Dear Wildcats, 

If there is one word to describe the 2025-2026 academic year for Arizona Athletics, it is historic.

From conference championships and NCAA postseason success to record-setting academic achievement and unprecedented revenue growth, Arizona Athletics experienced one of the most successful years in department history. These accomplishments reflect the excellence, resilience and competitive spirit that define our Wildcats—and none of that would have been possible without your unwavering support.

Thank you for believing in our student-athletes, coaches and programs. You are an essential part of every achievement we celebrate.

For the fourth consecutive year, Arizona captured the Territorial Cup Series championship, continuing our tradition of success against our in-state rivals. The Wildcats also earned postseason berths in 18 sports, highlighted by a Final Four appearance in Men's Basketball, a Final Four appearance in Men's Golf, an Elite Eight appearance in Men's Tennis, and a national championship in Triathlon.

As the final NCAA Championships of the year conclude, we want to recognize two programs that delivered remarkable performances this spring on the national stage: Arizona Men's Golf and Arizona Track & Field.

For the first time since 2004, Arizona Men's Golf advanced to the NCAA Semifinals, finishing third nationally and producing one of the most memorable postseason runs in program history.

The Wildcats' success earned national recognition. Head Coach Jim Anderson was named the 2026 Division I West Region Coach of the Year by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Filip Jakubcik became just the 11th player in program history to earn First Team All-America honors and the first Wildcat to do so since 2004. Zach Pollo earned Honorable Mention All-America recognition, marking the first time since 2005 that Arizona produced multiple All-Americans in the same season.

Congratulations to Coach Anderson, our student-athletes and everyone associated with the program on a truly historic season.

Arizona Track & Field also continued its ascent on the national stage. Following a record-setting performance at the NCAA West Regional, the Wildcats sent 19 student-athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, tying the program record.

Senior sprinter Mason Lawyer delivered one of the nation's top performances, qualifying in three events while breaking his own school record twice in the men's 100 meters. Arizona's women's high jump group also made history as Kya Crooke, Emma Gates and Paris Mikinski became the first trio of Wildcats to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the event since 1985.

At the NCAA Championships in Eugene, four Wildcats earned First Team All-America honors: Mason Lawyer, Kya Crooke, Paris Mikinski and Hollan Powers. Powers also shattered Arizona's heptathlon record and became the first woman in NCAA Championships history to record a personal or season-best mark in all seven events of the competition.

The women's team finished 20th nationally, its highest NCAA Championship finish since 2013.

Congratulations to Coach Andrew Dubs, his staff and our student-athletes on a season that demonstrated the tremendous momentum and bright future of Arizona Track & Field. In his first year leading the program, Coach Dubs guided the Wildcats to one of the most successful seasons in recent history and established a strong foundation for continued success on the national stage.

Across Arizona Athletics, Wildcats continued to excel in competition, academics and leadership.

Our student-athletes also reached new heights in the classroom. This spring, Arizona Athletics achieved the highest cumulative GPA in department history at 3.413 while extending its streak of semesters above a 3.0 GPA to 17 consecutive terms. An incredible 103 student-athletes earned perfect 4.0 GPAs.

Beach Volleyball led all women's programs with a 3.818 GPA, while Men's Tennis paced men's teams with a 3.624 GPA.

Four Wildcats earned CSC Academic All-America recognition this year: Jay Friend (Men's Tennis, First Team), Tobe Awaka (Men's Basketball, Second Team), Tayler Biehl (Softball, Second Team) and Josie Usereau (Women's Tennis, Third Team).

Biehl and Usereau also earned Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, joining Gianna Lenczner (Gymnastics) as Arizona's conference scholar-athlete award recipients.

These accomplishments are a direct result of the commitment of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and supporters. In today's collegiate athletics landscape, your investments in Arizona Athletics plays a critical role in our ability to provide transformative opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the highest level.

Every ticket purchased, every gift made, and every Wildcat cheer helps move our programs forward.

We are also proud to see former student-athletes continuing their journeys staying home in Arizona Athletics in professional roles. Emma Strom has joined Arizona Gymnastics as an assistant coach, Eleni Gewalt has joined our A-Club team, and Garen Caulfield has been promoted to Director of Player Development and Recruiting for Arizona Baseball. Their continued commitment to Arizona is a powerful reflection of the lifelong impact of the Wildcat experience.

We are pleased to welcome Carter Toole as Senior Associate Athletics Director and Chief Communications Officer to our staff. Carter brings extensive experience and a passion for storytelling that will help elevate the visibility of our student-athletes, coaches and programs.

The year concluded with another exciting milestone for Arizona Men's Basketball as five Wildcats earned opportunities in the NBA: 

Brayden Burries – Milwaukee Bucks (No. 10 draft pick)

Koa Peat – Phoenix Suns (No. 30 draft pick)

Jaden Bradley – Toronto Raptors (No. 50 draft pick)

Tobe Awaka – Chicago Bulls (Two-Way Contract)

Anthony Dell’Orso – Sacramento Kings (NBA Summer League)

This group will forever hold a special place in Arizona Basketball history after helping lead the Wildcats to their first Final Four appearance in 25 years. We look forward to watching them represent Arizona on the game's biggest stage.

As we reflect on this extraordinary year, we are grateful for your partnership and belief in our mission.

Together, we celebrated historic achievements, created unforgettable moments, and continued building a championship culture that makes Arizona special.

We look forward to welcoming you back this fall for Football, Cross Country, Triathlon, Soccer and Volleyball. Season tickets are on sale now, and we hope you'll join us as we begin another year of competing for championships, developing leaders and creating memories that unite Wildcat Nation.

Until then, we wish you a wonderful summer and a happy Fourth of July.

Bear Down and Go Cats!

Desireé Reed-Francois

R. Ken Coit Director of Athletics

University of Arizona