On Saturday May 11th and Sunday May 12th, the University of Arizona track and field program will play host to the Pac-12 Championships at Roy P. Drachman Stadium. ArizonaWildcats.com caught up with head track & field coach Fred Harvey ahead of the meet to chat about the women's team.
 
Sprints
"We feel really good about what we have there. They're young, its going to be very difficult. Neysia Howard has to be our stand out sprinter that we're hoping will make the final in the 100 and 200 which is going to be a huge task for her. But the competitiveness that she has is going to make a big difference in what we are looking to be able to do in sprints. It is going to be a great experience for her. In the 400 meters, I am very excited about Diana Gajda as well as Tatum Waggoner running right now. Both in my mind should make the final in the 400 meters, which gives us a great opportunity for scoring in that capacity."
 
"Our relays are going to be stellar. Everybody is fit. I don't believe the 4x100-meter relay team has hit their best mark yet. I think they can run mid 44 to low 44. If we do that we are definitely going to be a top-three, top-four team. We don't have the leg speed to overtake an Oregon or a USC, but its a relay, so depending upon what happens we are going to be right there to try to jump on top of it in that capacity."
 
In every outing at Drachman this year, Howard has PRed in every event. At the Desert Heat Classic, she posted times of 11.74 in the 100-meters and 23.86 in the 200-meters. Waggoner ranks seventh on the Pac-12 Conference list with a season-best time of 52.72. She currently ranks No. 2 all-time at Arizona with a time of 51.89.
 
The ladies 4x100-meter relay team posted a season-best time of 44.81 at the Jim Click Shootout, which ranks fourth in the conference. In their last outing at the Desert Heat Classic, the ladies 4x400-meter relay team posted a time of 3:32.46 to rank second in the conference.
 
Hurdles
"I feel very good about where we're at. April Sutton is going to double the 100-hurdles as well as the 400-hurdles. She's been running fabulous. My expectation is for her to be in the final in both of those races. The 100-meter hurdle race is going to be a little tougher to get her into the final, but I think she's up for the challenge.  Tiana Bonds has really come into her own this season outdoors. She's definitely going to be one of the contenders to be in the final and be in there challenging for one of those top four positions. In this conference with the level that the 100 hurdlers are running is going to be something very special to see. Karolina Pahlitzsch and Shannon Meisberger are obviously top-five athletes in the conference. I think the dark horse here would be Shannon because she's been training really well. I think she's going to have another breakout race. For Karolina, just doing what she's continuing to do. If she goes into the race with confidence, she's going to be a very difficult athlete to beat. Not predicting anything, but I feel strongly that if she is within striking distance of the two top hurdlers in the conference I think she has a great opportunity to win a title. That's if she's in striking distance because they're both top-15 hurdlers in the country. That's going to be a great race to have everyone watch."
 
Harvey's hurdlers all rank top-10 in the conference. Bonds' ranks sixth in the 100-hurdles with a time of 13.27, Sutton holds the No. 8 spot in 13.50. In the 400-meter hurdles, Pahlitzsch ranks second in 57.43, Meisberger is fourth in 58.24 and Sutton ranks sixth with a time of 58.49.
 
 
Distance
"Jennie Baragar-Petrash is obviously our standout athlete in that capacity with what we're doing there. We're going to run her just in the 5000 meters and she can put together a race that will give her an opportunity to score. The neat thing about that is that she has really been running well, we're running here at home, and I think she's ready for a pretty big drop which will be needed if she's going to score."
 
Baragar-Petrash holds a PR of 16:15.68 in the 5K. She ranks 15th in the conference with her time ran at the Mt. SAC Relays.
 
Jumps
"Neysia Howard, again, in the long jump is just outside of the top performances to be able to score … The other ladies are really young, Judith Baxter-Game is going to be more about a good expierence for her and understanfing what the Pac-12 Championships are all about. She comes in there with a lot of excitement and confidacne. Chandra Hawthorne, I have watched her since high school, is ready for a breakout … The high jump speaks for itself. We have three young ladies that all are capable and should be in scoring position. The high jump is such a volatile event … We are jumping at home on a really good surface so we expect all three of them to be able to score."
 
Howard holds the No. 10 long jump mark in the Pac-12 Conference with a leap of 6.01m (19-8.75) set at the Desert Heat Classic. Karla Teran, Diana Ramos and Alexa Porpaczy all hold a season-best mark of 1.77m (5-9.75) in the high jump. The trio hold are all tied for the No. 3 mark in the conference.
 
Throws
"We are not throwing anyone in the hammer. In the shot and disc, we have been throwing well all year long. It is a great conference. Between Megan Dulaney and Amarissa Hawker, they are going to have to throw 50 feet to score. Both of them graduated, so they are pretty fired up about that and hopefully that enthusiasm carries over into that event with them."
 
"Jordan Spradlin is one of those people that are really coming into her own ... I think her confidence level in the disc has really grown tremendously. I think you are going to see her challenging to score. It is going to take a huge effort for Kaelyn Shipley to score. She is throwing well right now and it is definitely going to take a PR for her to score. We are home, and I think the stars are aligned to be able to do that. "
 
Shipley set a PR in the javelin in her last outing at the Desert Heat Classic. The sophomore tossed a mark of 50.22m (164-9) to rank No. 2 on the all-time Arizona list and ranks No. 8 in the conference this season.