LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV track & field program will return to action this week in West Texas and the Pacific Northwest with student-athletes participating Friday and Saturday in a pair of indoor meets hosted by Texas Tech and Washington. A small contingent of Rebels will travel to Seattle for the UW Invitational, while a larger group will head to Lubbock, Texas for the Texas Tech Invitational.
UW Invitational: Schedule | Live Stats | Watch ($) / Texas Tech Invitational: Schedule | Live Stats | Watch
The Scarlet & Gray will be represented in Seattle at Washington's Dempsey Indoor by seven student-athletes in three events: 800m, shot put and weight throw.
Acacia Astwood,
Mackenna Howard and
Cassidy Osborne-Butler will descend upon the Dempsey Indoor first with Friday night's weight throw at 5:00 pm. Howard and Osborne-Butler return to action Saturday at 1:00 pm in the shot put with teammate
Aaliyah Soa. The trio of
Elisa Rovere,
Emma Wahlenmaier and
Avi'Tal Wilson-Perteete will run in the 800m, with the latter slated to take part in the invite portion at 4:25 pm.
The Rebels will send 12 student-athletes to Texas Tech's Sports Performance Center in Lubbock. Friday's schedule, which starts at 5:00 pm CT (3:00 pm PT) for UNLV, consists of the prelims and final rounds of the 60m and 60m hurdles as well as the 400m and triple jump. Saturday's slate is comprised of the 200m, long jump and high jump, and begins at 11:00 am CT (9:00 am PT).
Running in both the 60m and 200m in the Lone Star State are
Emerald Bowens,
Cassondra Hall,
Kaysha Love and
Tianna Randle.
Alexis Surrell will also run in the 200m as well as the 400m alongside teammate Amari Prude.
Jada Hicks and
Jazlynn Shearer will run in the 60m hurdles, while the latter will compete in the long jump and triple jump.
Jaylen Walker and
Jonon Young are entered in both the long jump and triple jump, while
Jartierra Grissom will take part in the high jump.
LOOKING BACK: UNLV registered 21 top-eight finishes, including wins in five events, at Northern Arizona's Lumberjack Team Challenge two weeks ago. The Rebels got individual wins from Hall (60m), Shearer (triple jump), Surrell (400m) and Young (long jump), while the 4x400m relay (Surrell, Hall, Love and Wilson-Perteete) finished atop the standings, too.
QUOTABLE: "We really wanted to focus on getting our student-athletes to the best competitive atmosphere for their events this weekend," said head coach
Yvonne Wade. "We want them to get used to competing with more of a push from others at the highest level, and that's really the only way to get better. We are excited to see what the team will do with a little heat."
IN THE STANDINGS: UNLV has two student-athletes sitting atop the Mountain West standings in the 60m, 60m hurdles and triple jump. In all, the Scarlet & Gray owns 20 top-8 spots in a total of 10 events.
-In the 60m, UNLV owns five of the top-6 spots with Hall (7.30) and Love (7.33) sitting 1-2 in the MW as well as 20th and 25th in the nation.
-In the 400m, UNLV owns three of the top-6 spots with Surrell (55.20) sitting third overall.
-Shearer sits first overall in both the 60m hurdles (8.34) and triple jump (41-9.75/12.74m - 27th nationally).
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Jada Hicks is second in the 60m hurdles (8.40).
-Young sits second in triple jump (41-4.25/12.60m) and third the long jump (19-5.5/5.93m).
-Howard sits third in the shot put (49-1.75/14.98m).
