UA track teams venture outdoors

The Wildcats competed with ten other universities, including one from Japan, at the 14th-annual Willie Williams Classic this weekend in Tucson.

"It felt good (to run outdoors)," freshman runner Jeremy Lyon said.

"We like outdoors much better than indoors. We gear our season toward outdoors," UA head coach Dave Murray said.

There was no team scoring in the meet, which meant that the focus was on the individual performances. With the large number of teams and athletes competing many of the events had to be separated into heats.

Lyon won the first heat of the 1,500 meter run with a time of 3 minutes, 54.82 seconds, good enough for third overall. The overall title was claimed by UA freshman Micheil Jones in the second heat with a time of 3:52.55.

Lyon was in third coming around on the final turn before he broke away and squeaked past Barry Pearman of Illinois.

"For our two freshmen those were good performances. They both showed good strength while setting (personal records)," Murray said.

The only other Wildcat to come in first in an event was freshman Erin Aldrich, who jumped to a height of 6 feet, 3 1/4 inches to win the women's high jump.

"It feels great. It's so exciting to come out here and pop a 6-3," Aldrich said.

Aldrich's jump was the best by any Wildcat in seven years, and it also automatically qualified her for the NCAA Championships in June.

"I thought we had some excellent performances," Murray said. "Bob Keino was sick, Tapio Kolunsarka was sick and Chima (Ugwu) is redshirting right now because of spring football practice."

Among the many athletes present was former UA long jumper Percy Knox Jr.

Knox, who competed for the Wildcats from 1987-92 and holds the third longest jump in UA men's history, was impressed by the current squad.

"They did real well. They're putting up good numbers. I think that they can be national contenders," he said.

Knox currently lives in Tucson and came to the meet to continue to practice toward achieving his dream of competing in the Olympics.

"I took eighth at the (Olympic) trials, and I feel that I still have a lot more to prove," he said. "I just wanted to give it another shot. I'm getting ready for the World Championships in Athens, Greece."

A number of other athletes were able to qualify provisionally for the NCAA Championships.

Dee Dee Buzzi finished second in the 100m hurdles (13.49). Holly Montoya did likewise in the hammer (166 feet, 8 inches), and Ugwu, despite competing unattached, finished fourth in the shot put with a 59-1 1/4.

Other Wildcats that came in second included Jon Pillow in the 3,000m steeple run (9:12.93), Dameon Ortiz in the 200m (21.32), Akin Akinremi in the 100m (10.68), Ugwu in the discus (178-9), Emily Nay in the 3,000m (9:44.39) and the UA women's 4x100m relay team (46.24).