Nov. 20, 2000

AMES, Iowa - UNLV senior cross country star Katie Barto finished 74th of 255 individuals at the NCAA Women's Cross Country Championships on Monday at the ISU Cross Country Course.

Barto, a native of Henderson, Nev., became just the second ever athlete to represent UNLV at the cross country national finals. Despite freezing temperatures, she clocked 21:47.0 over the 6-kilometer course to claim 74th place, the best-ever finish by a Rebel at the championships.

In their only other appearance, the Rebels were represented by Angie Fortner in 1998, who finished 136th overall.

Colorado's Kara Grgas-Wheeler won the event and led the Buffaloes to the team title with 117 points.

The race concludes the 2000 cross country season. Barto will take several weeks off before beginning indoor track and field competition.