Oct. 14, 2000

Box Score

LAS VEGAS - Senior cross country runners Jenni Lopez and Katie Barto continued their hot streak this season, capturing the top-two overall individual finishes at the Eighth Annual UNLV Cross Country Invitational at Sunset Park on Saturday.

Lopez posted her first career victory, matching her career-best 5-kilometer time in 17:52. She also extends her string of top-10 finishes to four, covering every race this season.

Barto followed Lopez by a mere four seconds to take runner-up honors, also clocking a career-best time. Her mark of 17:56 is the first of her career under 18 minutes.

Lopez and Barto ran to third- and fifth-place overall finishes, respectively, at last year's UNLV Invitational.

Despite the impressive finishes by the senior duo, the team was unable to hold off the rest of the field and finished in fifth place in the team standings. Southern Utah successfully defended its title and won the men's race as well.

Junior Kelley O'Connor finished 22nd overall for UNLV, in 19:53, followed by freshmen Candice Happ-Rausch in 41st, Ajai Moreno in 47th and Nickeisha Charles in 48th.

The Thunderbirds edged Utah in the team standings, 49-66. Only one point separated Long Beach State (77) and San Diego State (78) for third place, and the Rebels finished with 98.

The men's 8-kilometer race returned to the Invitational after a two-year absence. Southern Utah topped Long Beach State 18-43 in the two-team event. The Thunderbirds captured the top three finishes and five of the top seven for the victory, led by race winner Mark Wright (25:05.9).

The meet concludes the regular season for UNLV, which now has two weeks to prepare for the Mountain West Conference Championships in Fort Collins, Colo., on Saturday, Oct. 28.