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Dear Wildcats,

We closed out the spring semester with one of our most significant recognitions. Arizona Athletics' 2020 Student-Athlete Commencement was held virtually on Thursday as we celebrated our seniors who graduated from the University of Arizona. Graduation is a landmark event in our Wildcats' lives, and it represents the fulfillment to our Commitment to an Athlete's Total Success (C.A.T.S). The Wildcat Way mission focuses on building academic, athletic and life champions, and this year's class of graduates have embodied the compassion, determination and adaptation of the Wildcat Way. While it was very unfortunate that we could not celebrate these graduates in person, I truly believe this group of Arizona alumni are some of the most resilient and dedicated Wildcats after overcoming the challenges of this COVID-19 era.
 
The entire Wildcat Family is proud of the 2020 class of University of Arizona graduates for representing our department, University and Southern Arizona with honor. They have achieved greatness on the field, in the classroom and in our community, and that excellence is greater than the adversity faced in this pandemic. The class of 2020 truly are Wildcats for Life and the next generation of leaders in their communities.
 
We will wrap up 2019-20 with our final Wildcat Wednesday of the year next week. Here are some important pieces of news and updates from Arizona Athletics from this week:

• We want to remind our supporters that the June 1 renewal deadline is approaching for men's basketball and football season tickets as well as Wildcat Club memberships. You can click here to renew today. Arizona Athletics has also added additional flexibility with deposits for fans to retain their seats for one year during these uncertain times.
• The sustained academic success of our athletics department continued with this week's release of the NCAA's Academic Progress Report (APR) data as Arizona Athletics matched its all-time record of ten programs with perfect scores. We also highlighted the outstanding legacy of Becky Bell who has been a fixture in our department for 35 years and is retiring this summer. Becky's work as a tennis coach and C.A.T.S Life Skills Director is the epitome of living the Wildcat Way as she has impacted countless lives over the years.
• Want to stay connected with the Wildcats? You can utilize the Pac-12 Now App with classic games on-demand, new episodes of "Pac-12 Playlist" and "Our Stories" plus our daily podcast, the "Pac-12 Perspective" that features exclusive interviews with Steve Kerr and Aari McDonald among other famous Cats.
• In case you missed it, Arizona Athletics is participating in the AZSportsTogether charity fundraiser for the AZ Coronavirus Relief Fund. The raffle includes tremendous prizes from sports organizations throughout the state of Arizona with all proceeds going to provide financial support to Arizona communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Purchase your raffle tickets today and Bear Down.
• Our ongoing series "Who We Are" of Wildcat profiles continues with David Laskin of Arizona Men's Golf who is chasing a standard of excellence in his journey as a Wildcat. This series covers each of our 21 athletic programs, and you can read each feature story by clicking here.
• We are proud to announce the 2020-21 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee of student-athletes. This important group of Wildcats are key stakeholders in helping Arizona Athletics continue to live the Wildcat Way.

   
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 being a proud Wildcat by

• Staying strong and being safe
• Renewing your Wildcat Club membership or Joining Today
• Wearing the colors and Bear Down with pride

 
Bear Down,
 
Dave Heeke
Vice President and Director of Athletics