Crimson Tide Competes at Arkansas' Tyson Invitational This Weekend
2/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
This Week: Tyson Invitational (Fri.,-Sat., Feb. 13-14)
LOCATION:Fayetteville, Ark.
VENUE:Randal Tyson Track Complex
TWITTER:@AlabamaTrack
LIVE RESULTS:www.flashresults.com/2015_ Meets/Indoor/02-13_Tyson/
TV/Video Streaming (SEC Network +): espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/ id/2321366/NCAA-Track-And- Field-Tyson-Invitational
The University of Alabama track and field team will travel to Fayetteville Ark., this weekend for the Tyson Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Complex on the campus of the University of Arkansas. The meet will be Alabama's fifth of the 2015 indoor season and will serve as the final tune-up competition prior to the 2015 SEC Indoor Championships slated for Feb. 27-28. Action begins for Alabama at 1 p.m. on Friday with the men's weight throw. A total of 46 athletes (22 women, 24 men) will make the trip to Fayetteville this weekend. They are slated to compete in a total of 26 events. Alabama is sending a team to Arkansas that will be similar in size and composition to the group that will compete at the SEC Indoor Championships in two weeks. Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaTrack on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
Head Coach Dan Waters on the Crimson Tide
"We're approaching a critical juncture in our season, with SECs two weeks away, and I think we have building momentum. We can determine our fate by being mentally tough and bringing our best effort to the competition. We need to build on the success that we have had, and I think we have done that so far this season. It comes depends on our attitude and mental toughness. This is the time of year when we need to have a sense of urgency, and I will be looking for that this weekend. Basically, we are at the threshold of the championship portion of our indoor season, which is what we work for year-round, so it's time for us to be at our best. This is a very important meet for us. We need to use this meet as the final building block before we focus in on the SEC meet."
Tide Athletes to Watch This Weekend
The storyline of week five of Alabama's indoor track and field season focuses on four veteran athletes looking to continue their strong seasons this Friday and Saturday at Arkansas.
Alex Amankwah, senior, Men's 800 Meters
Senior Alex Amankwah will make his second appearance of the season in the men's 800 meters after demolishing a personal and school record in his first race of the year back on Jan. 24 when he ran what was then the fastest time in the world this season at the Vanderbilt Invitational. "Obviously, Alex impressed us all," said Alabama head coach Dan Waters. "We knew he was going to run an incredibly fast time in his first race this year and he didn't disappoint. His work ethic has been tremendous throughout the offseason and into the indoor season, and that's why he's the fastest athlete in the collegiate ranks right now. I know he will go out on the track and give it his best effort this weekend." Amankwah leads the SEC and the NCAA in the event after running 1:46.86 at the Vanderbilt Indoor Invitational earlier this season. The time was also the fastest in Alabama history. The senior will race in the seeded section of the 800 meters at 6:15 p.m. CST Friday, along with Alabama sophomore Jacopo Lahbi who currently holds the no. 9 time in the NCAA this year.
Charodd Richardson, senior, Men's Weight Throw
Charodd Richardson returns to action in the men's weight throw this weekend after resting a minor injury for two weeks. "Charodd had some nagging pain in the first couple of meets that kept him from throwing to his full potential," said Waters. "He's had some time to recover and I think he's coming back now in a position to throw really far this weekend." Richardson walked onto the team in the fall of 2011, throwing the hammer outdoors in the spring of 2012. He returned the next season to throw the weight collegiately for the first time. His longest toss that year was 59 feet, 8 ¼ inches. Another year of training passed and, in his junior year, Richardson's throws improved dramatically. He won the 2014 SEC indoor weight throw championship with a throw of 70-7, over an 11-foot improvement over his previous personal best. He followed up the performance with an 11th-place finish in his first NCAA Indoor Championships appearance. Richardson will enter the weight throw ring Friday at 5:30 p.m. CST.
Vanessa Clerveaux, sophomore, Women's 5,000 Meters
Junior Katelyn Greenleaf is slated to compete this weekend in her first women's 5,000-meter race of the 2015 season. Greenleaf has been working up to the distance in the last two meets she has entered, running the mile and the 3,000 meters. "The 5K is really one of Katelyn's strongest events," Waters said. "She's built for those long distance races. Her stamina and racing techniques are really at their best when the distance increases. We entered her in the shorter races earlier this season to build up her fitness and speed. As a staff, we believe that she will be running a very fast time at Tyson." Greenleaf has led the distance squad since stepping on campus in the fall of 2012. She was the Tide's top finisher in each of her three SEC Cross Country Championships appearances and currently holds the school record in the outdoor 3,000-meter steeplechase. The junior's current personal record in the 5,000 meters is 17:09.02 set at the 2014 SEC Indoor Championships. Greenleaf takes to the track in the seeded section of the race at 3:05 p.m. CST on Saturday.
