Alabama
Florida Relays
Florida Relays and Stanford Invitational on Tap for Alabama Track & Field Teams this Weekend
3/29/2017 2:29:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men's and women's track & field teams will travel to Gainesville, Fla. this week for the Florida Relays on March 30-April 1 at the Pearcy Beard Track. The Crimson Tide will also send a small contingent of distance runners to Palo Alto, Calif. to compete in the Stanford Invitational on March 31.
Head Coach Dan Waters' Outlook
"I've been pleased with our performances so far in the outdoor season. We're set to compete in a couple of excellent meets this weekend in the Florida Relays and the Stanford Invitational. The Florida Relays is always a highly-competitive meet, which is what we need to continue to improve and perform at a high level. The distance fields at Stanford are filled with some of the best distance runners in the nation so that will be a good test as well."
Herrscher Continues Assault on UA Pole Vault Records
Sophomore Will Herrscher posted the top four indoor pole vault marks in Alabama history during the 2017 indoor season, including a school-record clearance of 17-7 3/4 (5.38m) at the SEC Championships. The Rockwall, Texas native continued his record-setting ways in his first outdoor meet of the season with a vault of 17-1 3/4 (6.23m) at the Florida State Relays on March 24. The mark is a personal best and ranks No. 2 all-time on the UA outdoor pole vault list. Herrscher's mark trails only the 18-0 1/2 (5.50m) set by Jan Johnson in 1972. Johnson's mark is the oldest current school record at Alabama.
Gayle Wins 200 Meters at Florida State with Top 10 Time
Senior Steven Gayle sprinted to victory in the 200 meters at the Florida State Relays on March 24 in his first outing of the outdoor season in a personal-best 20.48, a time that ranks as the 10th- best in school history. Gayle also owns the ninth-fastest 400 meter time in UA history with a 46.67 run at the 2015 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Zelden Off to Strong Start in Debut Season
In the first two meets of her college career, freshman Samantha Zelden has already added her name to the Alabama record book. In her collegiate debut, the Folsom, La. native, won the javelin at the Bulldog Relays with a mark of 159-0 1/4 (48.46m), the eighth-best throw in school history. Zelden also added a throw of 158-10 (48.42m), which currently ranks No. 10 all-time at Alabama. She followed that up with a second-place finish at the Florida State Relays on March 24 with an effort of 169-1 (51.55m) that ranks No. 3 in Tide history. Zelden also posted marks in Tallahassee that rank fourth, fifth and sixth all-time at Alabama.
McConnell Tops 200 in Hammer
Junior Danielle McConnell became just the fourth Alabama thrower to surpass 200 feet in the hammer throw with her 200-11 (61.24m) effort at the Florida State Relays on March 24. The effort is the third-best in school history, trailing only Beth Mallory's school record 207-10 (63.35m) from 2005 and Nia Barnes' 203-9 (62.10m) effort in 2014. Barnes also owns the fourth 200+ effort with a 200-7 (61.14m) throw set in 2015. McConnell now holds five of the top-10 hammer throw marks in school history.
Next Up: Crimson Tide Invitational Presented by Beynon Sports
The Crimson Tide will host its lone home meet of the season, the Crimson Tide Invitational presented by Beynon Sports, April 7-8 at the Sam Bailey Track & Field Complex. Competing schools include Missouri, Louisville, Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Shorter (Ga.), Memphis, Kent State and Miami (Ohio).
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Players Mentioned
