During the Wildcats’ football season, Tyrell Johnson dashed down the field carrying a football on kickoff returns, pass receptions or an end-around.
On Saturday, Johnson carried a baton as he blazed around the track as the first of four runners on the UA’s 400-meter relay team, which finished second to Iowa at the Willie Williams Classic.
Later, Johnson sprinted down the Drachman Stadium track to capture first in the 100 meters in 10.41 seconds. He’s keeping hopes alive that he can land a spot on an NFL team for next season. In the meantime, UA track coach Fred Harvey said Johnson’s presence gives his 400-meter team “a legitimate shot to finish in the top three at the Pac-12 finals.”
Johnson’s performances marked some of the highlights Saturday as the three-day Classic came to a close with high school and college competitions. Team scores were not kept.
On the breezy but pleasant day, Harvey said he was impressed by various Wildcat athletes who set their own “P.R.’s,” meaning personal records. The continuing goal is for each of his athletes to be making improvement “to the best of their ability,” Harvey said.
One athlete praised by Harvey, Aleah Hurst, provided a stellar example of Harvey’s words. She soared 41 feet, 1½ inches in the triple jump, improving her previous best mark by about a foot.
Karolina Pahlitzsch, a transfer from Nebraska, scored a personal best by winning the 800-meters in 2:08.27. Later in the season, she will run the 400-meter hurdles with a shot at making it to the NCAA finals. Second to Pahlitzsch, also attaining a personal record was Katelin Warren in 2:09.52.
In the javelin, freshman Kaelyn Carlson-Shipley improved on her personal best with a throw of 156-1.
Among the male sprinters, the UA’s Zakee Washington set a P.R. in the 400 meters (46.52) on Saturday after running his fastest time in the 200 meters (20.99) on Friday. Teammate Maj Williams also ran his fastest 200 (20.91) and 400-meter dashes (47.16).
Senior Collins Kibet didn’t set a personal record, Harvey said, but he scored “a huge breakthrough, a big comeback” after fighting persistent illnesses that has slowed him down. Kibet won the 800-meter run in 1:49.38, followed by Maksims Sincukovs less than a second slower. Sincukovs, a freshman from Latvia, is a highly rated 400-meter hurdler.
Another strong point for the Wildcats’ men squad was the winning 1,600-meter relay, in which Washington, Sincukovs, David Egbo and Williams each ran 400 meters. The quartet finished first in 3:09.79.
Among the field events, the discus throwers came up with excellent, early-season performances. Last year, Tucson’s Turner Washington won the national high school discus championship and Jordan Geist was second. On Saturday, the order of finish was reversed. Geist placed second in the meet with a throw of 175 feet, 5 inches, beating roommate Washington by a foot. Washington, in turn, beat Viktor Gardenkrans by three inches.
The women’s 400-meter relay team — Savaughn Christman, Tatum Waggoner, Pamela White and Brena Andrews swept to victory in 44.72. In the 1,600 meter relay, Waggoner, Pahlitzsch, Andrews and Warren clocked 3:39.29 to win over teams from Iowa, New Mexico State, Grand Canyon University, Vasser and other schools.
Waggoner, who also finished third in the 400-meter dash, was honored Saturday as recipient of the Lezo Urreiztieta Endowment Scholarship. Urreiztieta, a UA sophomore hurdler, died in 2013 at age 20 following complications from brain surgery.
Waggoner returned to the track this year with grit and a wide smile after two years of injuries. Outside the classroom and the track, she is active in volunteer work. She was honored for exemplifying Urreiztieta’s spirit, his good heart and “what he stood for as a human being.” Urreiztieta, a Canyon del Oro grad, had dreamed of becoming a doctor.
Harvey likes to cite the motto #BeLezoLike, which is commonly used on social media.
Sage Watson, who graduated from UA last year after winning the NCAA 400-meter hurdles, won the 400 meters on Saturday in 51.62, which is among the fastest outdoor times in the world.
Among the approximately 650 high school athletes who competed in the meet, the track standout was Neysia Howard of Tucson High. She won the long jump, 100 meters and the 200 meters. She also anchored the school’s wining 400-meter relay with teammates Dejanae Wilmore, Onome Ugbisien and Jenica Bosko.
Howard, who happily hung her four winning medals from her neck, is the daughter of former UA sprinter Tambotka Howard, now an assistant coach at Tucson High.
In the boys sprint events, Trayvion White Austin of Sahuaro High captured both the 100-meter dash (10.95) and the 200-meter race (21.77).
The Wildcats travel to San Diego on Friday to compete in the Aztec Invite. Their next home meet, the Jim Click Shootout, is April 5-7.