Kimberley Ficenec, junior, Women's 800 Meters
Junior Kimberley Ficenec will enter the women's 800 meters at the Tyson Invitational. Ficenec currently sits at no. 6 on the SEC list in 2015. "Kimi has had a couple of really fast races this season," Waters said. "She has the potential to run a really fast time in Arkansas this weekend. We're hoping she can get her time down a little more and move up on the national list." In her time at Alabama, Ficenec has earned All-SEC honors in the 800 meters, finishing 8th in the event in her first SEC Indoor Championships appearance in 2014. The junior has also run on two distance medley squads at SEC indoor meets, contributing to eighth-place finishes in both. Ficenec will run in the second section of the seeded 800-meter race on Friday at 6:05 p.m. CST.
CRIMSON TIDE NOTEBOOK
In the Rankings
The Alabama men's track & field team is ranked No. 15 in this week's edition of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I National Team Computer Rankings released Monday, Feb. 9. The Tide men remain ranked fourth in this week's South Region rankings while the Alabama women are No. 6 in the South Region team survey.
Burchell, Reed Represent Alabama on Watch Lists for The Bowerman
Alabama's two returning NCAA individual champions from 2014, senior sprinter Remona Burchell and sophomore thrower Hayden Reed, were both among an elite group of collegiate athletes listed among the preseason favorites for consideration for the 2015 Bowerman Trophy, collegiate track and field's highest honor. Burchell, the reigning indoor 60-meter and outdoor 100-meter NCAA champion is among 10 members of the award's Watch List. Reed, the 2014 NCAA and USATF men's dicsus champion, received votes but ranked just outside the top 10 on the Preseason Watch List for The Bowerman.
Burchell Looking Strong in Early Going
Alabama senior sprinter Remona Burchell is following up an outstanding 2014 season with some excellent performances early in the 2015 campaign. Already the school record holder in the indoor 60 and the outdoor 100, Burchell has consistently posted 60-meter times in the sub-7.30 range in two meets so far this season. She started her 2015 season with a 7.28 in the 60 prelims on Jan. 24 at Vanderbilt, then followed up with a 7.25 in the final to win the event. Two weeks ago at Albuquerque, Burchell ran a pedestrian 7.34 in the preliminary heat before blazing to victory in the final in 7.20. The Jamaican currently has eight of the 10 fastest 60 times in Alabama history, solidifying her place in Crimson Tide lore. Many do not know that Burchell ran in pain for much of the 2014 season, but she is healthier this season so Tide sprints Coach Matt Kane and Burchell both have high expectations for her as the championship portion of the schedule approaches. Burchell is currently tied for fourth nationally in the collegiate 60, ranks second in the SEC and tied for 13th on the World list for 2015.
Hudson Making an Impact
Tide newcomer Cameron Hudson has emerged as one of Alabama's top sprinters and jumpers in the early going of the 2015 indoor season. A transfer from East Carolina who was the 2014 Conference USA outdoor men's long jump champion (25-8; 7.82m), Hudson is currently ranked among the 2015 Indoor World Top 20 in the long jump (tie-20th). Hudson's leap of 25-6 3/4 (7.79m) on Jan. 31 at Albuquerque ranks third in the SEC in 2015 and ranks sixth in the nation for collegians. His 60 best of 6.61a, also set Jan. 31 at Albuquerque, ranks third in the SEC and is 11th in the college ranks.
Amankwah's Record Run Leads Collegiate 800
Alabama senior Alex Amankwah's 800-meter time of 1:46.86 leads all college men in the event through Feb. 5. The performance on Jan. 24 at the Vanderbilt Invitational earned Amankwah the Southeastern Conference's Men's Runner of the Week honor on Jan. 27. A native of Ghana who immigrated to the United States and attended high school in Los Angeles, Calif., Amankwah bettered Ghana's men's national record with the performance that broke an 11-year-old Crimson Tide record set in 2004 by Peter Etoot, crossing the line .04 faster than Etoot's previous standard (1:46.90). Amankwah is currently third on the 2015 world list.
