Alabama
Florida State Relays
Alabama Track & Field Teams Travel to Tallahassee for Florida State Relays on Friday
3/22/2017 1:52:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
Crimson Tide sending full men’s and women’s contingents to first of two meets in the Sunshine State
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men's and women's track & field teams will travel to Tallahassee, Fla. this week for the Florida State Relays on March 24 at the Mike Long Track. The Crimson Tide sent a small group of athletes to Mississippi State a week ago but will send a much larger contingent of 63 athletes to Tallahassee for Friday's meet. Other teams scheduled to compete include Auburn, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Liberty and Southern Miss.
Alabama Men No. 8, Women No. 15 in First USTFCCCA Outdoor Rankings
The Alabama men's track and field team is No. 8, while the women are No. 15 in the first outdoor U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Team Rankings released March 20. The men's team posted 167.36 points while the women's team earned 112.70 points.
Throwers and Sprinters Post Strong Performances at Bulldog Relays
Joe Williams (discus), Hayden Reed (shot put), Danielle McConnell (hammer throw), Samantha Zelden (javelin), Janel Pate (200 meters) and Filippa Fotopoulou (long jump) were event winners for Alabama at the Bulldog Relays, March 17-18 in Starkville, Miss.
Zelden's winning throw of 159-0 1/4 (48.46m) is the fourth-best women's' javelin mark in Alabama history. The Folsom, La. freshman also recorded two other throws in the competition that rank among the top-10 all-time at UA to cap off her collegiate debut. Filippa Fotopoulou recorded a personal best of 20-4 1/2 (6.21m) to win the long jump. Pate rolled to a personal-best to win the women's 200 meters in 23.76. McConnell captured the hammer throw with an effort of 188-6 1/2 (57.46m). For the men, Reed posted a mark of 55-7 (16.94m) to win the shot put while Williams won the discus with a mark of 185-8 (56.59m).
Five Alabama Athletes Ranked in Final IAAF Indoor World Rankings
Seniors Steven Gayle (13th; 400 meters), Quanesha Burks (7th; long jump) and Alex Gholston (20th; 400 meters); junior Jereem Richards (2nd; 200 meters) and sophomore Stacey Destin (18th; high jump) ended the indoor season ranked in the top-20 of the IAAF world rankings in their respective events. Additionally, both the men's (ninth) and women's (fourth/sixth) 4x400-meter relay squads posted times that rank among the top-20 in the world during the 2017 indoor season. The men also rank No. 3 on the 4x400 relay list for races run on oversized tracks.
Head Coach Dan Waters' Outlook
"We had some good performances by our throwers last week at the Bulldog Relays and we look for them to carry that momentum into this weekend. We will also have a chance to get a number of athletes on the track for the first time in the outdoor season on Friday against some good regional competition."
Next Up: Florida Relays/Stanford Invitational
The Crimson Tide will split its squad next weekend, with the bulk of the team returning to the Sunshine State for the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla., March 30-April 1. A smaller contingent will travel to Palo Alto, Calif. for the Stanford Invitational on April 1.
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.
Players Mentioned
