Greg Hansen's top 10 single seasons by Arizona Wildcats athletes
- Updated
Lorena Ochoa, who won seven consecutive tournaments β still an NCAA record β tops the list.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Editorβs note: This summer, Star columnist Greg Hansen is counting down the top 10 of just about everything related to Tucson sports.
Todayβs list: the top 10 seasons by UA athletes.
Lorena Ochoa was initially going to be a Texas Longhorn, not an Arizona Wildcat.
As she won five Junior World championships during her high school days in Guadalajara, Mexico, she became the most pursued college golf prospect in the world.
But when Arizona won the 2000 NCAA championship, Ochoa balked. Instead of following through with plans to play at Texas, she visited Arizona and spent a weekend at Tucson National, bunked in a casita overlooking the No. 9 green.
She enrolled at Arizona in August 2000, speaking limited English but insisting on learning a new language as part of her UA education. Her freshman season was spectacular: She was the NCAA womenβs golfer of the year, finishing second in the national championships.
As a sophomore, she mightβve had the single best season of any athlete, in any sport, in school history. Ochoa won seven consecutive tournaments, still an NCAA record, by an average of 5.4 strokes per victory and again was named the college womenβs player of the year. Her 70.13 stroke average was the lowest in womenβs college golf history. In the middle of the β02 season, she was granted a spot in the LPGA Welchβs/Circle K Championships at Randolph Park and finished fifth.
At yearβs end, she finished second (again) in the NCAA finals and turned pro the day after the final putt dropped.
Competition for the top single season in UA history is fierce. Iβm picking Ochoaβs 2001-02 year, but any of the top four are worthy of the top spot. Hereβs how I rank them:Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Of her seven consecutive tournament victories, the sophomore won three by 10, nine and six strokes.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
As Arizona won the College World Series, Francona, a junior, had the season of his young life: he hit .402, drove in 84 runs (still second in UA history), had 105 hits (second in UA history), stole 28 bases and struck out only 16 times in 305 plate appearances. He was named the NCAA player of the year.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Flawless. Finch went 32-0 with a 0.54 ERA as Arizona won the the Womenβs College World Series her junior season. She also hit .313 with 11 home runs and 57 RBI.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
As Arizona rushed to the Final Four, Reeves set two still-standing school records: points in a season (848) and scoring average (24.2). He scored a career-high 40 against Michigan to win the Fiesta Bowl Classic MVP and was named to the John Wooden All-American first team.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
As a sophomore, Skieresz became the first woman in NCAA history to win four national championships in a single season: the cross country title, the indoor 5,000 meters and the outdoor 5,000- and 10,000-meter races.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
In his sophomore season, Neethling became just the second swimmer in NCAA history to win three individual championships in a year: the 200, 500 and 1,650 freestyles. He also helped Arizona finish second in a relay championship.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Also a sophomore, in 2012, the Canyon del Oro grad led the nation in rushing (1,929 yards) and set a school record with 23 touchdowns and a Pac-12 record for 366 rushing yards in a victory against Colorado. His 6.4 average per carry is second in UA history.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
As a UA senior, the Tucson High grad was a first-team All-American who won the WAC singles and doubles championships. He also reached the NCAA semifinals, helping the UA finish fifth overall. He helped the UA win 16 dual meets, a school record. He was ranked No. 17 in the USTA singles rankings and No. 9 in doubles as a college senior, and played at Wimbledon a week after the NCAA finals.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Elliott set a school record with 743 points (broken in 1994 by Reeves) and averaged 22.2 points and became the college basketball player of the year on a team ranked No. 1 much of the season.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
βThe Cactus Cometβ led the NCAA in rushing (1,359 yards) and broke the NCAA record for scoring with 166 points during his sophomore season, one that included a game in which he rushed six times for 228 yards against New Mexico State.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Annika Sorenstam was the NCAA womenβs golfer of the year in 1992, winning four tournaments, and finishing second in the NCAA finals. Carl Thomas went 14-1 with a school-record 179 strikeouts (still No. 2 in the UA books) while pitching back-to-back no-hitters and leading Arizona to a No. 2 finish at the 1956 College World Series. Nancy Evans was the NCAA softball player of the year in 1997, going 36-2 as a pitcher and hitting .324 as Arizonaβs shortstop while not pitching.
