Wildcats Return Home for Senior Night at Desert Heat Classic

TUCSON, Ariz. – After last week's Mt. SAC Relays, Arizona Track & Field returns home this week for the Desert Heat Classic at Drachman Stadium on Saturday. The competition is the last regular season home meet for the team and will include a senior awards presentation. The meet is also a red out for the team and fans.
 
The meet will be highly competitive with Alabama, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Colorado, CSUN, Eastern Washington, Grand Canyon, Houston, Idaho, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Oregon, Purdue, San Diego State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UC Riverside, and UTEP competing.
 
Saturday's competition will begin at 12:00 p.m. MST with field events. Track events will begin at 5:00 p.m. MST right after the senior awards presentation. At 6:40 p.m. MST, the annual "Fastest Kid in Tucson" race will be held.

Live results for all the events can be found here.  
 
"The 2024 Desert Heat Classic will be one of the top competitions in the world to date," said Head Coach Fred Harvey. "Last year it was ranked as the 82nd best competition in the world by World Athletics. With the confirmed universities competing this year, it will give our athletes and community a fantastic opportunity to see the best the NCAA, and the world has to offer. With this being the start of championship season for us, it's just what we need to prepare for the Pac-12 and NCAA Championships."
 
At last week's Mt. SAC Relays, the Wildcats faced a highly competitive field featuring some of the top ranked teams in the nation. At the competition, Antonia Sanchez Nunez clocked a personal best time of 57.14 in the women's elite 400m hurdles which moves her up to seventh all-time in school history. In the men's elite 100m, Trayvion White-Austin clocked a time of 10.15 which is just 0.01 seconds off his personal best and school record time. The Wildcats also logged four top-three finishes on the weekend: Emma Gates in the high jump, Jared O'Riley in the elite javelin, Michael Ogbeiwi in the collegiate shot put, and Cade Russo in the collegiate 800m.
 
Entering the weekend, both Emma Gates (high jump) and Jenica Bosko (long jump) rank first in the Pac-12 in their respective events. In the men's long jump, Reinaldo Rodrigues and Pierce LaCoste are tied for second in the conference. Other Wildcats ranked in the top three in the conference include Tapenisa Havea (shot put), Jared O'Riley (javelin), Antonia Sanchez Nunez (400m hurdles), Sir Jonathan Sims (triple jump), Yan Vazquez (400m hurdles), Trayvion White-Austin (100m), and the men's 4x100m relay.
 
Nationally, LaCoste, Rodrigues, and Sims rank fifth, sixth, and seventh in the long jump. Additionally, Gates ranks 12th in the high jump, Bosko ranks 13th in the long jump, Sanchez Nunez ranks 19th in the 400m hurdles, and White-Austin ranks 20th in the 100m.
 
Entering the weekend, the Wildcats have seven events ranked in the top 25 in the USTFCCCA Event Squad Rankings. Women's 400m hurdles and women's long jump lead the list with both being ranked third in the nation. Other event groups included men's long jump seventh, men's 100m 12th, men's 200m 16th, women's 400m 19th, and women's high jump 21st.
 
A meet recap will be posted here detailing the competition results. Live updates will also be posted to @ArizonaTrack on X.
 
SENIOR HIGHLIGHTS
Ava David: Ranks fifth all-time in school history in the women's hammer throw with a personal best heave of 195-10 (59.70m). Has scored points at two straight Pac-12 Championships in the hammer throw. Has competed in two straight NCAA West First Round Championships in the hammer throw. Posted a personal best of 58-10 (17.93m) in the weight throw during this indoor season. 2x USTFCCCA Women's All-Academic Team. From Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Lauryn Ford: Clocked personal bests of 11.85 in the 100m, 24.53 in the 200m, and 7.66 in the indoor 60m during her time as a Wildcat. Jumped a personal best of 19-11.5 (6.08m) in the long jump during this outdoor season to finish third at the Willie Williams Classic. Was a member of Arizona's 4x100m relay team that clocked the second fastest time in school history last season of 44.43. Competed in the 4x100m, 100m, 200m, and long jump at last year's Pac-12 Championships. From Kent, Washington.

Joseph Green: Became the Guamanian National Men's Indoor 60m Record Holder with a personal best time of 7.04 in the men's 60m at this year's World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. Has ran personal best times in the 100m (10.87) and 200m (22.19) during this outdoor season. Competed in the 200m at last year's Pac-12 Championships. From Yigo, Guam.

Logan Hasher: Has clocked personal best times of 52.58 in the 400m hurdles, 15.20 in the 110m hurdles, 47.30 in the 400m, and 8.45 in the indoor 60m hurdles during his time as a Wildcat. His 400m hurdles personal best came in last year's Pac-12 Championships where he placed sixth overall and also competed in the 4x400m at the meet. Competed at last year's NCAA West First Round Championships. Was a member of Arizona's 4x400m relay team that clocked the sixth fastest time in school history in 2021. From Scottsdale, Arizona.

