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Arizona Wildcats
The athletic teams at the University of Arizona are known as the Arizona Wildcats.
Athletic programThe University of Arizona participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Pacific Ten Conference. Arizona joined the PAC-10 in 1978 along with Arizona State University, bringing the conference to its current 10 teams. The school colors are cardinal red and navy blue, and the fight song is "Bear Down, Arizona!" HistoryThe Wildcats name derived from a 1914 football game with then California champions Occidental College, where the L.A. Times asserted that Arizona "showed the fight of wildcats."
MascotThe University mascot is an anthropomorphized wildcat named Wilbur. The identity of Wilbur is kept secret through the year as the mascot appears only in costume. In 1986, Wilbur married his longtime wildcat girlfriend, Wilma. Together, Wilbur and Wilma appear along with the cheerleading squad at most Wildcat sporting events. RivalriesA strong athletic rivalry exists between the University of Arizona and Arizona State University located in Tempe. Rivalries have also been created with other Pac-10 teams, especially University of California, Los Angeles which has provided a worthy softball rival and was Arizona's main basketball rival in the early and mid-1990s. With UCLA's 2006 Final Four appearance, the rivalry has been revitalized. Along with USC, Washington State, and Oregon's recent success in men's basketball, expect those rivalries to heat up. SportsVarsity teamsThe University of Arizona fields 18 intercollegiate varsity teams that compete in the NCAA. These teams include:
Men's BasketballThe men's basketball team has been one of the nation's most successful programs since Lute Olson was hired as head coach in 1983 and was known as a national powerhouse in Division I-A men's basketball. As of 2007, the team had amassed 20 consecutive 20-win seasons, and reached the NCAA Tournament 24 consecutive years, which is the longest currently active streak. Lute Olson has taken the Wildcats to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament in 1988, 1994, 1997, and 2001. In 1997, Arizona defeated the University of Kentucky, the defending national champions, to win the NCAA National Championship. Their championship team was led by future NBA players Mike Bibby and Michael Dickerson, as well as Final Four MVP Miles Simon. Bennett Davison and A.J. Bramlet rounded out the starting five. Prior to winning the championship in 1997, UA defeated three number one seeds to advance to the National Championship game. To this date, they are the only team to defeat three number one seeds in the same tournament. They won a thriller game in the Elite Eight in double overtime to take them to the Final Four (NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship). Arizona also has a history of first round upset losses in the NCAA tournament, including being one of only four teams in history to lose a game as a 2 seed (to Santa Clara, in 1993), one of only fourteen 3 seeds to lose a game (to East Tennessee State, in 1992), and one of twenty 4 seeds to lose a game (to Oklahoma, in 1999). Coach Lute Olson returns to coaching for the 2008/2009 season, after taking a year off to deal with his divorce. FootballThe football team began at the University of Arizona in 1899 under the nickname "Varsity" (a name kept until the 1914 season when the team earned the name "Wildcats"). The football team was notably successful in the 1990s under head coach Dick Tomey and his "Desert Swarm" defense that was characterized by tough, hard-nosed tactics. In 1993, the team had its first 10-win season and drubbed the powerhouse Miami Hurricanes in the Fiesta Bowl by a score of 29-0. In 1998, the team posted a school-record 12-1 season and made the Holiday Bowl in which it defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Arizona ended that season ranked 3rd nationally and 2nd in several publications. Despite a stellar season, Arizona's single loss caused them to finish second in the Pac 10. BaseballThe baseball team has captured three national championship titles in 1976, 1980, and 1986. Arizona baseball teams have appeared in the NCAA College World Series a total of 15 times, including 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1986, 2004 (College World Series). The team is currently coached by Head coach Andy Lopez, Assistant Coach Jeff Casper, Assistant Coach Mark Wasikowski, and Volunteer Assistant Coach Keith Francis. The players include RHP Preston Guilmet, LHP David Coulon, RHP Ryan Perry, RHP Mike Colla, RHP Jason Stoffel (closer), LHP Daniel Schlereth, 1B C.J. Ziegler, 2Bs Colt Sedbrook and Mike Weldon, SS Bryce Ortega and Robert Abel, 3B Dillon Baird, OFs T.J. Steele, Jon Gaston, Diallo Fon, and Bobby Coyle. Their top recruit is P Kyle Lobstein, a polished lefty from Coconino HS in Arizona with a smooth delivery and a three pitch mix. The Wildcats are ranked 2nd in the nation and have only lost 4 times as of March 23, 2008. SoftballThe Arizona softball team is among the top programs in the country and a perennial powerhouse. The softball team has won eight NCAA Women's College World Series titles, in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006 and 2007 under head coach Mike Candrea (NCAA Softball Championship). The team has appeared in the NCAA National