March 17, 2010

Luis Rivera-Morales • Arizona
Jumps
Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico

Competing in his final season of eligibility in his collegiate career, Luis Rivera Morales made the most of his opportunity. After transferring from Central Arizona College as a junior, Rivera-Morales exhausted his final two years of outdoor eligibility. Because he did not compete indoors at CAC, he was able to compete for Arizona during the 2010 season. Rivera-Morales kicked the season off with a bang, setting the indoor school record in the long jump at the Lumberjack Invitational in Flagstaff, Ariz. At 7.88m (25-10 ¼). Rivera-Morales would go on to be undefeated against collegiate competitors in the long jump at every meet except the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.

At the 2010 Mount Pacific Sports Federation Championships in Seattle, Rivera-Morales put on a show that could be considered the best of his career. In second after four jumps, Rivera-Morales' undefeated streak looked to be in trouble but he soared 7.90m (25-11) on his fifth attempt to break his own indoor school record and lock up the victory. On his sixth and final attempt, a victory lap of sorts, he one-upped himself once again on his way to a career best and Mexican indoor national record at 7.99m (26-2 ¾). He would go on to finish second in the triple jump on the ensuing day.

Rivera-Morales would go on to take sixth place at Indoor Nationals for the second All-American honor of his career. Rivera-Morales holds the honor as being the only Arizona athlete in history to hold top-five marks in the long and triple jump events both indoors and outdoors. Rivera-Morales will now set his sight to the international competition scene while also returning to his home country of Mexico to work on his post-graduate degree in engineering.

Liz Patterson • Arizona
Jumps
Rowlett, Texas

In 2008, Elizabeth Patterson won the NCAA Outdoor Championship in the high jump in her upset of favorite Sharon Day of Cal Poly-SLO. In 2009, Patterson was again the underdog - and possible even more so than in 2008 - both indoors and outdoors in the event to Texas' Destinee Hooker and yet she pushed the Longhorn to her limits at both the indoor and outdoor championships, coming just shy each time. But in 2010, Patterson faced unchartered territory as she entered the year as arguably the favorite to win it all indoors. Even with that pressure upon her, Patterson did not falter as she won her second career national high jump title at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville.

Patterson opened the season with the collegiate leading mark at the Lumberjack Invitational in Flagstaff, Ariz. with a clearance of 1.91m (6-3 ¼). Patterson never relinquished that lead throughout the season and only lost one meet on the year at the MPSF Championships in Seattle where she fell to teammate and All-American Brigetta Barrett on misses. Patterson bounced back in Fayetteville as she downed her closest competitor in Hawaii's Amber Kaufmann by clearing 1.93m (6-4) to take home top honors.

Patterson holds the school's indoor record in the high jump and also entered the season on the Bowerman Watchlist released by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association which is awarded to the the top male and female athlete in collegiate competition at the end of the 2010 campaign. Patterson is now a four-time All-American and will look to add one more to her resume at the 2010 Outdoor Championships.

Fred Harvey
Head Coach
7th Year

UA head coach Fred Harvey led arguably the best turnaround in the nation with the UA women this season, taking them from a team that scored only 62 points and finished seventh among Pac-10 schools to finishing third at this year's championship with 109 points in a competition where there were very much in the mix for the title.

Harvey personally coached junior hurdler LaTisha Holden to the conference title in the 60-meter hurdles with a winning time of 8.27 and she followed that up with a fourth-place finish in the 60-meter dash in 7.47. Both were career bests for Holden. Harvey also led the women to a sweep of the top positions in both the high jump and shot put events.

The UA women would go on to finish 15th at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville - their best finish indoors since the 2003 season. They also were the second-highest finishing team out of the MPSF region with their performance that saw senior Liz Patterson take home the NCAA high jump title.

With what could be regarded as one of the strongest freshmen classes in the nation, Harvey will look to continue the streak of the rising UA women as the team heads to the outdoor season.