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FINAL HOME STAND

This week will mark our final two home games of the 2019-20 season for Coach Miller and the Wildcats. Arizona opens the week hosting Washington State at 8:30 p.m. (MST) on Thursday, March 5 before welcoming Washington for Senior Day on Saturday, March 7 at 8 p.m. (MST). We will have glowsticks for fans to use during the game on arrival at McKale for Thursday. You can click here to get your tickets for this week's games as the Wildcats take the court at home for the final time this season.
 
On Saturday's Senior Day match-up with the Huskies, we will recognize the program's senior managers as well as its six student-athletes playing their final game at home. This senior group will be honored during a pre-game ceremony before tip-off. The game is also a RED OUT, so wear the colors on Saturday at the game.
 
Arizona will push its impressive streak of leading the Pac-12 Conference in attendance to 36 consecutive seasons. With an impressive average home crowd of 13,697 this season, McKale Center has continued its legacy as one of the top home environments in all of college basketball. We want to thank all our loyal supporters for making our basketball venue the special place that it is. 
 
SPRING PRACTICE BEGINS



Arizona Football took the field inside the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center on Monday for the first practice of the spring. This is always an exciting time for a football program as returners and newcomers put on a helmet for the first time of the year. The program will practice 15 times over the next four weeks and will end the spring with the Arizona Football Spring Game at 5 p.m. (MST) on Saturday, April 4 at Arizona Stadium.


 
You can stay caught up on Coach Sumlin and the Wildcats throughout spring practices at @ArizonaFBall on Twitter and @ArizonaFootball on Instagram as well as ArizonaWildcats.com. Quarterback Grant Gunnell was mic'd up for the first practice of the spring. We are also in the first week of our 60 Prizes in 30 Days football season ticket renewal campaign, which is giving away a ton of excellent gifts for fans who have renewed their season tickets for the 2020 season. If you haven't renewed your season tickets yet, you can click here to do so.
 
We are also happy to announce that Arizona Athletics and the A-Club Letterwinners Association are hosting the 2020 Football Spring Alumni Weekend on April 2 to 4. Our athletics department is proud and honored to welcome alumni back to campus to reminisce and celebrate their time as Wildcats. To RSVP and for more information, click here.
 
OFF TO LAS VEGAS

We want to wish Arizona Women's Basketball the best of luck as they head off to Las Vegas for this week's Pac-12 Women's Basketball Conference Tournament at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The Cats are the No. 4 seed in this year's field and will open on Friday, March 6 at 12:30 p.m. (MST) with the winner of Arizona State and California. The Pac-12 Networks will broadcast all tournament games with the exception of the championship game. You can read more about how to tune in to the Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament here.
 
The team received the first of many postseason accolades this week with the Pac-12's All-Conference honors. Aari McDonald and Cate Reese were featured on the All-Pac-12 Team with Aari winning Defensive Player of the Year. Sam Thomas was selected to the All-Defensive Team, alongside Aari, as well as an Honorable Mention spot on the All-Pac-12 Team. Helena Pueyo was an Honorable Mention All-Freshman Team selection.
 
March is when the lights are brightest in college basketball, and Arizona Women's Basketball is set to begin the postseason with the University of Arizona, Arizona Athletics and all of Southern Arizona cheering them on. Bear Down and Go Cats!
 
SOFTBALL RETURNS HOME



Fresh off their perfect 5-0 run in tournament action last weekend at the University of Alabama, Arizona Softball returns home to host the Wildcat Invitational at Hillenbrand Stadium. Mariah Lopez earned Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors after picking up three wins in Alabama as the Wildcats rank fourth in the nation.
 
The Wildcats will begin the weekend with a Friday match-up with South Dakota at 5:30 p.m. (MST) before facing Boise State and SIU Edwardsville on Saturday afternoon. Arizona will cap the weekend off with a game versus Indiana on Sunday at 11:15 a.m. (MST).
 
There will be a ton of terrific softball action at Hillenbrand throughout the weekend, so join us at one of the best environments in college softball.
 
GYMCATS IN MCKALE THIS WEEK

Arizona Gymnastics is winding down the 2020 season with its final two home meets of the season on Friday and Sunday. Arizona is coming off a strong showing at California last week, are ranked No. 24 nationally and will host Arizona State on Friday, March 6 at 7 p.m. (MST) inside McKale Center. The GymCats will cap the weekend off by hosting a Tri-Meet on Sunday at 2 p.m. (MST) on Senior Day. The program will recognize and honor its six-member senior class after Sunday's meet. Join us for both of this week's meets in McKale Center and Bear Down with Arizona Gymnastics.
 
CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON FOR TRACK & FIELD



Arizona Track and Field competed at the MPSF Indoor Championships in Seattle last week as the men's team finished in second and the women in fourth. Arizona got an individual conference championship from sophomore Alexa Porpaczy in the high jump with a mark of five feet and ten-and-a-half inches (1.79 meters). The quartet of Victor Ortiz-Rivera, James Smith, Camron Herron and Carlos Villarreal won the distance medley relay with a championship time of 9:34.95.
 
Alexa and Carlos were joined by Justice Summerset and Israel Oloyede as Wildcat qualifiers for the NCAA Indoor National Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico on March 13 and 14. Congratulations to all of our track and field student-athletes on their postseason success!
 
HITTING THE DIAMOND AT HI CORBETT



This week marks more weekend tournament action at Hi Corbett Field for Coach Johnson and the Wildcats. As one of the top offenses in the nation, Arizona erupted for 35 runs in its three-game series last week.

The Cats are hosting Houston in the final non-conference weekend series before Pac-12 play begins. The series begins on Friday, March 6 at 6 p.m. (MST) with special promotions throughout the weekend. We will host postgame catch on the field following Saturday's 4 p.m. (MST) game before Sunday's Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Day at Hi Corbett for the 1 p.m. (MST) rubber match with the Cougars. There are a ton of great reasons to head the ballpark this weekend, and you can click here to get your tickets now.
 
SWIMMING AND DIVING AT PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS



Arizona Swimming and Diving turned in some outstanding performances at the Pac-12 Championships. Sophomore Arial Bernal earned a bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke, and Kirsten Jacobsen posted an impressive time of 15:59.31 in the 1,650-meter freestyle, which marked the fifth-fastest time in program history.
 
The men's diving side also competed at the championships in Federal Way, Washington as freshman Bjorn Markentin was the Pac-12 Platform Diving champion. The Pac-12 Men's Swimming Championships begin this week, and we send our best wishes to all the Wildcats hitting the pool and Bear Down!
 
TRAVEL ABROAD

In our athletics department's ongoing focus to increase participation in study abroad opportunities and other global education initiatives, we are happy to announce that members of Arizona Football are heading to Paris as part of the Global Africana Studies Experience. Tre Adams, Lorenzo Burns, Kevin Doyle, Mykee Irving, Issaiah Johnson and Zach Williams will spend spring break in the French capital studying its impact as a hub of Africana and African American cultural experiences of the 20^th century.
 
The University of Arizona and Arizona Athletics are committed to setting the standard for a global university and athletics department, and this student-athlete educational experience in Paris is a great way to engage communities globally.
 
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: 

1. Bear Down with us today! Join the Wildcat Club to make an impact on our student-athletes' experience.
2. Buy Season Tickets
3. Wear the Colors (Especially on Friday)
4. Encourage Others to Do the Same

 
Bear Down with Pride,

Dave Heeke
Director of Athletics
University of Arizona
uofaad@arizona.edu