Championship in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2007, a feat second only to UCLA. Mike Candrea also led the 2004 U.S. Olympic softball team to a gold medal in Athens, Greece. Men's and Women's GolfThe university's golf teams have also been notably successful. The men's team won a national championship in 1992 (NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships), while the women's team won national championships in 1996 and 2000 (NCAA Women's Golf Championship). Annika Sörenstam won an individual national title in 1991, and Lorena Ochoa was NCAA Women's Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002 before leaving UA early to turn pro. OtherThree championships for synchronized swimming were won in 1980, 1981, and 1984, though these championships were in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, and not the NCAA. The women's swimming & diving team won their first national championship in 2008. The lacrosse team is affectionately known as the ?Laxcats?. Its existence, since the mid-sixties, is saturated with a rich tradition of success. In the 1960?s, Arizona was a Division I Varsity program, coached by the legendary Carl Runk, an Arizona graduate and football player. In 1998 Carl retired after twenty-eight years at Towson University in Maryland. The most well known player to graduate from that era was a skinny, feisty goalie named Jerry Rivers. You may know him today as mega TV personality, Geraldo Rivera. During that Varsity era, the team rose as high as number 3 in the Nation. In the early 70?s Craig Hassell, a transplanted Long Island lacrosse fanatic, stepped up and kept the tradition alive. The 70?s rosters were packed with the types of free spirited players that typified the era. Predominately from Long Island and Maryland, these free spirits had little cares other than their dedication to the game. In 1976 the timing was right for yet another transplanted Long Islander to assume the responsibility for the stability of the University of Arizona Program. Mickey-Miles Felton, at the age of 30, had begun his Arizona career as a defenseman, was named the Head Coach The Laxcats have claimed only one Conference Title, occurring in 1990. In 1997, the Laxcats were ranked Number 1 heading into the National Tournament but were upset early by Brigham Young University in the second round of the Tournament. Following the 2001 season Mickey-Miles Felton stepped down with 278 career wins to assume the role of General Manager. Assistant Coach Adam Hopkins, of New York Institute of Technology, was elevated to the top spot and the Tradition continued. Following the 2003 season, Hopkins left and his assistant Ken Broschart was moved into the Head Coaching position. Broschart brought in Matt Hunter, and the following year Tim Spruyt as the NYIT pipeline continued. Hopkins, Broschart, and Hunter were all All Americans while at NYIT. Although surprising to some, the University of Arizona has a strong history in ice hockey. The school's hockey team, known as the Icecats, has won over 520 games since its inception in 1978. The Icecats defeated Penn State for the National Collegiate Club Hockey National Championship in 1985. More than 100,000 fans attend Icecats home games each year, the third largest draw in all of college hockey. It should be noted, however, that the Icecats do not compete at the NCAA level. Notable athletic venues
Traditions
History of Bear Down, Arizona!In 1952 Jack K. Lee, an applicant for the UA's band directorship, departed Tucson by air following an interview with UA administration. From his airplane window, Lee observed the huge letters on the roof of the UA gymnasium reading "BEAR DOWN". Inspired, Lee scribbled down the music and lyrics to an up-tempo song. By the time his plane landed, he had virtually finished it. A few weeks later Lee was named the UA band director, and in September 1952, the UA band performed "Bear Down, Arizona!" in public for the first time. Soon thereafter, "Bear Down, Arizona!" became accepted as UA's fight song. History behind the motto Bear DownThe battle cry was created by a popular student athlete, John "Button" Salmon, who was the student body president, as well as the starting quarterback for the Wildcat football team and the catcher for the Wildcat baseball team. The day before the first game of the 1926 football season, Salmon and three friends were involved in an automobile accident and their vehicle flipped over a ravine. Although Salmon's friends were not injured, Salmon suffered a severe spinal cord injury. In the aftermath of the accident, football coach Pop McKale visited him in the hospital every day. During McKale's last visit, Salmon's last message to his teammates was, "Tell them...tell the team to bear down." John Salmon died on October 18, 1926. The following year, the University of Arizona student body approved that "Bear Down" would be the new slogan for all Wildcat athletic teams. In 1939, the Arizona state legislature issued a decree that "Bear Down" would be the exclusive property of the University of Arizona. (Bear Down) Fight! Wildcats! Fight!Hail Arizona Wildcats Fight, Wildcats, Fight for Arizona Miscellaneous
Notes
es:Arizona Wildcats fr:Arizona Wildcats id:Arizona Wildcats Source: Wikipedia | The above article is available under the GNU FDL. | Edit this article
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