Tanner Kippes: Cleared a personal best height of 16-8.75 (5.10m) in the pole vault during his time as a Wildcat. Finished seventh in the pole vault at the Pac-12 Championships in 2022 and competed in the event at last year's Pac-12 Championships as well. Competed at the 2022 NCAA West First Round Championships. From Phoenix, Arizona.

Pierce LaCoste: Jumped a personal best distance of 26-2.25 (7.98m) at the Jim Click Shootout this outdoor season to win the competition, which is the fourth best mark in Arizona school history. Finished second in the long jump at the River Hawk Invitational during the indoor season. Ran personal best times in the indoor 60m (6.81) and outdoor 100m (10.62) during his time as a Wildcat. From Eugene, Oregon.

Athena Montgomery: Has clocked personal bests of 1:00.86 in the 400m hurdles, 56.85 in the 400m, and 1:35.86 in the indoor 600m during her time at Arizona. Has competed in the 400m hurdles at two straight Pac-12 Championships. Was a member of Arizona's 4x400m relay team that finished second at last year's Jim Click Shootout. From Phoenix, Arizona.

Presley Money: Has ran personal best times in both the 100m (12.07) and 200m (24.59) this outdoor season. Also ran a wind-aided 100m time of 11.97 (+3.4) at this year's Willie Williams Classic. Competed in the 200m at the 2022 Pac-12 Championships. Clocked a personal best time of 7.89 in the indoor 60m during her time as a Wildcat. From Frisco, Texas.

Jared O'Riley: 2023 Pac-12 Champion in the men's javelin. His personal best throw in the javelin of 235-6 (71.79m) came at last year's Pac-12 Championships and ranks fourth all-time in school history. Finished 12th in the javelin at last year's NCAA West First Round Championships and has competed in two straight NCAA Championships in the javelin where he has earned two outdoor honorable mention All-American honors. Has won two javelin competitions this outdoor season and finished third in the elite javelin at the Mt. SAC Relays. From Woodstock, Ontario, Canada.

Rylee Perkins: Jumped a personal best in the triple jump of 40-10.25 (12.45m), which is sixth all-time in school history, at last year's Jim Click Shootout to place second. Also posted a personal best in the long jump of 19-2.75 (5.86m) during her time as a Wildcat. Has competed in the triple jump at three straight Pac-12 Championships (also competed in the long jump in 2022). From Phoenix, Arizona.

Jacob Samford: Clocked a personal best time of 46.93 in the 400m at this year's Jim Click Shootout to finish fourth. Won the 400m during the indoor season at the NAU Friday Night Axe'em Open in his Wildcat debut. Was a member of Arizona's 4x400m team that ran a season best time of 3:10.23 at this year's Jim Click Shootout. From Gilbert, Arizona.

Trayvion White-Austin: Arizona school record holder in the outdoor 100m, outdoor 4x100m relay, indoor 60m, and indoor 200m. His 100m school record time of 10.14 won the event at this year's Willie Williams Classic and broke Michael Bates' 33-year-old record. Broke both the indoor 60m (6.63) and 200m (20.64) school records during this indoor season. Was a member of Arizona's 4x100m relay team that broke the school record in the event last outdoor season with a time of 38.82. 2x Pac-12 Men's Track Athlete of the Week. Finished third in the 200m, fourth in the 4x100m, fifth in the 4x400m, and 10th in the 100m at last year's Pac-12 Championships. Finished 18th in the 4x100m at the NCAA Championships. From Tucson, Arizona.
 
WHO'S COMPETING
MEN
Jesse Avina, Julius Cheek, Isaac Davis, Leo Davis, Zachary Extine, Joseph Green, Sam Hala'ufia, Logan Hasher, Jacob Kauffman, Tanner Kippes, Pierce LaCoste, Brian Limage, Tyler Michelini, Jared O'Riley, Michael Ogbeiwi, James Onanubosi, Cooper Quigley, Noah Ray, Reinaldo Rodrigues, Cade Russo, Ian Sanchez Lopez, Ayden Schilb, Christian Simmons, Sir Jonathan Sims, Tyson Tippett, Michael Urbanski, Yan Vazquez
 
WOMEN
Malaya Abueg, Camila Aguilar-Perez, Esther Akinlosotu, Jade Brown, Jenica Bosko, Oli Clark, Ava David, Olivia Dillon, Lauryn Ford, Emma Gates, Keilee Hall, Tapenisa Havea, Laura Holánszky, Molly Lakustiak, Lauryn Love, Aislin Martinez-Pompa, Kara Mickelson, Paris Mikinski, Dakota Minor, Presley Money, Athena Montgomery, Sage Patzer, Rylee Perkins, Hollan Powers, Emily Psarras, Zana Ryan, Antonia Sanchez Nunez, Xahria Santiago, Ava Simms, Amelia Stuart, Sydnie Vanek, McKenna Watson, Kelly Lyn Wetteland, Taylen Wise, Cecelia Woods
 
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