Having to compete in rainy and wet conditions at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, Arizona track and field worked through the difficult circumstances, and several Wildcats were able to set personal bests and marks strong enough to make the final rounds.

The women’s 4×400 meter tandem of Tatum Waggoner, Nnenya Hailey, Diana Gajda and Gia Trevisan ran a prelim time of 3:38.91, their best time of the season. The time was good enough for them to make the 4×400 meter final, where they finished in seventh place overall.

The men’s 4×400 meter team of Bryce Houston, Miles Parish, Pete Lauderdale II and Blake Eichler qualified for the final as well. The tandem ran a 3:10.32 in the final to finish in eighth place overall.

In the 4×200 meter races, Eichler, Lauderdale, Houston and Tyrell Johnson finished in second place, clocking a 1:23.94 time. Gajda, Waggoner, Rachel Johns and Jasper Gray ran a 1:37.78 time in the event, finishing in third place overall.

Morgan Struble had her best performance of the season in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, clocking a 59.31 time and placing in fifth. 

Sam Macaluso competed in the 1,500-meter race and finished in fourth, running a 3:46.37 time, the third-best time in his career.

The Wildcats also had teams compete in sprint medleys, a relay in which athletes run different distances. Lauderdale, Parish, Eichler and Collins Kibet ran a 3:20.02 time in the medley and finished in third place.

“I thought we did really well out here in terms of all the relays,” Arizona coach Fred Harvey said in an Arizona Athletics interview. “Getting to the final for both 4×400 meter relay teams was huge. Dealing with the elements like the rain and cold weather was also good. Yes, we had expectations for the 4×400 meter relay teams to run faster, but I think getting to the final and the experience they had will be big for the future.”

There were also professional events over the weekend, in which Arizona alumni and coaches competed for the Wildcats.

Georganne Moline, UA alumna and a volunteer assistant coach, represented Nike in the 400-meter hurdles. This event at the Drake Relays was a part of the “Bejing World Championships Preview,” and Moline finished in second place, clocking a 55.74 time.

Harvey is her personal coach and was very satisfied with her performance at the Drake Relays, though he said he thinks she can drop her time “significantly” at her next meet.

Jill Camarena-Williams, a UA volunteer assistant coach, competed in the Triton Invitational in the shot put competition. She set a 18.50-meter mark to finish in second with the fifth-best mark in the world this year.

Current Wildcats Aaron Castle and Gerhard de Beer also competed in the Triton Invitational, with Castle setting a 18.40-meter mark in the shot put competition and de Beer setting a 55.50-meter mark in the discus throw competition.

Arizona is heading to Tempe on Saturday where it will compete in the Duel in the Desert against ASU all day.

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