UA track and field head coach Fred Harvey began Monday’s practice like any other. But there was one jarring difference, as Harvey ditched his normal UA attire for a maroon and gold ASU shirt.

“”When you see him in that ASU shirt, you know what week it is,”” said senior Jake Arnold.

Harvey wore the shirt, which he calls a “”motivational piece,”” all week long to psyche up his team for tomorrow’s Arizona/ASU/NAU Double Dual, which will be held in Tempe.

“”It grabs the attention of everyone and gets them focused for the meet,”” said Harvey of his 28-year-old tradition.

Harvey keeps quiet about the shirt during the week, forcing the younger athletes to seek answers from the upperclassmen.

Today, Harvey will deliver a speech at the end of practice as he fires the team up for tomorrow’s meet. At the conclusion of the speech, the seniors will rip the shirt off Harvey, Arnold said.

It has become a tradition for athletes to then wear a piece of the shirt around an ankle or wrist or attach it to their uniform for the meet.

The shirt is just another motivation for Tucson native Nick Mossberg, who has disliked ASU for as long as he can remember.

“”I hate ASU. (The rivalry) is so intense, especially with coach Harvey wearing that damn shirt all week,”” Mossberg said. “”It psyches us up and lets us know what were getting ready for.””

The men’s squad will try to repeat its 2006 season success, when Arizona beat ASU for the first time in four years.

The UA men’s team is currently ranked No. 18 nationally, tied with McNeese State and Texas A&M. The ASU men’s squad is ranked No. 6.

“”They have ASU ranked ahead of us right now,”” Arnold said, “”but I know we’re better than them.””

Bobby McCoy, a wide receiver on the football team, will rejoin the track team for his first meet of the season, after concluding his spring football responsibilities.

McCoy, who was part of the 4×100-meter relay team that upset ASU in the 2006 Double Dual, will run in the 4×100m relay and the 4×400m relay.

He will take the 4×100m relay team position of junior Antoine Cason, who will compete in the 100m and the 4×400m relay.

The 4×100m team will also debut a new running order tomorrow that will lead with junior Marcus Tyus, followed by McCoy and senior Troy Harris, with sophomore Xuehan Xiong running the anchor leg.

“”Bobby is a tremendous second leg,”” Harvey said. “”There’s not a whole lot of people in the country that can run with him in the second leg.””

McCoy was given Cason’s spot in the relay after it was determined that Cason will miss the May 12-13 Pacific 10 Conference Championships because of a function honoring the Playboy All-American team, to which Cason was named April 10.

ASU’s women’s team has won the Double Dual for the past six years and is ranked No. 2 nationally, while the UA women’s squad is unranked.

Cardinal Invitational

Senior Obed Mutanya will travel to Palo Alto, Calif., Sunday morning to compete at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational.

Mutanya will be the only Wildcat competing, as he aims to qualify in the 10,000m for the May 25-26 NCAA West Regional Championships.