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CONTINUING EXCELLENCE
Tuesday was an exciting day for Arizona Athletics as we announced a new contract for Arizona Soccer Head Coach Tony Amato. With Tony at the helm of our soccer program, Arizona Soccer has reached new heights with tremendous success on and off the field. The level of excellence the program has shown on the field matches its sustained success in the classroom and its connection with our community. Tony is an outstanding coach and mentor, and we are excited to see Arizona Soccer continue to build a legacy of greatness through his leadership.
ARIZONA WOMEN'S HOOPS IN WNIT
The outstanding 2018-19 season continues for Arizona Women's Basketball as the program will make its first postseason appearance since 2011. Arizona hosts Idaho State in the first round of the WNIT at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 21 inside McKale Center. It's been a joy to watch Coach Barnes and the Wildcats all season, and I can't wait to see another great crowd cheering the team on come Thursday night. I hope to see you at McKale supporting this exciting program. For tickets to Thursday's WNIT game, click here.
SPRING PRACTICE
Coach Sumlin and Arizona Football kicked off spring practice this week in the beautiful Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center. You can get caught up on all the news and notes from spring practice with ArizonaWildcats.com's coverage. The enthusiasm around the program continues to grow as we move towards the Arizona Football Spring Game presented by DentalPros on Saturday, April 13 at 5 p.m. (MST) with free admission at Arizona Stadium.
You can get ready to Bear Down with Coach Sumlin and the Wildcats by purchasing or renewing your season tickets today. We are continuing our 30 Prizes in 30 Days campaign, which gives out great prizes daily for fans who have renewed their season tickets.
CHANNING FRYE RETURNS
Arizona Athletics' annual award show, the CATSYS, will be held on Monday, April 22, and we are ecstatic to welcome former Wildcat Channing Frye as this year's host. The former All-Pac-10 performer and eighth overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft will retire at the end of this season following a 14-year career. It will be a special night for our student-athletes as we recognize their athletic, academic and community successes. Having former Wildcats come back to host the award show each year makes the CATSYS even more memorable. Bear Down and Go Cats!
INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE COUNCIL
We are proud to highlight the work of Arizona Athletics' new Inclusive Excellence Council, which recognizes and celebrates the unique diversity of our athletics department, our University and our community. This group has already led the department's efforts of our Black History Month celebration, created a "Lunch and Learn" series to enhance internal communication and awareness, as well as taking part in search processes for job openings throughout the athletics department. This is a key addition to Arizona Athletics as we support the University of Arizona's commitment to a vibrant, empowered and inclusive campus.
STRATEGIC PLAN
Wildcat Wednesday subscribers will receive an important email survey on Thursday, March 21 regarding the Arizona Athletics' comprehensive strategic planning process, which will align with the University of Arizona's own strategic plan. Feedback from alumni, donors, fans and supporters is paramount as we chart our future, so please give us your input and feedback through this survey.
GYMNASTICS ALUMNI REUNION
It was a pleasure to welcome back nearly 50 Arizona Gymnastics letter winners and their guests for their reunion last weekend. These proud GymCat alums, which included eight members of the Arizona Gymnastics Ring of Honor and three members of the UA Sports Hall of Fame, met before Friday's Senior Day meet to connect and reflect on their memories and experiences donning the Block A. The celebration also recognized the 40th anniversary of the 1979 Western Collegiate Athletic Association Championship team. Reunions are truly special events at Arizona Athletics that are years in the making, and it is our privilege to honor the many great Wildcats who have come before us.
WELCOME BACK REGGIE
On behalf of Arizona Athletics, we'd like to welcome former Wildcat Reggie Geary back to McKale Center as a Director of Development with the Wildcat Club. Reggie was a three-time captain for our men's basketball program and a member of the 1994 Final Four team. It's exciting to see a former student-athlete return to our athletics department to begin working on providing a first class experience for all of our student-athletes.
PAC-12 GLOBAL
The University of Arizona was well represented at last week's Pac-12 Global University Sport Summit in Las Vegas as Faculty Athletics Representative Dr. Ricardo Valerdi, John Mosbach of C.A.T.S Academics and Casey Ponton of Men's Swimming and Diving were among those in attendance. The summit focused on the globalization of sports and the impact of college athletics around the world. The student-athlete experience is powerful, and it touches the lives of many outside the United States. It's important that we recognize the positive effects Arizona Athletics, the University of Arizona and the Pac-12 Conference have internationally, and we are honored to be part of this continuing work alongside the rest of the Conference of Champions.
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:
- Bear Down with us today! Join the Wildcat Club to make an impact on our student-athletes' experience.
- Buy Season Tickets
- Wear the Colors (Especially on Friday)
- Encourage Others to Do the Same
Bear Down with Pride,
Dave Heeke
Director of Athletics
University of Arizona
uofaad@arizona.edu
