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A FUN NIGHT AT THE CATSYS
 
We held our annual student-athlete celebration, the CATSYS, on Monday night and it was another fabulous event recognizing the various accomplishments of our student-athletes, programs and staff. We were fortunate to have two great Wildcats, Miles Simon and Richard Jefferson, come back to Tucson to serve as co-hosts alongside the funny and talented Chris 'Geeter' McGee and Kelley James and his band.
 
We presented a number of awards including the top student-athletes in each class, academic recognitions, community service awards and much more. Two honors I was quite fond of were the Silver Anniversary Awards, which are presented to letterwinners, 25 years removed from their time at Arizona, who have made a significant impact in their community and in their profession. This year, we highlighted the accomplishments of Karin Buchholz (women's tennis) and Marcel Wade (football).
 
I was also struck by the remarks from a few of our student-athletes, Claire Green from track and field, Robby Medel from baseball, and Kennady Schneider from gymnastics. They did a wonderful job reflecting on their time as Wildcats and spoke eloquently on how their time here has impacted their lives.
 
Overall, it was a great night to be a Wildcat and I want to thank everyone involved in planning and executing the event.
 
If you missed the CATSYS, you can watch the replay by clicking HERE. If you'd like to take a look at the honorees from the evening, you can read our complete recap by clicking HERE.
 

 
STOIAN DELIVERS STRONG MESSAGE AT PLATINUM DIAMOND EVENT
 
Last week, we held our annual Platinum Diamond event for our group of top donors. At the event, student-athletes have the opportunity to interact with some of our most dedicated supporters, and this year, Gabi Stoian from our soccer program addressed the crowd. Her speech was so moving, I wanted to share it with you here. Thanks to Gabi for sharing the impact our donors have on the experience of our student-athletes.
 
Good evening everyone,

My name is Gabi Stoian and I'm a senior on the soccer team here. I'm from Scottsdale, Arizona and chose to come to the University of Arizona because of the amazing staff and athletes who I have since had the opportunity to interact with every single day. I fell in love with the University and everything it had to offer as soon as I stepped foot on campus, and that feeling hasn't gone away since. I'm currently majoring in public health and once I graduate in May I'll be heading to nursing school back in Phoenix.
 
My time here at Arizona has been unlike anything I could have ever imagined. I had the opportunity to start and play every game since freshman year and lead my team as a multi-year team captain. This past year, we achieved the highest team GPA with a 3.51 and almost half of my team earned a perfect 4.0. As a senior class, we left our legacy by becoming the winningest class in history and making the NCAA tournament 3 out of the 4 years. However, what people on the outside don't see, are the countless hours that each of us have put into our sport and the sacrifices we make to exceed in the classroom, on the field, and in our daily lives. My teammates have turned into sisters over the years and it has been amazing to watch each of them grow as we all experienced our highs and lows. I am beyond proud of my team, as we have truly formed a tight bond while also showing our dedication to Bear Down in the classroom and on the field.
 
Along with these great achievements, I am also glad that I've had the opportunity to get involved with activities and events at the University. When I first got here freshman year, I never thought I would have the confidence to stand in front of a large group of people and speak or be willing to get out of my comfort zone and push myself to new limits. Four years later, I am an individual that willingly accepts new opportunities, takes advantage of resources, and looks forward to meeting and speaking to people.
 
However, all of these experiences would not have been possible without all of the people who have helped me along the way, especially the contributions from all of you. I speak for all student-athletes when I say, you have helped us develop into the individuals that we are today because of all the support you have provided for us at this University. Each donation has given us more opportunities to develop as individuals on and off the field.
 
So, I want to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the donations you continuously make to the athletics program, and I know others would say the same. Thank you for choosing to invest in the education of student-athletes and making our experience unforgettable. You are all the reason that we have the opportunity to train and use some of the greatest facilities in the country. But what is great at this University is that our facilities match the caliber of the individuals inside these buildings. The staff is unbeatable and always willing to do everything in their power to help students excel. With the knowledge and skills we've gained through each experience, and the people that have helped us, we are on the path to succeed in life after our sport. But without all of you, so much of what the athletics program has and what has been offered to us as student-athletes would be nonexistent.
 
I couldn't have chosen a better university to obtain my undergrad, represent on the field, and to gain the lifetime experiences. Just as your contributions have made a difference in my college experience, I hope that you continue to help the others that come after me. Because it's not just that we have gorgeous facilities, but it's that these changes and improvements are changing the way we study, the people we meet, and opportunities we have. We are able to gain knowledge and experiences in order to be successful beyond just the sport we play.
 
I hope that one day I can be in your shoes and give back to this school and community as much as it has given me. So, thank you again for your donations and the impact that you have made on each student-athlete who has passed through, because without all of you, we wouldn't be as well prepared to begin the next chapter of our lives. I can't wait until we all return to campus as alumni, back where it all began, and see the progress, additions, and achievements that are soon to come.
 

 
OLSON TAKES FIRST LOOK AT STATUE
 
Last week, we unveiled Lute Olson's statue and it was a tremendous day in the history of both Arizona Athletics and our community. Surrounded by friends and family, Coach Olson finally had the opportunity to see his accomplishments recognized as his likeness will greet visitors to McKale and the Jim Click Hall of Champions forever. It really was a special event as we heard remarks from Pete Williams, Matt Muehlebach and Damon Stoudamire, while having the chance to visit and swap stories with so many people who have influenced the direction of our men's basketball program.
 
