Arizona track duo set school records

By Ryan Gray

Arizona Daily Wildcat

David Loshonkohl and Suzanne Castruita of the Arizona track and field team placed in the NCAA Indoor Championship meet in Indianapolis, March 10-11.

Hurdlers Leo Simmons and Michelle Johnson and distance runner Viola Shaffer failed to place.

Loshonkohl, a senior from San Diego, finished 10th in the 35-pound weight throw with a mark of 64 feet, 3 3/4 inches. The distance was more than four feet, six inches off his qualifying mark of 68-10, set Jan. 28 at the Arizona All-Comers meet.

Loshonkohl's mark came on his last throw of the preliminaries. He did not qualify for the finals.

Loshonkohl set a new UA men's indoor record in the process, eclipsing the 62-4 mark he posted in last year's championship.

Castruita, a senior from West Covina, Calif., had a stronger showing in the 3,000-meter distance race, but still finished far back at seventh.

However, Castruita posted the school's seventh-best time with her own personal best of 9:28.93, passing former All-American Brenda Sleeuwenhoek's mark of 9:29.33 set last season.

Castruita's finish was also the fifth best in UA women's indoor championship history, tying her with Ruth Waithera, who finished seventh in the 400 in 1984.

Both athletes are indoor All-Americans based on their performances because they were among the top eight American finishers in their respective events.

Loshonkohl won the honor for the second straight year.

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