World University team wins gold
Arizona head coach Mike Candrea and Team USA weren’t the only national softball squads with Arizona ties to bring home a gold medal this summer.
The World University team also earned that honor with a squad that features Arizona senior shortstop Kristie Fox and junior catcher Callista Balko, who both contributed to the team’s success.
The squad went 6-2 at the World University Games July 15-23, losing twice to Chinese Taipei before coming back to beat them in the gold medal game in T’ai-nan City, Taiwan.
Most key Arizona returners played competitive softball over the summer.
While senior center fielder Caitlin Lowe played for Team USA, junior pitcher Taryne Mowatt, senior second baseman Chelsie Mesa and sophomore first baseman Sam Banister played for the Southern California Hurricane, a squad that just lost four games to the National Pro Fastpitch league’s Arizona Heat in Tucson.
Football team starts summer practice
The Arizona football team returns to the field tomorrow for the start of summer practice at its nearby Rincon Vista practice facility for the first time with incoming freshmen and transfers.
The Wildcats practice 19 times between then and Aug. 18 with five sessions of two-a-day practices included in that span.
The squad will scrimmage Aug. 12 and Aug. 19 at Arizona Stadium, with the latter event doubling as the annual “”Meet the Team”” event the Saturday before classes start.
Arizona’s newcomers reported yesterday and its returning players are expected to do so today, but junior college transfer defensive linemen Louis Holmes and Gabe Long were not among that group. It’s unknown when and if they will report.
Without or without them, the Wildcats open their season Sept. 2 against Brigham Young.
Fox helps USA win Friendship Cup
Arizona sophomore golfer Ben Fox contributed to the United States’ win Saturday at the inaugural USA China Friendship Cup in Beaumont, Calif.
Fox went 3-0-1 in the four-round event, helping the Americans to a 25.5-10.5 victory.
Fox was one of five members of Team USA to end the event without a loss for a squad comprising only players who had just completed their freshmen years.
The second Friendship Cup will take place in two years in Beijing.
