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ARIZONA FOOTBALL

As our football program earns postseason awards and academic honors, I'd like to take a moment to reflect back on the 2018 season. The entire year was full of excitement and positives of what Coach Sumlin and his staff are building. Let me be clear, success in football is very important and we are all working hard to strengthen our foundation to lead us to sustainable success!  I am enthusiastic about the future of Arizona Football and this winter and spring will grow that enthusiasm.
 
We saw an increase in total and new season ticket sales, which led to growth overall in attendance this season as our alumni, fans and supporters made Arizona Stadium come alive on game days. We introduced several well-received enhancements for fans at Arizona Stadium this year following feedback from our loyal supporters. I want to thank each and every one of you who helped us improve the atmosphere and environment on Saturdays. As we go forward, we will continue to look to improve the overall gameday experience for fans. Our Southern Arizona community is a special place, and everyone who wears the colors enhance everything we do at the University of Arizona and Arizona Athletics.
 
I want to thank our fans who cheer on our football program for all of your support. You make a difference in everything we do and put this university at the forefront of greatness. Thank you again and Bear Down!
 
Arizona Athletics is currently accepting deposits for 2019 season tickets, which are $75 per seat and provide fans access to seating inventory when new sales officially go on sale. Season ticket renewals and new sales are expected to go on sale in late January. For more information or to make a deposit on season tickets, visit www.arizonawildcats.com or contact the McKale Ticket Office at 520-621-CATS.
 
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

As we hit the middle of finals week at the University of Arizona, we have reached an important time for our student-athletes. Arizona Athletics is coming off a record-breaking semester in the classroom last spring, and our student-athletes are already picking up a lot of academic awards.
 
A total of 30 Wildcats have earned Academic All-Conference honors from the Pac-12 from our Football, Soccer, Volleyball and Cross Country programs.
 
These academic accolades are a testament to the hard work of Arizona student-athletes in the classroom as well as on the field and court.  Congratulations to all of these award winners for achieving a standard of excellence on behalf of Arizona Athletics.
 
ALL-AMERICAN ACCOLADES

Congratulations to sophomore running back J.J. Taylor and our football program on the well-deserved All-America Third Team honor from the Associated Press. J.J. was second in the country in all-purpose yards with 2,107 while ranking sixth in the nation in rushing with 1,434 yards.
 
His 1,434 yards on the ground are fourth-most in single-season history at Arizona, while his 2,107 all-purpose yards are also fourth-most. His 284 yards in the Sept. 22 win at Oregon State were fourth-most in UA history, including the most ever in a road game for a Wildcat running back. Taylor scored six rushing touchdowns and added an 84-yard kickoff return score on the season.
 

 
STRIPE OUT MCKALE

Coach Miller and the Wildcats return to McKale Center for a 9 p.m. game versus Baylor on Saturday, Dec. 15. It's a great opportunity to watch this year's exciting team and enjoy a game in our first-class venue, which is one of the best in all of college basketball. If you haven't gotten your tickets for the game yet, you can click here. Saturday is our annual Stripe Out game, so consult the map below on whether to wear white or red on Saturday night. We look forward to see you this weekend!


 
ARIZONA TRACK & FIELD OFF AND RUNNING

It's exciting to see Coach Harvey and the track and field program back in action after last weekend's All-Comers Meet. Saturday's action was key preparation for the upcoming indoor track season as the program's returning All-Americans highlighted the meet. Jordan Geist, Diana Gajda, Karolina Pahlitzsch, Tatum Waggoner, Pamela White, Maksims Sincukovs, Justice Summerset and Carlos Villarreal all participated as the most decorated Wildcats mixed with a group of other talented returners and exciting newcomers.
 
The Red Team downed the Blue and White teams to earn the victory. Sophomore Matthew Treston helped pace Red to the victory with wins in the 60-Meter Hurdles and 150-Meter Dash. Red also received victories from Neysia Howard and PJ Austin in both the men's and women's 60-Meter dash.
 
Coach Harvey and the Wildcats will officially open the 2019 indoor season on Jan. 11 at the NAU Friday Night Duels in Flagstaff, Ariz.


 
BEAR DOWN WITH HONORS

Arizona student-athletes continue to set a standard of excellence academically and athletically. These tremendous young men and women are achieving their dreams and becoming the future leaders of our community. Arizona Athletics is privileged to have dozens of student-athletes studying as part of the Honors College at the University of Arizona, and Katrina Konopka of Women's Swimming and Diving is one of these many Wildcats who make us proud.
 
Katrina is a chemistry major in the College of Science who has her eyes on a doctorate degree in chemistry after earning her undergraduate degree.
 
As Katrina puts it, "I was drawn to chemistry because of my experiences at U of A.  In high school, I was determined that I was going to be a medical doctor. However, at the beginning of my sophomore year, I joined Dr. Pyun's research group, which has a focus on the synthesis and characterization of new organic polymers. After beginning to understand what it takes to discover a new material, I recognized that this was something I wanted to pursue. I am currently working to further advance infrared imaging technologies with novel polymers."
 
The senior from Greenville, S.C. is already a three-time All-American in the pool and holds a trio of top-ten fastest times in program history. Her excellence in the classroom rivals her greatness in the pool. Katrina is a proud ambassador of Arizona Athletics and a Wildcat through and through. Bear Down Katrina!


 

UPCOMING SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
 
To view the list of upcoming events, broadcast information, start times and stat links, click HERE. (Note: All times are listed as Mountain Standard Time, i.e. Tucson time.)
 
To access live stats from your desktop or mobile device, visit ArizonaLiveStats.com.
 
WEAR THE COLORS – SHARE THE PHOTOS
 
Thank you for wearing the colors and sharing your Arizona pride! If your photo submission did not make this week's edition of the Wildcat Wednesday, please check our "Wear the Colors" album at facebook.com/ArizonaAthletics on Fridays.
 
NOTE: Please submit photos for Wildcat Wednesday with an original email to uofaad@arizona.edu using the subject line 'Wildcat Wednesday photo.' Also, please ensure all submissions are clear and properly lit. We also ask that you identify everyone in the photo so we can highlight them accordingly.
 
 
 
 
 
Continue to do what you can to help Arizona Athletics and: 

1. Bear Down with us today! Join the Wildcat Club to make an impact on our student-athletes' experience.
2. Buy Season Tickets
3. Wear the Colors (Especially on Friday)
4. Encourage Others to Do the Same

 
Bear Down with Pride,

Dave Heeke
Director of Athletics
University of Arizona
uofaad@arizona.edu