TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona Track and Field closed out the 2021 Pac-12 Championships on Sunday with Jordan Geist, Samantha Noennig, Justice Summerset and Johnnie Blockburger walking away with individual conference titles. The men's team took fifth with a score of 67 while the women's side finished eighth with 51.50 points.

Highlights
Freshman Johnnie Blockburger is the new Pac-12 men's 400m champion after crossing the finish line in 45.57. His PR time of 44.71 remains the Arizona school record as well as an Olympic Trials qualifying time.

On Friday, Jordan Geist and Samantha Noennig pulled off the Wildcat sweep in the men's and women's shot put. Geist claimed his third consecutive conference shot put title with a mark of 20.35m (66-9.25), adding to his 2019 and 2018 accolades. Noennig threw for 17.32m (56-10) to win her second Pac-12 title, but her first for Arizona.

Justice Summerset claimed his own conference title in the men's high jump on Friday, getting over the bar at 2.20m (7-2.5). 

"I'm super excited for the individual champions," said head coach Fred Harvey. "To win a title at this level–that's a big time achievement. For you to be a champion in one of the best, if not the best overall conference in the country, says a lot about you. These are all individuals who should be in the finals at the NCAA Championships and potentially have a shot at a national title."

All three Wildcats scored in the women's high jump with Lillian Lowe finishing runner-up. Lowe cleared 1.80m (5-10.75) to take second. Alexa Porpaczy finished fourth with a mark of 1.75m (5-8.75) and Diana Ramos took sixth, clearing 1.70m (5-7).

Shannon Meisberger got on the podium with a third place finish in the women's 400m hurdles. The junior clocked a time of 57.00.

Noennig earned another podium finish with a third place finish in the women's discus. She threw for 52.59m (172-6).

Rylee Perkins posted the sixth-best triple jump mark in school history with a PR of 12.39m (40-7.75).

Jakob Chamberlin and Geist both scored in the men's discus throw with Chamberlin throwing 53.76m (176-4) and Geist coming up with a mark of 52.92m (173-7). 

The men's 4x100m relay team of Trevor Volpe, Blockburger, Trent Stimac and Tayvian Cunningham placed third in the conference with a time of 40.10. In the 4x400, Calvin Wilson, Logan Hasher, Isaac Davis and Blockburger clocked 3:08.75 to finish second.

"Our goal for both sides was to finish in the top 5," said coach Harvey. "Unfortunately, on the men's side, we had to make a tough decision. Umajesty Williams had some hamstring trouble coming off of qualifying in the 400m. If he had been able to compete, that would've put us fourth. We just didn't have enough ammo to be top 3, but I'm pleased with where we finished because we met our goal."

The women's 4x400 relay crew of Gracie Reinholz, Neysia Howard, Athena Montgomery and Alyssa Blockburger finished fifth with a time of 3:44.22 to score four points.

"On the women's side, it would have been tough for us to make up 23 points in order to get to fifth. We would have had to be perfect and we weren't. But all of the athletes, both men and women, who are going forward to the NCAA Championships are still very much on cue to meet our goal, which is to have both teams finish in the top 15. On the men's side, if we do the things I know we can do, especially with Umajesty, we can be in the trophy hunt."


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