The UA men and women’s track and field team began its season by competing in Flagstaff on Saturday. The Wildcats competed in the 2016 LumberJack Team Challenge at NAU.

Arizona had some strong individual performances to open the season, which made head coach Fred Harvey happy with his team.

“I thought we had a really good first competition,” Harvey said in a press release. “We competed really hard, well and at a high level. To be able to open up with some of the marks we had was very satisfying.”

Leading the way for the Wildcats was Pau Tonnesen. Tonnesen set a new personal record in the men’s pole vault event with a height of 17-6.5 (5.35 m).

Placing behind Tonnesen in the pole vault event for the Wildcats was Harrison Ivie with a mark of 15-5.00 (4.7m) earning himself a sixth place finish.

Logan Westlake placed ninth in the pole vault, finishing with a mark of 13-11.25 (4.25 m).

Tonnesen also typically competes in his main event, the decathlon, but this meet did not have the event scheduled.

Other notable men’s finishers were Aaron Castle and Viktor Gardenkranz in the men’s shot put event. Castle threw a mark of 57-10.50 (17.64 m), finishing sixth, and Gardenkranz finished ninth with a toss of 52-10.75 (16.12 m).

In the men’s 400–meter race, Michael Demby finished in sixth place with a time of 49.43. Coming in 13th for the Wildcats was Gustavs Kehris with a mark of 51.12.

In the men’s 800–meter race the Wildcat’s top finisher was Hunter Davila, finishing third with a time of 1:56.59. Daniom Tecle finished right behind him in fourth, with a mark of 1:56.75.

Miles Parish rounded out the Wildcat’s finishers with a time of 1:59.02 earning himself a 13th-place finish.

On the women’s side, there were multiple first-place finishers.

Lisanne Hagens finished first in the women’s high jump. Hagens had a jump of 5-8.75 (1.75 m). Emily Gerard finished in second behind Hagens with a jump of 5-7.0 (1.70 m).

“I’m pretty excited,” Hagens said. “It was a good opener. I thought it went really well but I feel like there is more to come.”

Addi Zerrenner finished first in the women’s one–mile run with a time of 5:11.01. Coming in behind Zerrenner for the Wildcats were Taryn Estavillo and Hannah Whetzel. Estavillo finished in 11th with a mark of 5:40.21 and Whetzel finished in 14th running a time of 5:49.32.

In the women’s 400–meter race, Tatum Waggonerfinished first with a time of 54.39. Nnenya Hailey finished soon after with a time of 54.9, earning herself a third-place finish.

Coming in right after Hailey in fourth place was Gia Trevisan who had a mark of 55.48.

Arizona’s “A” and “B” Women’s 4×400-meter relay race teams dominated. The A team, which consisted of Hailey, Waggoner, Trevisan and Jasper Gray finished in first with a time of 3:42.91.

The B team placed third with a time of 3:49.05. This team consisted of Elizabeth Smith, Morgan Struble, Alyssa Thompson and Katelin Warren.

Arizona’s next meet will be next weekend in Birmingham, Alabama, as the team competes in the Conference Clash/Power 5 Invitational.

The first day of the invitational will begin on Friday, Jan. 22.

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