University of Arizona: A thumbnail look at the 2009-10 Wildcat year in sports
by Christopher C. Wuensch on Jun. 22, 2010, under SportsWith the end of the 2009-10 collegiate season less than a week from being done, it’s as good a time as any to look back on how well all 18 of University of Arizona’s varsity teams fared this school year.
BASEBALL
OVERALL: 34-24 (12-15 PAC-10) PAC-10 FINISH: 7th NATIONAL RANK: 24th
KURT HEYER, RHP: Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American; Pro-Line Athletic NCBWA Division I Freshman All-American Team
All PAC-10 TEAM: Jett Bandy, SO; Steve Selsky, JR; & Kurt Heyer, FR
ALL PAC-10 TEAM HONORABLE MENTION: Bryce Bandilla, SO; Alex Mejia, FR; Seth Mejias-Brean, FR; Robert Refsnyder, FR; Joey Rickard, FR; Kyle Simon, SO; and Rafael Valenzuela, SR
THE SKINNY: Arizona reached the postseason for the sixth time in the last eight years, but a young Wildcat squad lost early to Baylor in the NCAA World Series Regionals.
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MEN’S BASKETBALL
OVERALL: 16-15 (10-8 PAC-10) PAC-10 FINISH: 4th NATIONAL RANK: 100th
NABC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM: Nic Wise, SR; and Derrick Williams, FR
SPORTING NEWS ALL-AMERICAN FRESHMAN TEAM: Derrick Williams
PAC-10 FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Derrick Williams
ALL PAC-10 TEAM: Nic Wise and Derrick Williams
THE SKINNY: The Wildcats failed to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in 25 years, ending the longest streak in the nation.
NATIONAL CHAMP: Duke
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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
OVERALL: 14-17 (6-12 PAC-10) PAC-10 FINISH: 8th NATIONAL RANK: 124th
PAC-10 FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Dayellyn Whyte
ALL PAC-10 SCHOLASTIC TEAM HONORABLE MENTION: Reiko Thomas, SO
THE SKINNY: Arizona’s 14-win season — the most in a single campaign since 2005 — was highlighted by Dayellyn Whyte’s school-record 39-point-performance on Jan. 16. The 119-112 win over the Ducks was also a program record for points in a game.
NATIONAL CHAMP: Connecticut
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MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
PAC-10 FINISH: 8th NATIONAL RANK: N/R
ALL-AMERICAN: Mohamud Ige, JR
THE SKINNY: Ige saved his personal best 10K time of 30:20.2 for the NCAA National Championships, finishing 38th overall in the nation.
NATIONAL CHAMP: Oklahoma State
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WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
PAC-10 FINISH: 6th NATIONAL RANK: 28th
SECOND TEAM All PAC-10: Maggie Callahan JR
THE SKINNY: After an eight-year hiatus, the Wildcats returned to the NCAA National Championships.
NATIONAL CHAMP: Villanova
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FOOTBALL
OVERALL: 8-5 (6-3 PAC-10) PAC-10 FINISH: 2nd NATIONAL RANK: 20th*
*Rank before Bowl Game
BOWL GAME: Lost to Nebraska, 33-0, in the Holiday Bowl
ALL PAC-10 SECOND TEAM: Cam Nelson, SR; Earl Mitchell, SR; Xavier Kelley, SR; Trevin Wade, JR; Colin Baxter, SR; Evan Grant, Grad Student
ALL PAC-10 TEAM HONORABLE MENTION: Nick Foles, JR; Ricky Elmore, SR; Devin Ross, SR; Vuna Tuihalamaka, SR
DRAFTED INTO NFL: Rob Gronkowski (Rd. 2, Patriots); Earl Mitchell (Rd. 3, Texans)
THE SKINNY: One of the most promising seasons in recent memory ended on sour note with Holiday Bowl thrashing at the hands of the Cornhuskers.
NATIONAL CHAMP: Alabama
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MEN’S GOLF
PAC-10 FINISH: 9th NATIONAL RANK: 40th
HONORABLE MENTION ALL PAC-10 TEAM: Tarquin MacManus, JR
THE SKINNY: The Wildcats are one of only four programs to appear in 22 or more national championship events since head coach Rick LaRose first guided Arizona to the postseason in 1987.
