The No. 5 men’s and unranked women’s Arizona track and field teams will try to extend their outdoor-season success as they face tough competition in this week’s Mt. San Antonio College meet in Walnut, Calif.
The meet, which takes place all day today through Saturday, is one of the largest invitational carnivals in the country, said Arizona track and field head coach Fred Harvey.
“”(There are) 7,000 athletes competing throughout the week,”” Harvey said. “”The competition level will be high enough where they will be challenged.””
Harvey said the team will take all of its potential Pacific-10 Conference scorers.
“”This is one of the meets where we tend to get some of our best competition and qualifying performances,”” Harvey said.
Among the athletes slated to appear are All-American senior distance runner Robert Cheseret and All-American thrower Sean Shields.
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Cheseret, who currently ranks No. 7 in the 1,500-meter run, is expected to do well in his first outdoor 5,000m competition of the season, Harvey said.
“”This will give him the opportunity to get a big time on the board,”” Harvey said.
Shields, who will be competing in both the shot put and the disc, said he believes he’ll perform at his best.
“”The shot should be pretty good because I’ve been having some good practices,”” Shields said.
Shields, who did not compete in last year’s Mt. SAC event, said the competition level will be very high.
“”This meet usually has some of the best people in the country in it,”” he said.
Still, Shields said he is not worried.
“”If I do what I am capable, then I will be my toughest competition,”” he said.
Harvey said he also fully expects senior hurdler Jennifer Whitlock, who will compete in the 100m hurdles, to shine in this week’s meet.
But she will have tough competition going up against Southern California senior hurdler and 2005 Pac-10 champion Virginia Powell, Harvey said.
“”It is an opportunity to get out there and just give it all you got,”” Whitlock said.
Overall, Harvey said although the team just came back from another meet last weekend, the Wildcats should not be too tired.
“”They are a little bit more prepared,”” he said. “”It’s our job as a coaching staff to get them properly trained for the meets.””
