2017 Mountain West Indoor Championships: Championships Central | Schedule | Live Results | Thursday's Results

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV track & field program got off to a great start at the 2017 Mountain West Indoor Championships Thursday. Stella Clemens finished second in the women's pentathlon to tie for the best finish by a Rebel in the five-discipline event dating back to the Conference's inaugural season (2000).

Clemens amassed a career-high 3,783 points with help from a pair of second-place finishes in the shot put and long jump behind personal-best measurements of 41-8 (12.70m) and 18-7.75 (5.68m), respectively. She took third in the high jump (5-3.25/1.61m) and eighth in both the 60m hurdles (9.26) and 800m (2:27.85 PB).

The German national tied Christine Spence (3,958) and Heather Steadham's (3,703) for the best finish by a Rebel in the event at the MW Indoors.

After day one, UNLV sits in fifth place with eight points. New Mexico sits atop the standings with 14 points while Utah State, Fresno State and Boise State are deadlocked in second with 10 apiece.

The Scarlet & Gray will compete in a total of eight events tomorrow, six of which are on the track and are qualifiers for Saturday's finals. The women's weight throw and long jump will take place Friday and each are scheduled for trials and finals of the event.

Besides the six track events that carryover from Friday, the Rebels will also participate in the high jump, triple jump, shot put and 4x400m relay Saturday.

Ayana Gales sits 30th nationally in the long jump with a season-best mark of 20-3 (6.17m), which ranks first in the Mountain West. Gales is also seventh overall in the MW in the triple jump (39.3/11.96m).

UNLV has two ranked second in the MW with Destiny Smith-Barnett in the 60m (7.32) and Kaysee Pilgrim in the high jump (5-10.75/1.80m).

Smith-Barnett is one of three Rebels that are in the top 10 of both the 60m and 200m, and she sits fourth in the latter with a time of 24.22). Kaysha Love is fifth in the 60m (7.45) and eighth in the 200m (24.36) while Drea Austin is seventh (7.49) and ninth (24.46), respectively, in those two races.

UNLV has three more sitting in third through fourth in the 60m hurdles. Taylor Pegram legged out the program's all-time performance in the event at the Lumberjack Team Challenge to kick off the season in 8.31. Jaela Williams, who is also third in the long jump (19-8.75/6.01m), is fourth in the 60m hurdles (8.43) while Amari Norris is fifth (8.44).

Rounding out those in the top 10 on the track are Mandy Chitwood, who is fifth in the 800m (2:11.98) and twins Nylia and Najia Hudspeth, who are eighth (56.29) and 10th overall (56.38) in the 400m.

The Hudspeths will partner with Austin and Micayla Coquia to run the 4x400m relay Saturday.

In field events, Danielle Williams is seventh in the triple jump (39-4/11.99m) and Vanessa Sierra is 10th in the shot put (46-0/14.02m). The latter will also compete in the weight throw Friday.