April 15, 2010
WALNUT, Calif. - After flirting with the school record throughout the outdoor season, UNLV women's track and field junior Sarah Muniz posted the program's top mark in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Mt. SAC Relays on Thursday night.
Running in the elite division of the event on the track at Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Muniz finished 11th overall with a blistering time of 10:43.42, which was more than six seconds faster than the previous Rebel record. That previous record was 10:49.52, set by Michele Suszek in 2005.
"Sarah setting a school record at this point of the season is a huge accomplishment," distance coach Tony Houchin said. "I am very happy with the way Sarah and Bailey ran this evening. Both of them have made tremendous improvement this year and we should continue to do so as championship season approaches."
Also competing in the opening night of the relays was senior distance runner Bailey Kuestermeyer, who finished 14th in the 10,000 meters (Invitational University/Open Division) with a time of 35:29.57. That time is the third-fastest in Rebel history in the event.
Those two performances were a strong start for the Rebels at the meet, one of the top track and field events in the country.
The majority of the UNLV contingent will compete Friday, and UNLV head coach Yvonne Scott said there are several student-athletes she is expecting strong efforts from.
On the track Chauncey David-Jacobs in the 200 meters, Shahnel Woodley in the 200 meters, Emily Blok in the 100 and 200 meters, Kelsey Williamson in the 200 and 400 meters and Christine Lowe in the 400-meter hurdles are all capable of posting fast times. Those runners will serve as the core for both the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams that figure to be among the fastest groups running on Friday.
Away from the track and on the field, sophomore Amanda Bingson will look to add distance to her school record in the hammer throw.
"This meet is about trying to secure marks to get us to the qualifying rounds of the NCAA Championships," Scott said. "They have to fight for their spots to earn a trip to Austin and this meet is a great opportunity to do this."
UNLV will also have distance runners Courtney Allen, Lucy Beuster, Samantha Swan, Lauren Petersen and Lexie Bravo competing in the Beach Invitational, which is Saturday in Cerritos, Calif.
Fans can get live results of the Mt. SAC Relays by Clicking Here.
