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STUDENT-ATHLETE GRADUATION

Thursday is our official student-athlete graduation ceremony at 9 a.m. (MST) inside McKale Center, which marks one of our most memorable events. We will honor 91 student-athletes who will officially become graduates of the University of Arizona, which includes some special C.A.T.S. Forever graduates who have worked tirelessly to complete their degrees since leaving campus. The stories of all our Wildcat graduates are inspiring, motivational and powerful, and you will hear from graduates themselves on Thursday.
 
Realizing lifelong dreams of earning a college degree and fulfilling our Wildcat Way mission to develop academic, athletic and life champions will be on full display Thursday morning. Admission is free, so please join us as we celebrate these student-athletes achieving this important milestone. Attendees are encouraged to sit in the bowl of McKale Center. If you can't attend, ArizonaWildcats.com will be live streaming the ceremony for free.


APIDA HERITAGE MONTH



Our ongoing celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month continues. Our tributes to key cultural heritage months are part of the ongoing work of our staff to harness the power of diversity. Our Inclusive Excellence Council, which was one of the first of its kind in college athletics, helps spearhead and organize these important celebrations.
 
This notable recognition has also shined the light on significant milestones and moments in Arizona Athletics history through our APIDA Heritage spotlight. Most recently, we relived Bianca Pagdanganan's amazing eagle putt during Arizona Women's Golf's run to the 2018 national championship.
 
We will continue to share more APIDA Heritage Month content and stories with Wildcat Wednesday readers throughout the month of May.
 
BEAR DOWN AND GO CATS



It's conference championships week for Arizona Track & Field as they travel to Eugene, Oregon for the Pac-12 Championships that begin on Friday, May 13. Our large pack of Wildcats traveling to the Pacific Northwest will look to add new chapters of success to this season's accomplishments.
 
The program has already garnered All-America and conference honors this season, and postseason competition is when our student-athletes show the country what it means to Bear Down under the bright lights of championship meets. Good luck to all our Wildcats competing at Hayward Field this week. We are all proud of you and everything you have achieved. We will be cheering and rooting you on. You can tune into the Pac-12 Networks and follow the action on @ArizonaTrack on social media.
 
FISCH FOOTBALL CHALLENGE



Have you heard of the Fisch Football Challenge? Coach Fisch has officially launched this initiative that supports local youth organizations. Coach Fisch announced that he and Amber will purchase 10 season tickets and donate them to local youth for the upcoming season and challenged the Wildcat Family to match him and do the same. These 10 special season tickets can now be purchased for $700 and will be provided to various local youth groups in Tucson. To join the challenge please contact a Wildcat Club staff member or call 520-621-2287 (CATS) and a ticketing representative will be able to assist you.
Our football program continues to enhance its facilities and student-athlete experience through the powerful generosity of our donors, supporters and alumni. Coach Fisch gave a tour to Yogi Roth from the Pac-12 Networks of the most recent upgrades inside the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility as part of Yogi's "The It Factory" podcast episode with our head football coach. It is an excellent showcase of the power of the giving of the Wildcat Family. If you would like to donate and support the Arizona Football program, click here.
 
WOMEN'S GOLF AT NCAA REGIONALS

Arizona Women's Golf battled until the very end at NCAA Regionals in Albuquerque but came up just short of advancing to the NCAA Championships.  The program, which won our department's last national championship in 2018, has competed with honor and distinction throughout the season with a very young roster. Coach Ianello and the Wildcats never gave up and showed the nation what being an Arizona Wildcat really means.
 
Congrats to the program on another excellent season and for continuing its storied legacy. We look forward to seeing the team back on the course next year for another exciting year of Arizona Women's Golf.
 
FINAL SOFTBALL HOMESTAND



Arizona Softball will play its final regular season series of the season with three-game homestand against Stanford on Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week. The first meeting with the Cardinal is set for 5 p.m. (MST) on Thursday, May 12 on Pac-12 Networks. Coach Lowe and the program will hold Senior Day ceremonies before Saturday's finale, which is scheduled for 12 p.m. (MST) as we recognize the senior trio of Peanut Martinez, Hanah Bowen and Bailey Thompson. Please join us for Saturday's game as we send off these outstanding seniors at Mike Candrea Field and Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium.
 
The series with the Cardinal is scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday because Sunday is the NCAA Softball Selection Show. The show will air at 4 p.m. (MST) on ESPN2. There are a few remaining tickets available for this weekend's series, so buy yours now if you haven't already. Bear Down, Go Cats, and we will see you at the stadium this week!
 
SENIOR WEEKEND SERIES



Coach Hale and the Wildcats are back in Tucson for their final regular season series at home. Arizona Baseball will host No. 2 Oregon State for a three-game series beginning with a 7 p.m. (MST) first pitch on Friday, May 13. The series opener will be our 10-year anniversary celebration of our 2012 national championship team with other outstanding promotions throughout the weekend at Hi Corbett Field with Pac-12 Networks broadcasting all three games. This marquee match-up with the Beavers also includes a 6 p.m. game on Saturday and a 12 p.m. finale on Sunday.
 
Saturday's game versus OSU will be the program's Senior Day as we honor the half dozen Wildcats who are capping their outstanding careers as members of Arizona Baseball. Our baseball seniors have truly lived the Wildcat Way and developed into academic, athletic and life champions while helping our storied program continue its legacy as one of the nation's elite. If you don't have tickets for a game this weekend, click here to be a part of the action at the ballpark.
 
CONGRATS COACH SPEARS



On behalf of the entire Wildcat Family, we would like to congratulate Coach Spears of Arizona Gymnastics on her promotion to Associate Head Coach. Taylor has been part of the coaching staff for four seasons and helped guide GymCats to excellence on the mat, in the classroom and in the community. Most recently, she coached our balance beam athletes to a historic season in 2022. Arizona defeated Utah for the first time in program history while Sirena Linton went on to become the program's first all-american on the beam since 2012. We look forward to seeing Taylor continue her coaching career as part of Coach Court's staff with the Arizona GymCats.
 
ANOTHER TERRIFIC SEASON



Arizona Men's Tennis postseason run ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament over the weekend, and we want to congratulate our student-athletes, coaches and staff on another historic season. There is always some disappointment when any season comes to an end, but the 2021-22 season was one of true excellence for our program. Coach Shields and the Wildcats continue to raise the national profile of the program by continuing to accomplish greatness. Arizona Men's Tennis won its first-ever Pac-12 championship this season, which is a testament to tremendous growth of the program.
 
Hats off to Arizona Men's Tennis for another terrific season of historical achievements. You continue to proudly represent the Block A and embody what it means to be a Wildcat. The future continues to shine bright, and we can't wait to see you in action again.
 

 
WEAR THE COLORS – SHARE THE PHOTOS



Send us your photos of you wearing the colors!

Thank you for wearing the colors and sharing your Arizona pride! Make sure to take a picture the next time you are wearing the colors and send it to us, we just might include it in next week's Wildcat Wednesday! And even if your photo submission doesn't make  next week's edition, 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.

Bear Down and Go Cats!
 
Dave Heeke
Vice President and Director of Athletics
University of Arizona
uofaad@arizona.edu