RUIZ SNAGS FIRST MOUNTAIN WEST WEEKLY HONOR OF INDOOR SEASON
X: @UNLVTrackCC | IG: @unlvtrackandcc | Schedule
The UNLV women’s track & field team kicked off the 2023 indoor season over the course of last week out east in Boston, sending four distance runners to represent the Rebels. Out of the four members of the Scarlet & Gray to compete, junior Natalia Ruiz earned recognition for her results by picking up the first Mountain West Track Athlete of the Week honor of the season, the league announced on Tuesday.
Ruiz’s performance at the Sharon-Colyear Danville Season Opener on Saturday rewrote the UNLV record books, registering a 9:21.39 time in the women’s 3000m that marked the top time in the program’s history in the event. The time dropped her own UNLV record by 25 seconds, also marking an 11-second personal best note in her running career overall.
The junior finished 34th overall in the competitive field that featured professional athletes, beating out the next-place finisher by .27 seconds. The Spain native also had a great back-half of the race that helped cement her a new personal best and program record, moving up five spots within the last 800m of the race. Her previously mentioned split was listed as a 2:26.33 time.
The Rebels will compete next at the Spokane Sports Showcase, hosted by The Podium after the New Year. The meet will take place in Spokane, Wash., on Friday, Jan. 12. More info on the meet will be coming soon, so check back to UNLVrebels.com to stay up-to-date on all things Scarlet & Gray.
