The Arizona track and field team will compete in the Double Dual meet on Saturday in Tempe against in-state rival ASU.
According to head coach Fred Harvey, there will likely be the most personal bests set this weekend than at any meet this year, for both teams.
“At the ASU/Arizona dual meet, traditional, that’s what you’re going to see,” Harvey said. “We don’t want to lose to them — they don’t want to lose to us.”
Currently, the Wildcat women’s squad is ranked No. 3 in the nation, and the ASU women’s team is ranked No. 8, according to US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association rankings released on Monday. Neither men’s squad is ranked.
Although some of the performances last week were not at the level expected, Harvey said, the team is right where they need to be in terms of getting ready for the Dual Meet and the upcoming Pac-12 Championships.
There will be more of a team effort this weekend, as a number of athletes will be competing in several different events.
Freshman Traci-Lynn Hicks, junior Shapri Romero, junior Tamara Pridgett and junior Germe Poston will be the quartet competing in the 4×100-meter relay. Hicks will go on to compete in the 100-meter hurdles. Pridgett will compete in the 400-meter run along with seniors Shale’ Garland, Georganne Moline and Brigetta Barrett. Hicks, Poston and Romero will compete in the 100-meter dash as well. In the 400-meter hurdles, Moline will compete. Barrett is set to compete in her event, the high jump, along with sophomore Shakayla McEaddy and junior Amber Passalaqua. Garland, Passalaqua, Poston, Pridgett and Romero will compete in the 200-meter sprint. The quartet that will run in the 4×400-meter relay will be Romero, Garland, Pridgett and Moline.
Members of the men’s team who are participating in multiple events are senior Clifton Leake, who is running with sophomore Thomas Moronta, freshman Bernard Dickerson-Quinn and senior Elliot Taylor in the 4×100-meter relay. Leake will also compete in the 400-meter hurdles and also run in the 4×400-meter relay with Dickerson-Quinn, senior James Eichberger and Delfani. Dickerson-Quinn and Delfani will compete in the 400-meter race. Eichberger will debut in the 800-meter race along with junior Lawi Lalang. Lalang is also competing in the 1,500-meter run with sophomore Sam Macaluso. They will go on to compete with freshman Jonas Legernes in the 3K.
Competition starts at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
