Three freshmen women had a strong start to their collegiate careers, winning their events in the Lumberjack Invitational in Flagstaff.

The Arizona men’s and women’s track and field teams began the 2007 indoor season on the right foot having 12 athletes record their personal bests.

“”We’ll be just as good if not better than last year’s team because of our freshman,”” said senior sprinter Troy Harris.

Harris didn’t do too bad himself, setting a personal best and school record in the preliminaries of the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.81 seconds.

“”It felt great to run up there,”” said Harris, who is no stranger to the 7,000 foot altitude of Flagstaff. “”I’ve ran up there for the past eight years,””

He finished second in the finals at 6.84 seconds.

Freshman Elizabeth Patterson provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor National Championships in the high jump with her personal best and first place finish of 1.81m. Her previous best was 1.75m.

Fellow freshman Jasmin Day finished third in the high jump with a 1.75m jump and freshman Tifney Reeves won the 400m with a time of 55.83 seconds.

(She) looked really, really good,”” UA head coach Fred Harvey said.

Freshman Christina Rodgers, who won the 800m, was another freshman who impressed Harvey who described her 2.15.73 mark as a “”huge time considering the altitude.””

Not to be upstaged by the freshmen, senior thrower Kelli Burton won the shot put and provisionally qualified for the Indoor Championships with her 15.72m throw. Burton also won the weight throw with a personal-best throw of 17.02m.

Senior sprinter Nikki Martin placed third in the 60m dash with a time of 7.44 seconds, besting senior teammate Marquita Taylor, who placed fourth by 0.03 seconds.

“”Whether I win or she wins, it doesn’t matter,”” Martin said. “”It’s just another teammate on the block.””

Senior Daniel Cook also had a strong performance, finishing first in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.04 seconds.

Sophomore Jordan Powell finished first in the long jump with a 7.47 m, coming just short of the provisional qualifying mark of 7.50m.

Junior Jarred Sola had a personal best of 17.64m in the shot put and placed fourth overall.

“”Sola will be key in outdoor events, not a lot of schools will count on him for points,”” said Harvey, who expects Sola to be a significant contributor in the bigger meets later on in the season.

Senior Kyle Marr placed second in the high jump with a personal best of 2.05m.

Harvey described the meet as a great start to what he considers a “”constant work in progress.””

The UA track and field team will be split next week between meets in Albuquerque, N.M. and Seattle, Wash. The distance runners will run in Seattle, while the rest of the athletes will compete in Albuquerque.

“”The New Mexico competition will be much greater, I gotta step my game up and hopefully get another (personal record),”” Harris said.