May 24, 2001

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LAS VEGAS - UNLV senior distance runner Katie Barto has received a bid to compete in the 1,500 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the NCAA announced on Thursday.

A native of Henderson, Nev., and a graduate of Green Valley High School, Barto ranks 18th in the 21-participant field by time. She clocked a personal best 4:22.19 in the event two weeks ago at the Oxy Invitational.

"This is really a testament of how far Katie has come over her career," UNLV distance coach Mary Shea said. "It's been so long since UNLV has had any representation in the distance events at the NCAA Championships, and it's even more special because it's a quality person like Katie."

Barto, the only UNLV athlete still competing in the 2000-01 season, is the first Rebel to advance to the national meet in a distance event since 1987, when Trena Hull won the indoor 1,000 meters.

It will also be the second time this season Barto has qualified for an NCAA Championship event. She posted the Rebels' best ever finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championship last November, placing 74th.

The meet will be held at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore., from May 30-June 2. The preliminaries for the 1,500 will begin at 6:00 p.m. PDT on Thursday, May 31, and the finals are slated for 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 2.