Arizona Track and Field 2020 Preview

On Friday, January 10, the Arizona Track and Field program kicks off the 2020 season at their first indoor meet in Flagstaff, Ariz.. The Wildcats are closing out a strong preseason with the hopes of carrying over their intensity into competition.

"We've had a tremendous fall this year," said head Track and Field coach Fred Harvey. "Their training level has really increased dramatically this year."

Among the hurdlers specifically, there are several impressive returning athletes looking to improve off of their solid 2019 season.

"We have really good returners with James Smith being an All-American and Shannon Meisberger just missing making the NCAA finals," said coach Harvey. "They got a good taste of what it takes to be able to compete at the highest level."

Smith, a sophomore from Chandler, Ariz., is coming off of a fantastic freshman season that landed him at the USATF U20 Championships where he won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 50.29. Meisberger is a junior from Lenox, Mass. who will be competing as a Wildcat for the second year in 2020. She last competed at the NCAA Championships where she placed 18th in the 400-meter hurdles and 11th as part of a 4x400 meter relay team.

Over the course of the preseason, a few athletes have stepped into key leadership roles within the group of hurdlers.

"April Sutton is a fifth year senior. She's kind of been in the shadows if you will. She had a major break through last year, which showed her that she is capable, but now coming in and being able to take more of a leadership role even with young James Smith, who was a first team All-American as a freshman. She is really helping him develop in terms of his work ethic."

Developing work ethic is something not only the hurdlers have been focused on, but the program as a whole.

"I think last year we did really well with a lot of young people," said coach Harvey. "What I'm most excited about coming into this season is how they gel and how they take that next step."

The Wildcats will officially be back in action on Friday at NAU Friday Night Duals. Follow @ArizonaTrack throughout the meet for live updates.

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Players Mentioned

Shannon Meisberger: H; Junior

James Smith: H; Sophomore

April Sutton: H; Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

Shannon Meisberger
: Junior
: H

James Smith
: Sophomore
: H

April Sutton
: Redshirt Senior
: H