Cal State San Bernardino's women's cross country team is traveling out of state to kick off the 2008 running season, competing in the college division 4K run portion of the University of Nevada, Reno Twilight Run on Friday night. First race is at 5 p.m at Rancho San Rafael Park.
    Head Coach Tom Burleson, the dean of the university's athletic coaches, begins his 19th season with the Coyotes who will actually host two meets in San Bernardino this season – the Coyote Invitational on Sept. 20 and the CCAA conference championship for men and women on Oct. 25. 
    Unlike last season when Burleson had four of his top five runners return, he starts 2008 without those four – Kim Miller, Amy Gilsen, Megan Holt and Holly DiGerolamo. All four were seniors in 2007-08. 
    The returnees are led by captain Kari Brandt, a senior from Rim of the World High School. Also back is junior Shawna Alvarez (Twentynine Palms High School), junior Jennifer Garcia (San Bernardino HS), senior Alena Mohd-Yusof (Victor Valley College), and junior Marlene Malagon (Yucaipa HS). 
    Heading the list of newcomers is freshman Nikki Chestnut, the No. 1 runner in both cross country and distance running in track at Cajon High School in 2007-08. Chestnut was the San Andreas League champion in cross country and in both the 800 and 1,600 meters in track. 
    Other newcomers include Anjelica Lopez, a junior who competed in cross country and track at Cajon HS, graduating in 2005; Vanessa Graff, a junior who competed in track and cross country at Yucaipa High School; Kim Bernardy, a freshman who played basketball and ran cross country at Redlands East Valley HS; Anjuli Nieto, a junior who ran track and cross country at Serrano High School; Kindra Funch, a freshman who ran both sports at Riverside Poly High School; and Jordan Arnswald, a senior who competed with the Coyotes as a freshman out of Yucca Valley High School, then played soccer at San Bernardino Valley College for two seasons. 
    UC Riverside won the 2007 edition of the Reno Twilight Run with Nevada-Reno second followed by UCLA, Sacramento State and Humboldt State. 
    YOTES NOTES: The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association produced its 2008 pre-season West Region ranking this week and the Coyotes were ranked No. 10….Seattle Pacific was ranked No. 1 followed by CCAA members Cal State L.A., Chico State and UC San Diego. Central Washington was fifth followed by Alaska Anchorage, Western Oregon, Cal State Stanislaus, San Francisco State and the Coyotes…..the Sept. 20 Coyotes Invitational and the CCAA meet will be run on a 6K course at Glen Helen Regional Park in Devore…..entries for the Sept. 20 meet include UC San Diego, Cal State L.A., Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Stanislaus, Cal State Monterey Bay, Point Loma Nazarene and University of Redlands.