After two hard mid-season training weeks, a still tired Wolf Pack took second of three teams while hosting the Nevada Chase Race on a warm, sunny Saturday morning at Rancho San Rafael Park. With an ever changing line up, some of those in the middle of the Nevada line up used the Chase Race to their advantage, coming up with excellent personal performances. 

The 5000 meter Chase Race, a handicap style race with seeded groups of runners starting in waves thirty second apart, allowed for the small field to become closer together in the final kilometer, rather than farther apart. Subtracting the various handicaps post-race gave a traditional order of finish and actual finishing times. The new two loop course, debuting at the Chase Race, proved like other configurations at Rancho, to be a tough, grinding course that was good for racing, but not so good for times.

Jenifer McEntire (JR/Clovis, CA/Fresno CC/Clovis East HS), showing her performance in the early season meets was not a fluke, led Nevada for the second meet in a row finishing fifth overall. McEntire put in a solid, workman like performance on legs that were admittedly tired from the recent training. But behind her, the line up reconfigured itself yet again. Like a jigsaw puzzle whose pieces keep jumping on and off the table, the Wolf Pack line up has been a blurry, indistinct picture. 

The middle of Nevada’s scoring spots revealed some bright spots, however. Sophomore Gloria Sosa (Carson City, NV/Carson HS) had the best race of her collegiate career finishing seventh overall and second for the Pack. A tough, gritty Nicole Painter (SO/Mililani, HI/Mililani HS) displayed her consistency, holding up the middle of the Pack’s line up, running third for the Pack for the third meet in a row, taking eighth overall. After a two week illness that caused her to miss the Sundodger Invite, Tara Dines (SO/Sierra City, CA/Downieville HS) returned to the line up with by far her best collegiate performance, running number four for the Pack, finishing in 11th.

Due to a spate of illnesses and minor injuries, the last two meets the Wolf Pack has fielded seven runners. However, a clearer picture of what Nevada’s team can be may emerge at Santa Clara’s Bronco Invite on October 16th, as it appears, with a bit of luck, the Pack will have 10 or more athletes toeing the line. If so, the picture on the jigsaw puzzle will finally start to reveal itself.


COURSE
A 2 loop layout over trails and long grass that had a gradual steady 500 meter climb and one steeper 40 meter hill on each loop.

TEAM RESULTS
Utah 19, Nevada 47, Sacramento St 58

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 21 finishers
Name/Year Place Time Notes
Jenifer McEntire/JR 5 20:43 2nd meet in a row as NV’s #1
Gloria Sosa/SO 7 20:57 Highest finish ever as collegian/on team.
Nicole Painter/SO 8 21:05 After running 8th-9th last yr, 3rd time at #3.
Tara Dines/SO 11 21:30 As at NV Twilight, ran #4 for Pack
Alissa Hood/FR 16 22:23 2nd time in top 5
Mariah Gramolini/FR 17 22:30 2nd time as 6th for Pack
Katarina Ratkowiak/SO 18 22:42 1st race of the season