NATIONAL CHAMP: Augusta State
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WOMEN’S GOLF
PAC-10 FINISH: 1st NATIONAL RANK: 5th
2010 NCAA West Regional Champs
PAC-10 Champs
Las Vegas Collegiate Throwdown Team Champs
Las Vegas Collegiate Throwdown Individual Champ: Sherlyn Popelka
PAC-10 COACH OF THE YEAR: Laura Ianello
All PAC-10 FIRST TEAM: Margarita Ramos, SO
All PAC-10 SECOND TEAM: Isabelle Boineau, SO
ALL PAC-10 HONORABLE MENTION: Alejandra Llaneza, JR and Sherlyn Popelka, FR
THE SKINNY: Margarita Ramos tied for the 7th highest individual finish for Arizona at the NCAA Championships since the late Erica Blasberg placed 3rd in 2003. Arizona also picked up its first regular-season tournament win since 2003.
NATIONAL CHAMP: Purdue
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GYMNASTICS
PAC-10 FINISH: 4th NATIONAL RANK: 21
ALL PAC-10 FIRST TEAM ALL-AROUND: Aubree Cristello, SO; DeAnna Graham, JR; Molly Quirk, SO
SARAH TOMCZYK, SR: 2nd Place Floor Exercise – NCAA Regionals
THE SKINNY: Arizona returned to the NCAA tournament for its 24th consecutive year. Despite finishing third at the regional tournament, the Wildcats did not advance to the NCAA finals.
NATIONAL CHAMP: UCLA
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WOMEN’S SOCCER
OVERALL: 4-15-1 (1-8 PAC-10) PAC-10 FINISH: 10th NATIONAL RANK: N/R
ALL PAC-10 HONORABLE MENTION: Renae Cuellar, SO
ALL PAC-10 ACADEMIC SECOND TEAM: Samantha Drees, SR; Jasmin Namdar, SR
ALL PAC-10 ACADEMIC TEAM HONORABLE MENTION: Analisa Marquez, SR; and Macke Mutz, SR
THE SKINNY: Arizona bids a fond adieu to five of its seniors, including:
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Devon Wharf, goalie
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Samantha Drees, midfielder/defender
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Jasmine Namdar, forward/midfielder
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Macke Mutz, midfielder
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Analisa Marquez, forward/defender
NATIONAL CHAMP: North Carolina
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SOFTBALL
OVERALL: 50-11 (13-8 PAC-10) PAC-10 FINISH: 3rd NATIONAL RANK: 2nd
FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS: Kenzie Fowler and Brittany Lastrapes
SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICANS: Stacie Chambers and K’Lee Arredondo
ALL PAC-10 FIRST TEAM: Stacie Chambers, JR; Kenzie Fowler, FR; Brittany Lastrapes, JR
ALL PAC-10 SECOND TEAM: K’Lee Arredondo, SR; Laura Schutzler, JR; Brigette Del Ponte, FR
THE SKINNY: Arizona finished runner-up in the College Softball World Series finals for the fifth time in program history. Next season, the Wildcats will return eight starters, including freshman starting pitcher Kenzie Fowler.
NATIONAL CHAMP: UCLA
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MEN’S SWIMMING
PAC-10 FINISH: 3rd NATIONAL RANK: 3rd
INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL TITLES:
Cory Chitwood, SO; 200 Back Stroke
Clark Burckle, SR; 200 Breast Stroke
ALL PAC-10 ACADEMIC FIRST TEAM: Jack Brown, SR; Cory Chitwood, SO; Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or, SO; and Austen Thompson, SO.
ALL PAC-10 ACADEMIC SECOND TEAM HONORABLE MENTION: A.J. Tipton, SO
2009-10 Pacific-10 Tom Hansen (Top Seniors) Conference Medal winners: Jean Basson
THE SKINNY: Arizona entered the NCAA Swim and Dive Championship as the country’s No. 1 seed. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, a crippling stomach bug swept through the team in Indiana and Arizona fell to third in the nation.
