TUCSON, Arizona — Since 1993, the American Cancer Society has collaborated with basketball coaches on the Coaches vs. Cancer series.
The Arizona Men’s Basketball team painted sneakers with patients from Diamond Children’s Medical Center for the game.
“Knowing that we can give back and make people happy is what it’s all about,” Arizona Guard Caleb Love said.
For the second year in a straight, players like Love picked up the brush. This year, he and the Wildcats continue to raise cancer awareness, demonstrating the team’s effect on and off the court.
“The community gives it to us,” Love added. “So, when you can contribute to others, I believe it’s a wonderful thing to do for both yourself and the people you’re helping.”
The patients and athletes colored the sneakers anyway they wished, making each sneaker unique.
“When youngsters are hurting, it crushes your heart,” Arizona Men’s Basketball Coach Tommy Lloyd stated. “So, whenever our guys can go over there and be a part of an event that is making kids feel better or giving them the opportunity to feel better, we want to participate.”
The sneakers will be worn by the Wildcats’ coaching and support personnel.
“When we do that, it’ll be a fun event, and the shoes will be auctioned off to benefit a wonderful cause,” Lloyd explained.
The Wildcats will wear the footwear on the floor on January 25 when they host Colorado.
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Wildcats break three school records in the indoor season opener.
The Wildcats began the season well, finishing with three school records, seven event victories, 13 top-three finishes, and multiple personal bests. At the season opener, Jade Brown (60m), Zach Extine (60m Hurdles), and McKenna Watson (300m) all set new program marks for Arizona.
TOP THREE FINISHES
Jade Brown – First, Women’s 60m (School Record).
Zach Extine – First in the Men’s 60m Hurdles (School Record)
Tapenisa Havea – First in Women’s Shot Put
Tyler Michelini – First in Men’s Shot Put
Paris Mikinski finished first in the women’s high jump.
McKenna Watson – First, Women’s 300m (School Record).
Trayvion White-Austin finished first in the men’s 60m.
Isaac Davis placed second in the men’s 600m.
Emma Gates placed second in the women’s high jump.
Tapenisa Havea placed second in the women’s weight throw.
Youssef Koudssi placed third in the men’s shot put.
Zach Landa – Third in Men’s Weight Throw
Lauryn Love ranked third in the women’s shot put.
FIELD HIGHLIGHTS
The Wildcats finished first and second in the women’s high jump, with Paris Mikinski winning and Emma Gates coming in second. Mikinski won the event after clearing a personal best height of 6-0.75 (1.85m). Gates cleared a height of 5-9.75 (1.77m) to finish second.
Tyler Michelini won the men’s shot put category with an impressive personal best throw of 62-10.75 (19.17m). Youssef Koudssi finished third overall with a score of 62-1.25 (18.93m), giving the Wildcats two podium finishes in the tournament. Michael Ogbeiwi, Sam Hala’ufia, Richard Legarra, and Zach Landa finished seventh through tenth in the event.
Tapenisa Havea won the women’s shot put with an indoor personal best of 53-7.5 (16.34m), and the Wildcats won the event in both men’s and women’s categories. Lauryn Love finished third overall, throwing an indoor personal high of 50-4 (15.34m).
The Wildcats started their indoor season with two personal best top-three finishes in weight throw contests. Tapenisa Havea finished second in the women’s weight throw, tossing 57-0.25 (17.38m) for her personal best. Lauryn Love finished fifth in the race as well. Zach Landa finished third in the men’s weight throw, with a lifetime best of 69-2 (21.08m).
Michael Ogbeiwi finished fifth overall with a personal best throw of 62-0.25 (18.90m), while Tyler Michelini finished sixth with a mark of 59-3 (18.06m). Youssef Koudssi also finished eighth in the tournament.
In the women’s pole vault, rookie Kelly de Jong finished fourth overall, Olivia Dillon sixth, and Ena McMahon seventh. On the men’s side, rookie Sylvan Osman finished fourth overall with a clearance of 16-4.75 (5.00m).
In the men’s high jump, freshmen Kaleb Kimaita and Sylvan Osman finished seventh and eighth, respectively.
Track Highlights:
Senior Zach Extine began the season quickly in the men’s 60m hurdles. Extine ran a personal best time of 7.82, which is close to the school record, and advanced to the finals with the quickest time of the day. In the finals, Extine ran 7.74 seconds, thereby breaking the Arizona school record and winning the 60-meter hurdles championship. Extine beat Jeff Hunter’s time of 7.77 from 2006.
Four Wildcats went to the finals of the women’s 60m. Jade Brown achieved the quickest time in the preliminary round at 7.38, followed by Jenica Bosko at 7.49, Hollan Powers at 7.50, and McKenna Watson at 7.50 (PR). Zana Ryan and Dakota Minor both set personal best times in the preliminary rounds. In the finals, Jade Brown won the race in a school record time of 7.23. Brown decreased her personal best to beat Brianna Glenn’s mark of 7.25 from 2002. Hollan Powers also lowered her time to 7.46 to finish sixth overall.
McKenna Watson ran the women’s 300m in 38.03 seconds, breaking the Arizona school mark. Watson won the event, breaking Maureen Bookstrom’s 1987 record of 39.69. Ava Simms placed fourth overall in the race with a time of 39.29, which would have beaten the existing program record. Camila Aguilar-Perez, Brooke Nordman, and Presley Money finished fifth, sixth, and eighth, respectively. Brian Limage finished ninth in the men’s 300-meter race.
Trayvion White-Austin and Tyson Tippett advanced to the finals of the men’s 60m. White-Austin ran the second fastest time in the prelims (6.72), while Tippett ended seventh (6.79). Brian Limage also finished 10th overall for the Wildcats. White-Austin won the event’s finals, with a near-personal best time of 6.65. Tippett finished fifth with a time of 6.76.
Isaac Davis finished second in the men’s 600m with a personal best time of 1:18.17. Christian Simmons finished seventh overall with a personal best time of 1:20.62, while Evan Simmons finished eighth with 1:21.56. Keilee Hall finished sixth in the women’s 600m, clocking in at 1:34.63.
Brooke Nordman qualified for the finals of the women’s 60m hurdles after finishing seventh in the preliminary round. Nordman finished fourth overall after running an 8.71 in the event’s finals.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats’ indoor season is already in full swing, with their next competition taking place on January 17-18 in Lubbock, Texas, at the Corky Classic sponsored by Texas Tech.
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