Arizona athletic director DesireÊ Reed-Francois is in the process of a $2 million refurbishing project at track's Drachman Stadium.
The track has been torn up and is being replaced, among other long-needed projects at the 42-year-old facility. But there's a sense of urgency: Drachman Stadium will host the Big 12 Championships May 14-16.
In the meantime, UA sprinters and hurdlers are working out at Pima College. The UA's high jumpers and pole-vaulters are training at a temporary facility at the UA's beach volleyball compound adjacent to McKale Center.
That hasn't stopped high jumps coach Bob Myers from elevating his athletes. Last week in the Lumberjack Invitational in Flagstaff, UA high-jumpers Emma Gates, Paris Mikinski and Kya Crooke all cleared 6 feet, making it one of the few NCAA schools in history with three women's high jumpers to clear 6 feet in the same season. Additionally, sophomore Alexandra Johnson of Tucson High, daughter of three-time Olympic pole-vaulter Dominic Johnson of Amphitheater/UA, is making gains toward the 6-foot goal.
Emma Gates soars at the 2025 Big 12 Indoor Championships at Texas Tech on March 1, 2025.
This shouldn't be much of a surprise. Arizona has been something of a High Jump U the last 50 years as 13 Wildcat men's and women's high-jumpers reached All-American status, including NCAA champions from Tanya Hughes, Liz Patterson and Brigetta Barrett to James Frazier, Nick Ross and Justice Summerset.