Airola and Farnham-Rose Excelling in Men's Mile
Senior Matt Airola was born and raised in California, never stepping foot on an indoor track until joining the Crimson Tide. Now, with two indoor seasons under his belt, Airola is running some of the best indoor mile times in school history. Along with sophomore Robbie Farnham-Rose, Airola is closing in on the school's 16-year-old mile record. So far this season, Airola's ability has landed him two runner-up finishes in both mile races he has entered - with both wins going to fellow Farnham-Rose. The two are working together to break Tim Broe's school-record mile time of 3:59.38. The duo's success has been evident so far in 2015. The two ran fast mile times at the first meet of the season (the Auburn Invitational on Jan. 17), running close to their respective personal bests. They went back into training, emerging three weeks later better and faster. Both Farnham-Rose and Airola secured personal bests at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational mile, earning the top two spots in the race. Airola's time of 4:01.66 is the fifth-best time in Tide history. It also put him in contention to qualify for the NCAA Indoor National Championships.
Lahbi Ranks 9th in Collegiate Ranks in 800
Sophomore Jacopo Lahbi, a native of Treviso, Italy, currently ranks ninth among collegiate runners in the men's 800 meters on the basis of a 1:48.28 performance on Jan. 24 at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville, Tenn. In that race, Lahbi finished closely behind Alabama senior Alex Amankwah, whose time of 1:46.86 leads all collegiate men in the event.
Green Looking to Move up Triple Jump Rankings
Crimson Tide sophomore Jeremiah Green won SEC Freshman Field Athlete of the Year honors in 2014 and is looking to progress into a national contender this season. Already one of the top triple jump athletes in Alabama history, Green has a 2015 season best of 52-1 3/4 (15.89m) set Jan. 31 at Albuquerque. But Green is set on much better jumps, as his personal best of 53-5 1/2 (16.29m) set in 2014 attests.
Fondren among SEC Leaders in the Men's High Jump
Alabama junior Justin Fondren has consistently ranked among the SEC's top high jumpers throughout his collegiate career. This season, Fondren and his coach, jumps legend Dick Booth, are hoping to see the Oxford, Miss., native become one of the nation's leaders in the event. Fondren earned All-America honors in 2014 by placing fifth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last June. He achieved his indoor personal best of 7-1 3/4 (2.17m) on Feb. 1, 2014, in Bloomington, Ind., at the 2014 Indiana Relays. Fondren cleared 7-1 (2.15m) on Jan. 31 in Albuquerque. He currently ranks second in the SEC in the high jump and ranks tied for 12th nationally among collegiate jumpers, but hopes to improve his standing in the coming weeks with the SEC Championships looming.
Taylor Reaching New Heights in Women's Pole Vault
A sophomore from Fort Worth, Texas, Lakan Taylor is beginning to position herself among the top women's pole vaulters in Alabama history along with making a run at the upper echelon of the collegiate ranks. On Jan. 31, Taylor achieved a new personal best with a clearance of 14 feet, 1 3/4 inches (4.31 meters) to win the event at the New Mexico Team Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M. Taylor has improved consistently over the first four weeks of the indoor season, taking top collegian honors at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville, Tenn., on Jan. 24 (13-9 1/4; 4.20m) followed by wins at New Mexico (Jan. 31) and Nebraska (Feb. 7) after opening the season fifth at the Auburn Invitational in Birmingham on Jan. 17 (12-7 1/2; 3.85m). Taylor enters action this weekend ranked fourth in the SEC for 2015, eighth on the collegiate list. She holds three of the top 10 clearances in Alabama history and her PR on Jan. 31 ranks second on the all-time Alabama list behind Alexis Paine's school record 14-3 1/2 (4.35m) set in 2014.
18 Current Tide Athletes among All-Time Alabama Top 10 Performers in 15 Events
Eighteen members of the 2015 Alabama team have achieved performances in their respective events that rank among the 10 best all-time in Crimson Tide history. Those 18 athletes owns all-time top 10 spots in 15 events overall. For the men, 10 individuals and a relay unit have currently earned sports in the all-time UA top 10 while eight Tide women have achieved that status.
