LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV cross country team will face off in the 2022 Mountain West Championships Friday, October 29 at 9:15 a.m. (PT) in Laramie, Wyoming.
The race will be contested on the campus of the University of Wyoming at the Jacoby Golf Course and consists of a 6k loop.
The Rebels are going into the race confident and fresh. Sophomore standout Natalia Ruiz has led the Scarlet & Gray in all four meets this season, wrapping up the regular season with a program record in the women's 6k (19:49.0). The Madrid, Spain native goes into this weekend's competition as a strong contender to make NCAA Nationals.
Earlier this season, the psychology major took home first place for the second consecuti ve Steve T. Reeder Memorial Invitational, finishing with a time of 18:08.4 in the 5k, 17 seconds ahead of second place (18:25.4). She closed out this season at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational with a program record in the 6k, shattering the previous record set in 2000 by 49 seconds (20:38.0).
Junior Isabella Schrader has also proved herself as a leader on the team, closing out the regular season with a personal best in the women's 6k with a time of 22:27.1. Juniors Ellen Wise and Mackenzie Moss also left their mark during the regular season, ending with season bests of 23:10.7 and 23:27.5, respectively. Freshman Abigail Danlang and senior LaKyla Yazzie hope to finish strong this weekend after ending the season on high notes with times of 23:34.8 and 25:29.9, respectively.
The Scarlet & Gray are clearly building to a climatic end to the regular season and are set on postseason success beginning with the MW Championships, NCAA Regionals, then hopefully their first-ever Nationals.
REBELS CLAIM WEEKLY AWARDS
- Natalia Ruiz received the first weekly award for the Scarlet & Gray (Oct. 11) earned MW Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week after finishing first individually out of 35 runners at the Steve T. Reeder Memorial Invitational with a time of 18:08.4, 17 seconds ahead of second place (18:25.4).
- Natalia Ruiz received her second conference weekly honors (Oct. 18) after setting the school record in the women's 6k at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational with a time of 19:49.0, shattering the previous program record set in 2000 by 49 seconds (20:38.0).
TUNE IN, WATCH & LISTEN
Fans can follow this weekend's cross country meet through live stats and social media. Links to stats can be found online at UNLVRebels.com in the "schedule" section of the cross country page, as well as on the team's official social media channels: @UNLVtrackCC (Twitter and Instagram).
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: The NCAA Regionals are two weeks later in Seattle, Washington on Nov. 11.
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