephanie Davidson found a home in the Rebel lineup right away after transferring from the College of Southern Idaho. She shaved more than a minute-and-a-half off her 5K time over the season, and will be looked to as one of the Rebels top runners this year.
Davidson has spent most of the summer training hard in Seattle, WA with Jenni Nelson, who transferred to UNLV from the University of Montana. Nelson, a Bellevue, WA native, finished 19th overall at the 1998 Big Sky Conference Championships in Missoula, MT, running a season-best 18:48.62. She was a three-time All-Academic selection after maintaining a 3.4 GPA through cross country, indoor and outdoor track seasons.
",With her summer training and any sort of competitive spirit, Jenni should be able to crack into our lineup right away,", Shea says.
The Rebels missed the experience of Kathryn Goetz in the lineup last year. Goetz, a transfer from Nevada, Reno, redshirted in 1998. She runs both distance and middle distance well, and will be looked to for leaderships and performance.
Another College of Southern Idaho transfer, Paula Lechner, will try to crack the lineup this year. Like Clemons, Lechner is also primarily a middle-distance runners, but she picked up some valuable experience in 98 and represented the team at the West Region Championships, clocking a 20:55.0.
",Paula redshirted through the track season, but took advantage of that time to get into shape and improve her conditioning, stamina and strength,", Shea says. ",It should pay off when we begin this fall.",
Junior Katie Barto returns to the top five after two full seasons in the Rebel program. Barto improved her time in all but one cross country race last year and posted a season-best 19:25.0 at the West Region Championships.
",Katie is a very dedicated hard worker,", Shea says. ",She was hurt at the beginning of last season, but really came on toward the end. Her two years in the program and the busy summer she enjoyed should bring her some success this year.",
Jessamyn Parker, a sophomore from Sparks, NV, has worked out with the squad for a year, and has developed the strength and conditioning to run in the Rebels top seven this year.
",Jessamyn has been working hard to be a more competitive runner at the conference level,", Shea says.
The conference level isnt exactly easy either, as all the top cross country teams in the WAC joined UNLV in its move to the Mountain West. BYU won the national championship in 1997 and finished a close second in 1998. Colorado State, Air Force and Utah all finished in the top five in last years WAC Championships.
The Mountain West Conference Championships will be held in Provo, UT on Saturday, October 30.