NATIONAL CHAMP: Texas
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WOMEN’S SWIMMING
PAC-10 FINISH: 4th NATIONAL RANK: 4th
INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL TITLES:
Annie Chandler, 100 Breast Stroke*
200 Medley Relay: Ana Agy, Erin Campbell, Annie Chandler and Justine Schluntz
400 Medley Relay: Ana Agy, Annie Chandler, Whitney Lopus and Justine Schluntz
ALL-AMERICANS: Ana Agy, SR; Alyssa Anderson, SO; Ellyn Baumgardner, FR; Andrea Boritzke, SR; Erin Campbell, SR; Annie Chandler, SR; Emma Darlington, JR; Jenny Forster, SR; Caitlin Iversen, SR; Joni Keith, SR; Whitney Lopus, JR; Hannah Ross, SO; Justine Schluntz, SR; and Leone Vorster, SR
2009-10 Pacific-10 Tom Hansen (Top Seniors) Conference Medal winners: Justine Schluntz
THE SKINNY: The 100 breast-stroke record that Annie Chandler’s set at the NCAA Championships means that Arizona swimmers now own five of the possible 18 NCAA swim records.
NATIONAL CHAMP: Florida
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MEN’S TENNIS
OVERALL: 13-11 (2-4 PAC-10) PAC-10 FINISH: 6th NATIONAL RANK: 31st
ALL PAC-10 TEAM HONORABLE MENTION: Andres Arango, SR; and Andres Carrasco, JR
PAC-10 ALL ACADEMIC TEAM: Ravid Hazi, SR (First Team); Andres Carrasco, JR (Honorable Mention) and Jason Zafiros, SO (Honorable Mention)
THE SKINNY: Arizona failed to advance to the NCAA tournament, but finished the season ranked fourth overall in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Southwest Division.
NATIONAL CHAMP: Southern California
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WOMEN’S TENNIS
OVERALL: 13-9 (1-7 PAC-10) PAC-10 FINISH: 7th NATIONAL RANK: 51st
ALL PAC-10 TEAM HONORABLE MENTION: Natasha Marks, SO; and Sarah Landsman, SO
ALL PAC-10 ACADEMIC TEAM: Sarah Landsman (First Team); Natasha Marks (Second Team); Debora Castany, SO (Honorable Mention); Jane Huh, JR (Honorable Mention); Claire Rietsch, SR (Honorable Mention)
THE SKINNY: Natasha Marks and Sarah Landsman finished 92nd and 113th respectively in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association individual rankings, guiding Arizona to sixth overall in the ITA Southwest Division.
NATIONAL CHAMP: Stanford
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MEN’S TRACK & FIELD
PAC-10 FINISH: 9th NATIONAL RANK: N/R
ALL-AMERICAN: Nick Ross, FR
PAC-10 NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Nick Ross
THE SKINNY: Nick Ross proved to be invaluable to the Wildcats, who struggled through a rebuilding year. Ross earned All-American honors in the high jump.
NATIONAL CHAMP: Texas A&M
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WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD
PAC-10 FINISH: 2nd NATIONAL RANK: 13th
ALL-AMERICANS: Liz Patterson, SR; Brigetta Barrett, FR; Christina Rodgers, JR; Julie Labonte, FR; Hannah Moen, SO
PAC-10 NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Julie Labonte
THE SKINNY: The Wildcats’ 13th place showing was Arizona’s highest finish at the NCAA Championships since 2001.
NATIONAL CHAMP: Texas A&M
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VOLLEYBALL
OVERALL: 19-11 (8-10 PAC-10) PAC-10 FINISH: 7th NATIONAL RANK: 19th
USA A2 NATIONAL TEAM: Whitney Dosty, RS SR; and Paige Weber, SR
THE SKINNY: The Wildcats returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time in four seasons. The postseason was short lived, however, as unranked Texas A&M bounced Arizona from the first round.
NATIONAL CHAMP: Penn State

