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 men's team.
 
Sprints
"Those are going to be what I like to call fringe events.  We have the opportunity to be able to make an impact there. In the 100-meters, kind of our dark horse to make the finals is going to be PJ Austin. I think he can make the finals in the 100-meters. If he does, then that does a tremendous amount for us in the sprints … The 200-meters, we are still making some decisions … The 400-meter dash is a huge event for us. We have to get at least two guys in the finals to fulfill what we want from a point standpoint. Umajesty Williams and Zakee Washington should make the final, and they should score very well. We are excited about that. The 4x100-meter relay ran really well, we are going to put on a ringer if you will. We ran 39.7 and we think we can run faster. In the 4x400-meter relay, we are the defending champions. We have everyone back on that team, but we add James Smith on that team which makes a big difference. With James (Smith), Zakee (Washington), Umajesty (Williams) and Maksims (Sincukovs), I feel that team has a great opportunity to defend the championship."
 
In the 200-meter dash, Williams ranks fifth in the Pac-12 Conference with a mark of 20.94 set at the Willie Williams Classic. Austin posted a time of 21.30 clocked at the Desert Heat Classic. In the 400-meter dash, Washington set the No. 9 mark on the all-time Arizona list with a mark of 46.29 set at the Desert Heat Classic. Williams will run his first 400-meter dash of the season at the Pac-12 Championships. He holds a collegiate PR of 46.14 clocked at last year's Aztec Invitational.
 
The relay teams hold the No. 3 marks in both the 4x100 and 4x400, posting times of 39.73 and 3:08.86 at the Desert Heat Classic.
 
All sprinters on the men's roster have clocked their fastest times of the season at Roy P. Drachman Stadium. Five Cats clocked those times in their last outing of the regular season at the Desert Heat Classic.
 
Hurdles
"James Smith and Maksims Sincukovs will run the 400-meter hurdles. It is going to be a great race. I think it is going to take mid 49-seconds to win the race and I think both guys are capable of doing that. That is going to be a big point potential for us."
 
Smith, the Arizona Freshman Record Holder, clocked a season-best time of 50.13 at the Desert Heat Classic. He ranks No. 2 on the Arizona list, No. 3 in the conference and No. 7 in the NCAA. Sincukovs registered a mark of 51.55 at the Mt. SAC Relays to hold the No. 8 mark in the Pac-12 Conference.
 
Middle distance
"This is a key point for us. We have made the decision that Carlos Villarreal will run the 800 and 1500-meters. This is his home track and he has a PR of 1:46.70 ran on this track. Fitness wise, he is ready to do amazing things. With that being said, we have a handful of guys who are just outside of the form chart to make the final. I think Andy Buchanan, Tanner Hagstrom and Collin Dylla have chances to make the final. If any of those three, I love all three of them, make the final then it gives us two more opportunities to score."
 
Villarreal holds the No. 1 mark in the 1500-meter run in the Pac-12 Conference and No. 2 mark on the NCAA and Arizona lists, stopping the clock in 3:37.22 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. In the 800-meters, he holds the No. 2 Pac-12 mark in 1:47.54.
 
Distance
"In the men's 10K being here in Arizona, for a lack of a better term, we have a little bit of a home field advantage and some confidence. I think Seamus White should have a good opportunity to get in there and fight and possibly score."
 
Jumps
"The high jump speaks for itself. We think we have a great opportunity to win the high jump with Justice Summerset and with Justin Lewis having a great opportunity to finish in the top-five. In the horizontal jumps, we wont have anyone in the triple; but PJ Austin has the conference leading mark in the long jump. If he can represent that, and get 10 points for us it will be huge for us. We have to at least be able to get six points from the long jump for us to do what we want to do."
 
Summerset has the conference lead with a clearance of 2.25m (7-4.5) posted at the Desert Heat Classic. Lewis ranks sixth with a mark of 2.14m (7-0.25) set at the Jim Click Shootout. Austin ranks first in the conference with a leap of 7.74m (25-4.75) at the Jim Click Shootout.
 
Throws
"I won't say we are going to surprise some people, how do you surprise someone with Jordan Geist. He is the favorite to win the shot, and I think he is not the favorite to win the disc, but this is home. He is a competitor. In my form chart, I have him in the top-five in the disc and the hammer. In the hammer, Grayson Fleming is throwing extremely well. I think he is a guy that should be in the top-six and get us huge points in the throws."
 
Jordan Geist ranks top-four in the conference in the shot, discus and hammer throw events. He holds the conference lead in the shot put with a toss of 21.59m (70-10), which ranks first in the NCAA and is the Arizona School Record. Fleming holds the No. 7 Pac-12 mark in the hammer throw with a toss of 64.76m (212-6).