The Arizona track teams continued their recent success Saturday in Flagstaff as seven more athletes qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships, 33 for the Mountain-Pacific Championships and 12 posted personal bests.
"I was ecstatic," UA head coach Fred Harvey said. "The way the athletes have really matured and come through has been tremendous."
Sophomore Nikki Martin paced the women's team, winning the 60-meter dash in 7.41 seconds.
Senior Sharifa Jones won her event as well, taking the 60m hurdles in 8.31 seconds, in the process provisionally qualifying for the NCAA's in March. Teammates Jennifer Whitlock and Lindsay Scarborough took third (8.80 seconds) and fifth (8.87 seconds), respectively.
On the men's side, sophomore Daniel Cook captured second in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.08 seconds. Sophomore Daniel Marshall won the triple jump, soaring 49 feet, 9 3/4 inches. Freshman Bobby McCoy returned to action, placing sixth in the 60m dash (6.80 seconds).
Harvey said that he was pleased with the way his athletes responded to the tough competition.
"The veteran (athletes) pretty much knew what they were going to get out there, they're used to that type of thing," Harvey said. "But the younger (athletes) are really starting to develop."
Twenty-one athletes posted improved performances on Saturday.
The throwers enjoyed a successful day as well, provisionally qualifying two athletes for the NCAA Championships.
Freshman Megan Howard placed fourth in the shot put, with a throw of 52 feet, 5 1/2 inches, improving more than two feet over her farthest toss. That mark provisionally qualifies her for the NCAA Championships.
Senior Ilona Rutjes qualified as well, placing sixth with a throw of 50 feet, 7 1/4 inches.
Junior Sean Shields had a qualifying performance of his own, throwing 61 feet, 5 1/4 inches in the shot put.
"That set the tone for the rest of the athletes throughout the day," Harvey said.
In the men's pole vault, senior Kevin Opalka had an NCAA provisional-qualifying clearance of 17 feet, 1 1/2 inches.
On the women's side, senior Connie Jerz improved on her previous qualifying mark by clearing 13 feet, 9 3/4 inches.
Harvey said his plan for invigorating the program by red-shirting some athletes is beginning to show its benefits, the likes of Shields included.
"What we've been trying to do philosophically as a program, in terms of red shirting athletes, it's always a gamble, but it's a very well-calculated gamble, if you will."
Up next for both teams is Seattle's Pacific 10 Conference Invitational Saturday, although some members of the distance team will head to Fayetteville, Ark., for the Tyson Foods Invitational Friday and Saturday.