Redshirt senior hurdler Tiana Bonds has done a little bit of everything during her time in Tucson.
 
"Originally I thought I wanted to do multis because I thought it was super fun," said Bonds. "I think that was the time for it."


 
A Las Vegas product, Bonds competed in the multis during the early part of her Wildcat career. She competed in six heptathlons and one pentathlon, highlighted by a 5,242-point performance at the 2015 Jim Click Shootout.
 
"Everything that I have been doing, the different event groups or the different specific events to narrowing down to just hurdles was exactly the time that I was supposed to be doing those things. I believe in that process and that there was a time and place for it."
 
In the 2017 season, she narrowed down her scope of events to focus on hurdles. Bonds competed in nine long hurdle races outdoors, and a combined 53 indoor and outdoor high hurdle races.
 
Bonds PR in the 60-meter hurdles was set on January 24th, 2015 in Albuquerque, N.M. with a time of 8.44. Four years later, in the very same facility, Bonds crossed the line in 8.37 seconds.
 
"It was just really cool to finally be able to hit a PR because it has been so long and has been such a rough go," Bonds said. "It has given me the confidence to know that I am not going backward anymore, I'm going forward. I'm so excited to race again berceuse I know I can keep PRing more and more."
 
"8.37 was a really nice breakthrough for her," said head track and field coach Fred Harvey. "She, as far as what we want to do with our team and the model we have for our team, is just the picture of persistency and being able to follow through."


 
While Bonds was never completely out of competition to injury, it did hamper her progress. No matter what the circumstances, coach Harvey was with her every step of the way.
 
"Coach Harvey is the best man in the whole world. He has always supported me … He's believed in me, and he's one of the only people who have believed in me and haven't given up at all. It means the world to me; he's like family at this point. It has been really awesome to be able to have him be a part of it. I couldn't have done it without him. I'm just so lucky to be a part of this program and get these opportunities."
 
Bonds and the Cats will compete in the Texas Tech Shootout and Husky Invitational beginning tomorrow. In May, she will compete in her final contest at Roy P. Drachman Stadium when the Cats host the Pac-12 Championships.
 
"I think it's going to be awesome to host at my home track, hopefully I can run a really fast time," Bonds said. "It's going to be really fun especially because it will be easy for my family and people that I care about to be there watching. I think it's going to be surreal."