May 14, 2008

LAS VEGAS - UNLV track and field will begin competition Friday at the 2008 Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which is being held at Lowdon Track and Field Complex in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU is the host institution for the meet, which got underway on Wednesday with the heptathlon and pentathlon.

The first full day of events is Friday, and first-year head coach Yvonne Scott-Williams will oversee a group of 17 UNLV student-athletes who are entered in the meet. There are several Rebels who have the chance to score points in a variety of events and Scott-Williams is hoping to see a strong finish this weekend by her team

"Although depth is going to hurt us this year, we have group of athletes that will definitely make noise in some events," Scott-Williams said. "Our relay teams should do well and we hope that the competition will bring us a few more NCAA West Regional qualifying marks. I am pleased with the improvements this team has made thus far, so now it is another opportunity for them to test themselves and end the season with their heads held high."

In the sprints, possible point scorers for UNLV include Lauren Johnson (100 and 200 meters), Lekeisha Lawson (100 meters) and Brittney Bullocks (400 meters). Bullocks has a run a personal-best time of 54.58 in the 400 meters, which qualified her for regionals. The Rebels' 4x100 meter relay team has also turned in the second-fastest time in the conference this season, clocking a regional-qualifying time of 45.38.

UNLV sophomore Charlotte Browning, last year's freshman of the year, will be looking to defend her 1,500 meter title she won last year as a rookie, and she will bring the fifth-fastest time in the event this year to the meet. Jennifer Shearer also has a chance to score points in the 10,000 meters.

Away from the track and in the field events, senior Monique Humphries should contend for points in the hammer throw, an event she holds the Rebel record in with a distance of 165'-7.00".

The first event of the day on Friday is the women's 10,000 meter finals, set to run at 5:30 a.m. (PST), and the first field events are the men's high jump and the men's discus at 8:30 a.m.

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