Skieresz nominated for award

Amy Skieresz Arizona Daily Wildcat

Sophomore runner Amy Skieresz has been named a Honda Award Nominee for cross country, yet another accolade for the 1996 NCAA women's cross country champion.

The Honda Awards are given out to the top female athletes in 14 different sports for both Division I and II.

"We're very happy for her," UA head coach Dave Murray said. "The award isn't just for athletics, either. It also deals with academics and community involvement."

Former UA softball player Jenny Dalton and current UA golfer Marisa Baena won Honda Awards last year.

The field events begin at 11:30 a.m. and track events start at 3 p.m.

Other Wildcats enter the meet after interesting weeks of their own. Senior Dee Dee Buzzi is currently in Austin competing in the heptathlon at the Texas Relays. Murray said that the coaching staff believes that Buzzi can qualify for both the Pacific 10 Co nference and NCAA Championships in the event.

Buzzi ran the 100-meter hurdles in 13.82 seconds, a new personal record, and followed that up with strong performances in the high jump (5-feet, 3 inches) and the 200m dash (24.47), but struggled in the shot put (31-4 1/2). She is in fourth place overall, needing 5,075 total points for provisional NCAA qualification. She still has the javelin, long jump and 800m dash to compete in today.

Murray said that Buzzi will return for this weekend's meet, as will another Arizona runner who has been missing from the lineup for far longer.

Junior Bob Keino has been battling illness all season, but he will compete in Tempe.

"He's starting to come around," Murray said. "He's on the road back, so we won't have to redshirt him (for the season)."

Sophomore Tapio Kolunsarka, who won both the hammer throw and javelin at the Jim Click Wildcat Shootout last weekend, will not attend. Battling his own illness, Kolunsarka will spend the weekend getting back in shape after a long lay-off from training.

Junior runner Dominic Johnson will also miss the Invitational after straining his hamstring last weekend.

"We'll have a majority (of our team) competing," Murray said. "It's an open competition, with a lot of national-caliber athletes coming in."