The No. 9 men’s and unranked women’s Arizona track and field teams will try to continue their outdoor successes as they compete at home in this weekend’s Jim Click Shootout at Roy P. Drachman Stadium.ÿ
The meet, which began yesterday and concludes tomorrow, is free and open to the public and will be a lot tougher than last week’s Willie Williams Classic, said Arizona track and field head coach Fred Harvey.
“”There are no high school events, no junior colleges,”” Harvey said. “”It’s a team invitational only.””
The event comes after three Wildcats were named to the 2006 U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s NCAA Division I Indoor All-America team on Wednesday.
Senior All-American distance runner Robert Cheseret, senior thrower Sean Shields and junior decathlete Jacob Arnold were all selected for their outstanding performances this season.
Arnold currently holds the Arizona school heptathlon record with 5,640 points, while Cheseret was recently selected as the Pacific 10 Conference Athlete of the Year in both cross country and track and field. Shields is the school record-holder in both the indoor and outdoor shot put.
While the competition at the Jim Click Shootout will not be scored, it will include some of the best athletes from big name schools such as Notre Dame, Harvey said.
He said there will also be participants from Wyoming, Kansas State, San Diego State, New Mexico, Nebraska, Brigham Young, Kent State and ASU.
Harvey said he feels all of the schools could bring tough competition for the Wildcats.
“”We designed the meet (so that we) could get the best throughout the country to compete in different events,”” Harvey said. “”Some are going to have great throwers, some great distance runners.
“”We try to make sure we got something for our entire team.””
Although Cheseret will not be competing in the home meet, Harvey said he is confident his sprinters, especially on the women’s side, will step up for the Wildcats and take control of the competition.
“”The ladies side should all continue to do well,”” Harvey said.
Among the athletes expected to shine are senior sprinter Marquita Taylor, senior hurdler Jennifer Whitlock and junior sprinter Nikki Martin.
Martin, who placed third in last weekend’s 200-meter race with a time of 24.14, said she hopes to do better this time around.
“”I hope to qualify in the 200-meter dash for regionals as well as be an important factor in each of our relays,”” she said.
Martin is confident she will perform at her best.
“”I’m not nervous,”” Martin said. “”I’m confident that my practice will pay off and that I will get the results I’m looking for.””
Whitlock said this weekend is all about proving the entire team can come together as a whole and beat other schools.
“”I am excited because I know our team is good,”” Whitlock said. “”I have yet to see how good we really are.
Whitlock also said she is especially looking forward to competing against rival ASU and hopes to do well.
“”This meet, I just want to concentrate on running a clean, fast 4-by-100 as well as 4-by-4,”” Whitlock said.
