Oct. 28, 2000

Box Score

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Senior cross country runners Katie Barto and Jenni Lopez both finished in the top 10 at the Mountain West Conference Cross Country Championships to lead UNLV to a sixth-place finish with 166 points.

Barto led the Rebels with a fifth-place overall finish to break up an attempt at a perfect finish by BYU, who successfully defended its title with a winning score of 16 points. Barto ran a career best, covering the 6-kilometer course in 21:16.

Lopez followed closely, finishing eighth in 21:33, also a career best mark. She kept alive her streak of top-10 finishes, which covers all five races this season.

Despite the impressive runs by the two Rebel seniors, UNLV was unable to overtake San Diego State for fifth place. The two schools battled to an even score of 166, but the Aztecs earned the fifth-place spot by virtue of their sixth runner.

Junior Kelley O'Connor was the third runner in the Rebels' lineup, finishing 54th in 24:43. Rounding out the UNLV squad were freshmen Candice Happ-Rausch in 60th (26:09), Ajai Moreno in 62nd (26:53), Nickeisha Charles in 64th (27:32) and Tiffany Smith in 65th (29:36). Moreno's mark shaved a minute-and-a-half off her career best.

The Rebels will use the next two weeks to prepare for the NCAA West Regional Championships in Fresno, Calif., on Nov. 11.