Olivia DiNardo helped lead the No. 25 Arizona softball team to a shutout win against No. 8 University of Washington on Sunday, March 17. The Huskies were defeated 2-0 by the Wildcats in the final game of the series. Meanwhile, the track and field team competed in the Arizona Spring Break Fiesta and won six events to start the outdoor season.
Player of the Week
Olivia DiNardo – Catcher, softball
DiNardo helped her team to a victory on Sunday afternoon. She hit a home run that won the game in the sixth inning. Both sides held each other scoreless for the first five innings of the game, setting up a pitcher’s duel. DiNardo plays catcher and first base. Currently a sophomore, she is from San Mateo, California. She was ranked as the No. 7 recruit nationally by Extra Inning Softball and ranked No. 2 catcher by Extra Inning Softball going into college.
In 2023, she appeared in 54 games and made 51 starts; 31 as the designated player and 20 behind the plate. Her freshman year of college, she led Arizona with a .382 batting average to rank ninth in the Pac-12 and 15th among NCAA Division I freshmen. She was also ranked third among Pac-12 freshmen in batting average (.382), on-base percentage (.458), and doubles (10). She now has brought her team to a (17-3) season and (20-7-1) overall.
Team of the Week
Track and field
Arizona Spring Break Fiesta, hosted by Arizona Track & Field on Saturday, March 16, at Roy P. Drachman Stadium, marked the start of this year’s outdoor season. It was the Wildcats’ first time hosting the competition. With six event victories, 15 top-three placements and a flurry of personal bests, the Wildcats wrapped up the day strong.
In the 4 x 100 meters relay, the Arizona men’s team got off to a quick start to the outdoor season. With a timing of 39.33, the team consisting of James Onanubosi, Brian Limage, Tyson Tippett and Trayvion White-Austin won the competition. In the women’s hammer throw, Ava David gave the Wildcats a good start to the day. In the event, she came in second place with a throw of 192-0 (58.52m). In this event, Tapenisa Havea also advanced to the final round, finishing ninth.
Havea now ranks eighth all-time in school history thanks to that performance. Lauryn Love also placed sixth in the competition.
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