Editor’s note: With several sports going on, Wildcat Wrap serves as a recap that focuses on the Arizona programs that we do not have the time to cover on a regular basis but are certainly worthy of recognition.
College athletics has evolved tremendously in recent years with the rise of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness. Even with all the change going on in college sports, Arizona Athletics is successfully hitting its academic benchmarks.
The NCAA released its Academic Progress Rate (APR) through the 2023-24 academic year, and the report card shows Arizona athletes are getting it done in the classroom.
In 2023-24, 10 Wildcats programs earned a perfect single-year score of 1,000: men’s basketball, women’s Golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, men’s swimming and diving, women’s tennis, women’s cross country, beach volleyball and triathlon.
Three sports earned the Public Recognition Award or finishing in the top 10% of their sport: men’s basketball, soccer and women’s cross country.
Men’s basketball and football were among 12 programs to tie or set records for single-season APR. Men’s Basketball posted its highest multi-year APR since 2015.
According to the NCAA, the APR is calculated as follows:
- Each student-athlete receiving athletically related financial aid earns one point for staying in school and one point for being academically eligible.
- A team’s total points are divided by points possible and then multiplied by 1,000 to equal the team’s Academic Progress Rate.
- In addition to a team’s current-year APR, its rolling four-year APR is also used to determine accountability.
Teams must earn a four-year average APR of 930 to compete in the postseason.
Former Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke and his staff deserve credit for maintaining, and in some cases elevating, the athletic department’s academic standards.
Men’s tennis
Arizona men’s tennis competes in the NCAA Championship Round of 16 on Saturday at Virginia. The match begins at 10 a.m. PST and will be streamed live for free on UVA’s website.
The No. 10 seed Wildcats are looking to make the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time in program history after falling in the Sweet 16 three of the last four years. No. 7 seed Virginia is one of the sport’s perennial powers.
Arizona is led by All-Americans Colton Smith and Jay Friend. Smith, a senior, will compete in the Roland Garros qualifiers after finishing his collegiate career.
Read more about Arizona men’s tennis’ rise under coach Clancy Shields here.
Track and field
Arizona hurdler Zach Extine was named the Big 12 Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week after winning men’s 110m hurdles last Saturday at the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson.
Extine set the Arizona all-conditions program record with a Drachman Stadium facility record time of 13.17 (+2.4). Extine’s time ranks second in the Big 12 and ninth in the world.
The Chandler, Ariz. native previously broke the UA record in the indoor 60m hurdles three times this season.
Men’s golf
Arizona men’s golf tees off at the NCAA Amherst (Va.) Regional on Monday. The Wildcats need to finish in the top five of the three-day regional to advance to the NCAA Championships.
Arizona is the No. 6 seed in the 13-team field. Four of the top five seeds are from the SEC (No. 1 LSU, No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 3 Vanderbilt and No. 5 Tennessee).
The tournament is being played at Poplar Grove Golf Club, hosted by Liberty.
Junior Filip Jakubcik leads Arizona with a 71.00 scoring average, followed by junior Zach Pollo with a 71.09 average. The Wildcats are coming off a poor 12th-place showing at the Big 12 Championships.