Feb. 3, 2001

Box Score

YPSILANTI, Mich. - The UNLV track and field team won the 4X400-meter relay, the final event of the day, to hold on and finish in second place at the Eastern Michigan Invitational at Bob Parks Indoor Track on Saturday.

However, it was the accomplishments of two individuals that highlighted the day for the Rebels. Sophomore sprinter Michele Davis, a native of nearby Lansing, Mich., won both the 60 and 200 meters and provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 200. Her winning mark of 24.21 eclipsed the qualifying standard of 24.25.

Sophomore jumper Tianika Sharrieff also provisionally qualified for the NCAAs, clearing 5-10 in the high jump and breaking a 10-year-old school record. She won the event by two inches and topped Trevaia Williams' mark of 5-9 as the Rebels' highest indoor leap.

The Rebels entered the relay leading Pittsburgh by a half-point and host Eastern Michigan by two before pulling out their fourth victory of the meet. Christine Spence, Melanie Williams, Nickeisha Charles and Davis teamed up to clock 3:45.58 in the 4X400-meter relay, defeat Pittsburgh by 0.11 seconds and hold off the Panthers for second place in the team standings.

Miami (OH) won the six-team competition with 122 points. UNLV finished with 110, followed by Pittsburgh's 107.5 and Eastern Michigan's 104.

In addition to the four victories, UNLV's depth proved helpful with a balanced scoring attack. Along with her contribution in the relay, Spence chipped in another six team points by clearing 5-6 and finishing third in the high jump.

Williams, Charles and freshman Tiarra Jones filled in the sprint events. Williams finished sixth in the 60 and seventh in the 400. Charles was just ahead of her in the 400, finishing fifth, and Jones posted a fourth-place finish in the 60 and a seventh-place effort in the 200.

Katie Barto helped out in the distance events, finishing second in the mile. Her time of 5:01.54 ranks her fourth-best in the event in UNLV history.

UNLV also got significant scoring from its jumping crew. Belisa Suarez, Patrice Harvey and Tiffany Smith added 17 team points to the Rebels' total with second-, fourth- and fifth-place finishes in the long jump, respectively. Suarez and Smith also scored in the triple jump, and Harvey finished fifth in the 60-meter high hurdles.

Freshman Leah Johnson, in just her second collegiate competition, finished fifth in the shot put (42-0.5), while Charlotte Covington cleared 10-7 to finish fifth in the pole vault.

UNLV hits the road again next weekend, heading upstate to the Bill Cosby Invitational in Reno, Nev., on Saturday, Feb. 10. The Bill Cosby Invite will be the Rebels' last competition before the Mountain West Conference Championships, set for Feb. 22-24 in Colorado Springs, Colo.