3 Tide Athletes, 1 Relay Rank among World Leaders
Crimson Tide senior Alex Amankwah is holding firm with the third-fastest men's 800-meters time in the world this season and while senior Remona Burchell and junior Cameron Hudson rank among the world's top 20 in other events as they are the three University of Alabama athletes, along with the Tide's men's 4x400-meter relay team, to rank among the top 20 on current world lists, according to All-Athletics.com as ofMonday morning, Feb. 9. Amankwah posted the world's No. 3 in the men's 800 meters on Jan. 24 in Nashville, Tenn., at the Vanderbilt Invitational. Amankwah set a school record of 1 minute, 46.86 seconds. At the time, Amankwah's performance was the best in the world in 2015. Burchell ranks tied for 13th in the world in the women's 60-meter dash via her 7.20 clocking on Jan. 31 at the New Mexico Team Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M. Hudson ranks tied for 20th in the men's long jump off a pair of performances from Jan. 31. Alabama's men's 4x400-meter relay unit of Steven Gayle, Hudson, Marlon Humphrey and Amankwah ran 3:08.67 on Jan. 31, a time that is currently fifth on the World List.
Alabama Has 9 Athletes, 1 Relay, Among Collegiate Leaders
Alabama senior Alex Amankwah leads all collegiate runners in the men's 800 meters, leading a group of nine Crimson Tide athletes in eight events (plus the men's 4x400-meter relay unit) that rank among the nation's top 20 through Sunday, Feb. 1. Alabama junior Cameron Hudson is among the leaders in two men's events, the 60-meter dash and the long jump; sophomore Jacopo Lahbi is ninth in the men's 800; junior Justin Fondren is tied for 12th in the men's high jump; and sophomore Jeremiah Green is tied for the nation's 12th-best mark in the men's triple jump. For the women, senior sprinter Remona Burchell is tied for fourth in the 60 meters while sophomore pole vaulter Lakan Taylor is eighth in the vault. Sophomore hurdler Vanessa Clerveaux is tied for the nation's 17th-best time in the 60-meter hurdles.
21 Alabama Athletes in 18 Events, 3 Relay Team among SEC's Top 10
Twenty-one University of Alabama track & field athletes in 18 events, plus three relay teams, have produced performances that rank among the conference's top 10 overall this season. The Crimson Tide's Alex Amankwah leads the conference in the men's 800 meters (1:46.86) while Justin Fondren ranks second in the SEC in the men's high jump (7-1 1/2; 2.16m). Sprinter Remona Burchell is the leading female athlete for the Crimson Tide, ranking second in the women's 60-meter dash (7.20).
106 Performances in The Waters Era Rank in Alabama's All-Time Top 10
Since the start of the Dan Waters Era in 2012, a total of 106 performances that rank among the current all-time top 10 in 25 events rank among the 10 best all-time in Crimson Tide history.
Waters Era Athletes Hold School Records in 7 Events
Since taking over the Crimson Tide program prior to the 2012 season, head coach Dan Waters and his staff have groomed athletes who have set indoor school records in seven events (four men's, three women's): the men's 60-meter dash, the women's 60 the men's 200, the men's 800, the women's high jump, the women's pole vault and the men's weight throw.
Tide Roster Has Youthful Slant
Both the men's and women's rosters of the 2015 Alabama track & field team are predominantly populated by student-athletes classified as redshirt sophomores or younger in classification. A total of 56.4 percent (22 of 39) of the Tide women's roster consists of either freshmen or sophomores, while 52.2 percent (24 of 46) of the men's roster is either freshmen or sophomores. Overall, 55.4 percent (46 of 85) members of the current Crimson Tide team are either freshmen or sophomores.
4 Tide Footballers Contributing on Alabama's Track & Field Team
Four members of Alabama's football team are competing in track & field for the Tide this season. Anthony Averett just completed his redshirt freshman season for the Tide on the gridiron, having redshirted in 2013 and getting a season under his belt in 2014. Averett is competing in the sprints and jumps during the indoor season. Sophomore hurdler/sprinter Tony Brown just finished his freshman season with football after enrolling in January 2014 and seeing action on the track last year. Brown played in 13 games this past season as a reserve defensive back and on special teams, racking up 10 tackles (7 solos), one tackle for loss, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. Freshman Marlon Humphrey is competing in the sprints and hurdles for the Tide on the track, having just completed a redshirt season as a true freshman for the Tide football team. Bradley Sylve is competing in the short sprints for the Tide after completing his junior season with the football team. In 2014, Sylve played in all 14 games for the football team and had 8 tackles (7 solos) and broke up 2 passes.
Up Next
The Tide takes the weekend of Feb. 20-21 off before heading to Lexington, Ky., for the 2015 SEC Indoor Championships on Friday-Saturday, Feb. 27-28.
Following the Tide
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaTrack on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