Editorβs note: This summer, Star columnist Greg Hansen is counting down the top 10 of just about everything related to Tucson sports.
Todayβs list: the top 10 seasons by UA athletes.
Lorena Ochoa was initially going to be a Texas Longhorn, not an Arizona Wildcat.
As she won five Junior World championships during her high school days in Guadalajara, Mexico, she became the most pursued college golf prospect in the world.
But when Arizona won the 2000 NCAA championship, Ochoa balked. Instead of following through with plans to play at Texas, she visited Arizona and spent a weekend at Tucson National, bunked in a casita overlooking the No. 9 green.
She enrolled at Arizona in August 2000, speaking limited English but insisting on learning a new language as part of her UA education. Her freshman season was spectacular: She was the NCAA womenβs golfer of the year, finishing second in the national championships.
As a sophomore, she mightβve had the single best season of any athlete, in any sport, in school history. Ochoa won seven consecutive tournaments, still an NCAA record, by an average of 5.4 strokes per victory and again was named the college womenβs player of the year. Her 70.13 stroke average was the lowest in womenβs college golf history. In the middle of the β02 season, she was granted a spot in the LPGA Welchβs/Circle K Championships at Randolph Park and finished fifth.
At yearβs end, she finished second (again) in the NCAA finals and turned pro the day after the final putt dropped.
Competition for the top single season in UA history is fierce. Iβm picking Ochoaβs 2001-02 year, but any of the top four are worthy of the top spot. Hereβs how I rank them:Β
Of her seven consecutive tournament victories, the sophomore won three by 10, nine and six strokes.Β
As Arizona won the College World Series, Francona, a junior, had the season of his young life: he hit .402, drove in 84 runs (still second in UA history), had 105 hits (second in UA history), stole 28 bases and struck out only 16 times in 305 plate appearances. He was named the NCAA player of the year.Β
Flawless. Finch went 32-0 with a 0.54 ERA as Arizona won the the Womenβs College World Series her junior season. She also hit .313 with 11 home runs and 57 RBI.Β
As Arizona rushed to the Final Four, Reeves set two still-standing school records: points in a season (848) and scoring average (24.2). He scored a career-high 40 against Michigan to win the Fiesta Bowl Classic MVP and was named to the John Wooden All-American first team.Β
As a sophomore, Skieresz became the first woman in NCAA history to win four national championships in a single season: the cross country title, the indoor 5,000 meters and the outdoor 5,000- and 10,000-meter races.Β
In his sophomore season, Neethling became just the second swimmer in NCAA history to win three individual championships in a year: the 200, 500 and 1,650 freestyles. He also helped Arizona finish second in a relay championship.Β
Also a sophomore, in 2012, the Canyon del Oro grad led the nation in rushing (1,929 yards) and set a school record with 23 touchdowns and a Pac-12 record for 366 rushing yards in a victory against Colorado. His 6.4 average per carry is second in UA history.Β
As a UA senior, the Tucson High grad was a first-team All-American who won the WAC singles and doubles championships. He also reached the NCAA semifinals, helping the UA finish fifth overall. He helped the UA win 16 dual meets, a school record. He was ranked No. 17 in the USTA singles rankings and No. 9 in doubles as a college senior, and played at Wimbledon a week after the NCAA finals.Β
Elliott set a school record with 743 points (broken in 1994 by Reeves) and averaged 22.2 points and became the college basketball player of the year on a team ranked No. 1 much of the season.Β
βThe Cactus Cometβ led the NCAA in rushing (1,359 yards) and broke the NCAA record for scoring with 166 points during his sophomore season, one that included a game in which he rushed six times for 228 yards against New Mexico State.Β
Annika Sorenstam was the NCAA womenβs golfer of the year in 1992, winning four tournaments, and finishing second in the NCAA finals. Carl Thomas went 14-1 with a school-record 179 strikeouts (still No. 2 in the UA books) while pitching back-to-back no-hitters and leading Arizona to a No. 2 finish at the 1956 College World Series. Nancy Evans was the NCAA softball player of the year in 1997, going 36-2 as a pitcher and hitting .324 as Arizonaβs shortstop while not pitching.
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