May 11, 2004

LAS VEGAS - The UNLV women's track & field team hosts the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships for the first time in school history as the 2004 championship meet starts on Wednesday at the Myron Partridge Stadium/Sheila Tarr Smith Field on the UNLV campus.

The championships begin with the women's heptathlon on Wednesday morning at 10:30 am, while the men's decathlon will start at 11 am. Both events will conclude on Thursday, with the rest of the track and field events beginning on Friday at 8 am. The meet will conclude on Saturday, will events beginning at 8 am, and running through the day up through the awards ceremony set for 3:45 pm on Saturday afternoon.

UNLV looks to take advantage of hosting the conference meet on its home track, as the last time the Rebels hosted a home meet, they posted five NCAA regional qualifying marks and a school record in the UNLV Invite back on April 24. One of the expected highlights for the Rebels should be provided by senior Christine Spence, the current favorite in the high jump (tied for first in the conference with a mark of 1.78m). Spence will also content in both the 100 and 400m hurdles, and will lead off the Rebels' 4x100m relay, ranked third in the MWC, and she will also compete in the heptathlon for the first time in her career on Wedneday.

Leading the Rebel sprinters is Halima Decree, who has already posted NCAA qualifying marks in both the 100m dash (second in the MWC at 11.57) and the 200m dash. Kiyota Reed could push DeCree in the 100m for a top three finish, and is also UNLV's top threat in the 100m hurdles, ranked fourth in the league with a time of 13.76. Miesha McClendon is right behind Reed in the 100m hurdles, and both have met NCAA marks this season. Both will also join DeCree and Spence on the 4x100m relay.

Spence isn't the only jumper that will contend for a top-three finish, as senior Tiffany Smith is the fifth Rebel to have qualified for the NCAA regionals, and is ranked second in the triple jump in the MWC with a mark of 12.34m.

Following the MWC championship meet, the Rebels will then compete in the 2004 NCAA West Regionals, held in Northridge, Calif., on May 28-29.