Wildcat Wrap: Arizona men’s tennis’ Colton Smith and Jay Friend named All-Americans

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.

Arizona men’s tennis standouts Colton Smith and Jay Friend were named 2024-25 ITA All-Americans this week.

Smith and Friend received All-American honors for singles play, where they each dominated this season. Smith posted a perfect 17-0 record in singles dual matches, while Friend went 23-2.

Smith, a graduating senior, finished the year as the No. 3 singles player in the country. Friend, a junior entering his final season at Arizona, was No. 9 in the last rankings.

Arizona is one of just four programs with multiple singles All-Americans this season.

The Wildcats reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the third straight season, falling to Virginia 4-2.

Arizona coach Clancy Shields has added to the Wildcats’ 2025-26 roster by bringing in Georgia State transfer Baran Soyler, a junior. Soyler went 10-6 in singles and 7-7 in doubles. He earned First Team All-Sun Belt honors in singles.

The Adana, Turkey native began his collegiate career at Middle Tennessee State.

Track and field

The Arizona track and field team is heading to College Station, Texas for the NCAA Outdoor West Region First Round, which begins Wednesday, May 28 and runs through Saturday, May 31.

A complete schedule of events can be found here. The meet can be streamed live on ESPN+.

Arizona is sending more than a dozen athletes including Reinaldo Rodrigues, the Big 12 champion in the long jump. Rodrigues ranks No. 4 in the nation in the event.

Another competitor to watch is Zach Extine, who ranks No. 3 nationally in the 110 hurdles.

The top 12 regional finishers will advance to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., on June 11-14.