Congratulations Lute and thank you for all you've done for our University, our community and this state.
 
If you haven't yet seen the dedication ceremony, you can watch the complete version by clicking HERE.
 

 
SPRING FOOTBALL WRAPS UP
 
Spring practice wrapped up this past weekend with the Spring Game at Arizona Stadium. Thanks to all who came. This was my first Spring Game at Arizona and I thought the turnout was terrific. I've been told it was one of our best crowds for the Spring Game in recent years. Thanks for spending your Saturday evening with us and giving our players (and recruits) a fun and lively atmosphere.
 
The next time we see fans in Arizona Stadium will be for our home opener on Sept. 1 vs. BYU. Ticket sales are going well. We are over 3,000 new season tickets sold. A reminder to our season ticket holders, the renewal deadline is just a few weeks away. Please get your renewal in by May 1. You can renew online by clicking HERE. Looking forward to seeing you back in Arizona Stadium this fall.
 
THE ROAD STARTS IN TUCSON
 
We have hosted spring Road Tour events for several years now. It's great for us to get around the state and spread the word about the great things happening with Arizona Athletics and meet our loyal fans. We've received a lot of inquires about hosting an event here in Tucson. I'm excited to say we are going to do just that this spring. Our Road Tour will start in Tucson on Thursday, April 26 at the Eddie Lynch Pavilion on the north side of McKale. The event will be free to attend and provide our local fans a chance to hear from some of our outstanding coaches including Kevin Sumlin from football, Tony Amato from soccer, and Adia Barnes from women's basketball. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. and the program begins at 6 p.m.
 
The Tucson Road Tour event is open to the public, but if you are planning on attending, we ask that you RSVP by clicking HERE. Hope to see you on April 26. We will be announcing other Road Tour events/cities soon.

BASEBALL TO HOST FUN WEEKEND SERIES AGAINST NO. 2 STANFORD

Coach Johnson and the baseball team will be back at Hi Corbett this weekend when we host No. 2 Stanford for a three-game series. Friday's game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and is STEM Night. We are teaming up with the UA College of Science (the same group that co-hosted Science City at the Tucson Festival of Books) to create a STEM Night (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) beginning at 6 p.m. For more information, click HERE and scroll down the page. On Saturday, there will be a special recognition of former coach Jerry Kindall and we'll also play music from the 1990s all game long. Our final Sunday Fun Day is at Noon on Sunday, which means select concessions are 50% off. Following the game, the team will sign autographs on the field. For tickets or more information, call (520) 621-CATS or click HERE.
 
JERRY KINDALL RECOGNITION ON APRIL 21
 
As a reminder, join us on Saturday as we honor legendary coach Jerry Kindall with a celebration when baseball hosts Stanford on Saturday, April 21 at 7 p.m. The celebration will be part of the pregame festivities beginning at approximately 6:40 p.m. with his grandson throwing out the first pitch and several members of Kindall's family returning to Hi Corbett to honor the late coach. Our players, coaches and staff have honored Kindall's legacy throughout the 2018 season by wearing a black No. 9 patch on the left sleeve of their jerseys, displaying a "JK" sticker on the back of their batting helmets, and placing a large No. 9 sign above the Wall of Intimidation in right-center field at Hi Corbett.
 
CATS IN THE COMMUNITY
 
Various awards were presented at the CATSYS including awards for those who completed the most community service from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018. Over that period of time, our student-athletes were involved in a number of community service projects, totaling over 3,460 hours of service.
 
The male student-athlete with the highest amount of community service hours for the year was Matt Salerno, a junior from men's swimming and diving. Gabi Stoian, a senior on the soccer team, topped the female student-athletes with the highest amount of community service hours. Gabi has tallied over 125 community service hours during her time with Arizona Athletics. Great job Matt and Gabi.
 
The coveted Athletics Director Cup for Community Service is awarded to the team with the highest average amount of hours per team member. This year the award went to the women's basketball team, who had an outstanding average of 43 hours per team member for this year alone. They were able to defend their title from last year and are already eager to claim the Cup again next year.
 
We will continue volunteering throughout the spring and summer in order to get prepared for next year's CATSYS, so if you have a volunteer opportunity that you would like a student-athlete or members of our staff to be a part of, please submit an online request form by visiting ArizonaWildcats.com/Outreach. If you have any questions, please call Natasha Harrison within the Office of Community Relations at (520) 621-2331. 

UPCOMING SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
 
To view the list of upcoming events, broadcast information, start times and stat links, click HERE. (Note: All times are listed as Mountain Standard Time, i.e. Tucson time.)
 
To access live stats from your desktop or mobile device, visit ArizonaLiveStats.com.
 
WEAR THE COLORS – SHARE THE PHOTOS
 
Thank you for wearing the colors and sharing your Arizona pride! If your photo submission did not make this week's edition of the Wildcat Wednesday, please check our "Wear the Colors" album at facebook.com/ArizonaAthletics on Fridays.
 
NOTE: Please submit photos for Wildcat Wednesday with an original email to uofaad@arizona.edu using the subject line 'Wildcat Wednesday photo.' Also, please ensure all submissions are clear and properly lit. We also ask that you identify everyone in the photo so we can highlight them accordingly.
 
 
 
 
 
Continue to do what you can to help Arizona Athletics and: 

1. Buy Season Tickets
2. Wear the Colors (Especially on Friday)
3. Encourage Others to Do the Same

 
Bear Down with Pride,

Dave Heeke
Director of Athletics
University of Arizona
uofaad@arizona.edu