TUCSON, Ariz. – In World Athletics' most recent competition event rankings, three meets hosted by Arizona Track & Field at Roy P. Drachman Stadium were recognized as top competitions in the world: the Desert Heat Classic, the Jim Click Shootout, and the Tucson Elite Classic.
 
"Roy P. Drachman Stadium, and Tucson is an amazing place to compete," said Head Coach Fred Harvey. "The world of track and field knows this fact, and they line up to come. They are treated with fairness and kindness by our officials and meet organizers, and it allows them to relax and compete at the highest levels. Accompany this with bringing in some of the top athletes and universities in the world to a facility that's conducive for high level performance, and you will get these top-level competitions that are ranked by the IAAF."
 
World Athletics serves as the international governing body for track & field and cross country. With their global ranking system, performance scores are given to athletes at meets based on their mark/time and place. These performance scores are then combined to create a competition score for specific events. Therefore, not only can the scores of the athletes be compared, but the scores of the meets can be compared as well. Meets are then placed into categories for an easier comparison. For a more in-depth explanation of World Athletics' rankings click here.
 
The 2022 Desert Heat Classic and the 2022 Jim Click Shootout were ranked among the 1264 competitions of the Invitational/Open Competitions category. The Desert Heat Classic was ranked 83rd in the world with a total score of 79,746 and the Jim Click Shootout was ranked 126th in the world with a total score of 77,659.
 
The 2022 Tucson Elite Classic was another Arizona meet that was included, this time under the category of Special Competitions. Day two of the meet, the USATF Throws Fest, was ranked second in the world with a total score of 10,458. Additionally, day one of the meet was ranked 32nd with a score of 9,476. There were 823 total competitions in the world for the Special Competitions category.
 
For the 2022-23 season, the three meets recognized by World Athletics will again be held at Roy P. Drachman Stadium in Tucson, as the Wildcats look to continue gaining global recognition for the events they provide. The Jim Click Shootout will be held on April 8, and the Desert Heat Classic will be held on April 29. Additionally, the Tucson Elite Classic will be held and span for three days from May 18 to May 20.
 
"As we continue to find ways to improve Roy P. Drachman Stadium, we will climb even higher in the rankings," said Coach Harvey. "They say, if we build it, they will come. In this case, when we improve it, more will come, and the Tucson community and the University of Arizona will win!"
 
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