Skieresz sets school record as 2 more qualify for track NCAAs

UA freshman Amy Skieresz's school record-breaking performance in the 5,000 meters headlined an outstanding day for Arizona distance runners at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays last weekend.

Competing in her first ever 5,000 meters on the track, Skieresz ran to a fourth-place finish with her time of 15:45.59. Her effort shattered Brenda Sleeuwenhoek's old mark of 16:04.71, set on the same track in 1994, and was the second-best time ever by a Pacific 10 Conference female. Skieresz also automatically qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships and the U.S. Olympic Trials this June in Atlanta.

"As a whole, our distance runners turned in some awesome performances with many of them setting personal bests," UA head coach Dave Murray said.

Junior Viola Schaffer and sophomore Bob Keino set personal bests and turned in NCAA automatic qualifying times in the 10,000- and the 5,000-meter runs, respectively.

Schaffer, who earned All-American honors last season when she finished fourth at the NCAA outdoor championships, had not competed in two weeks due to a sore Achilles' tendon but was still able to finish with a time of 34:19.26.

Keino ran the third-fastest time in the 5,000 meters in UA history with a time of 13:45.09.

Other Wildcat distance runners who set provisional times at the Mt. SAC relays were junior Ann Colonna in the 3,000 meters (9:40.60), senior Karen Bennett in the 800 meters (2:06.03), and junior Margarito Casillas in the 10,000 meters (29:27.14).

In the field, freshman Tapio Kolunsarka extended his own personal-best in the hammer throw, for the second week in a row, as he finished second overall with his mark of 229-1. Kolunsarka finished behind the three-time defending NCAA champion in the hammer, Balazs Kiss from Southern Cal, and just fell short of David Loshonkol's school record of 230-3 set in 1994.

UA pole vaulter Dominic Johnson broke the outdoor school record with his mark of 17-2 3/4. Johnson's vault was just one inch shy of qualifying him provisionally for the NCAA championships.

In the open shot put competition, UA junior Chima Ugwu placed second overall with his toss of 62-8.

- Jason A. Vrtis

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Wildcats play 'Lopes at Sancet Field

The only thing at stake in tonight's game featuring Arizona and the Grand Canyon Antelopes is pride.

After losing three straight to No. 18 Stanford this weekend, Arizona is sitting at the bottom of the Pacific 10 Conference Southern Division with a record of 6-18, 22-28 overall. With only seven games left in the regular season, it would be impossible for the Wildcats to make it into postseason play. This has not, however, dampened the spirits of the Arizona squad.

"We got in the huddle (after Sunday's game), and I said, 'guys we got Grand Canyon, and they said yeah, let's do it,'" senior second baseman John Powers said. "We can't just lay down for the rest of the season. They (Grand Canyon) are an interstate rival. They got one from us last time we played, and that was a shock to us."

The teams will play at 7 at Sancet Field.

The starting pitcher for the Wildcats will be Shawn Barrington (1-6).

- Sam Spiller