Buzzi breaks school record in 100 hurdles

And it's definitely not every day that one does it while racing the record-holder.

Arizona senior Dee Dee Buzzi pulled it off this weekend, breaking the UA record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.21 seconds, although she finished second in the event to former UA runner Michelle Johnson, the previous record-holder who graduated in 1996.

"I don't even think she realized it (that she broke the record)," Johnson said. "We both just thought we ran real fast."

Buzzi did indeed realize what she had done.

"I'm really excited," Buzzi said. "I wasn't even thinking about it going into the race. I just took advantage of a good situation."

Buzzi finished .01 seconds behind Johnson, who set the school record on May 18 of last year with a time of 13.33. Buzzi's time was the seventh-best in Pacific 10 Conference history.

"It's not that big a deal (that she broke the record)," Johnson said. "The 400 (meter hurdles) is my event. I still have that one for now. It's great for her, I wish her the best of luck at nationals."

Johnson's record of 57.17 seconds in the 400m hurdles still stands as the all-time best at Arizona.

"I run my fastest times against her," Buzzi said of her former teammate. "It's good to run against someone who's your friend and a rival."

Buzzi's time was an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championships in June.

"The key is if she can get into the national championships and run the times she's run to get there," UA assistant coach Fred Harvey said. "If she can do that she'll place in the top six."

Buzzi said that it will be difficult to win the national title, as she believes that whomever will be "on" that day will take the title.

"My goal right now is to win the Pac-10, go to nationals and be an All-American," Buzzi said.

Buzzi joins sophomore distance runner Amy Skieresz, freshman high jumper Erin Aldrich, senior thrower Holly Montoya and sophomore pole vaulter Jussi Autio as automatic NCAA qualifiers.

"The highlight of the meet was the race between Dee Dee and Michelle," UA head coach Dave Murray said. "She's (Buzzi) the kind of person you want to get to nationals."

Johnson competed as an individual at the Sun Devil Invitational this Saturday in Tempe, against Buzzi and about half the Wildcat track team. Murray called the invitational a "laid-back meet."

A number of athletes did not make the trip in order to prepare themselves for next weekend's Arizona Elite Classic in Tucson.

"Of the people that went up there, we had some real good performances," Murray said.

Senior Luther Kopf qualified for the Pac-10 Championships in the 800m, winning the race with a time of 1 minute, 49.40 seconds. Also posting Pac-10 qualifying times for the men were senior Akin Akinremi in the 400m (5th, 47.68), junior Bob Keino in the 800m (3rd, 1:50.18) and junior Dominic Johnson in the pole vault (1st, 16-4 3/4).

The only woman to qualify for the Pac-10's was junior Shanna Griffin in the 800m (3rd, 2:09.70).