Throwers Compete at Tucson Elite Classic

TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona wrapped up an all-throwers weekend at Drachman Stadium with the completion of both the Tucson Elite Classic and USATF Throws Festival on Saturday. The Tucson Elite Classic, which started on Thursday, was pushed to finish today due to a weather delay caused by thunder and lightning on Thursday night.
 
FIELD HIGHLIGHTS
Jordan Geist got things started on Thursday for the Wildcats in the men’s hammer throw. In a deep field of professional throwers, Geist placed sixth overall with a heave of 73.65m (241-7).
 
Due to a weather delay on Thursday evening, the rest of the day’s throwers got moved to Saturday. On Saturday, Youssef Koudssi placed second in the men’s shot put with a throw of 19.20m (63-), and Zach Landa placed sixth with a toss of 18.45m (60-6.5). Additionally, Erin Tack posted a big personal best in the women’s javelin with a throw of 46.42m (152-3). In an all-Arizona field in the event, Tack finished first and Makenzie Dilworth placed second.
 
The Wildcats finished out the day on Saturday with two competitors in the USATF Throws Festival, which was a separate event ran by the USATF. At the competition, Paris Mikinski finished eighth in the women’s high jump after clearing a height of 1.69m (5-6.5). To finish off the day, Jordan Geist placed ninth in the men’s shot put with a toss of 20.62m (67-8).
 
Wildcat competitors were some of the few collegiate athletes that competed in the weekend competition, as marks at this meet do not count towards NCAA rankings. They do count for USA rankings though, so there was a large number of professional unattached and international competitors, which made for a very competitive field.
 
UP NEXT
The Wildcats will move forward with their postseason competitions, starting next week with the NCAA West First Round Championships. The top 48 athletes in each event for the West Region (top 24 for relays) qualify for the regional event which will be held in Sacramento Calif., from May 24-27. From there, the top 12 competitors in each event will move forward to the final NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas on June 7-10.
 
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