Crimson Column presented by Mercedes-Benz
6/14/2018 3:41:00 PM | General
Track & Field/Cross Country Named 2017-18 USTFCCCA Division I Men's Program of the Year
Congratulations to our men's track & field and cross country teams for being named 2017-18 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association John McDonnell NCAA Division I Men's Program of the Year. This is the first of such honor for our program, which has been presented annually since 2009 to the team with the best combined finish at the NCAA cross country, indoor and outdoor national championships. It also comes fresh off the Tide's top-five finish at the NCAA outdoor championships, which was its best finish since 1986. Job well done by our student-athletes, coaches and staff!
C.M. Newton Memorial Scholarship for Men's Basketball Established
Earlier this week, we announced our decision to establish the C.M. Newton Memorial Scholarship in Coach Newton's honor. We thought this would be a fitting tribute for him and another way that we can help his legacy live on here at The University of Alabama. Those wishing to make contributions to this scholarship can do so with the Crimson Tide Foundation.
National Awards Roll in for Women's Golf
Our women's golf team has collected several national awards since returning home from its runner-up finish at the NCAA championship. Head Coach Mic Potter was named the 2018 Golf Pride Grips Women's Golf Coaches Association Coach of the Year, while Lauren Stephenson was selected as the Golfweek Player of the Year. In addition, Stephenson and teammates Kristen Gillman and Cheyenne Knight earned All-America honors from Golfweek. Well-deserved Mic, Lauren, Kristen and Cheyenne!
Alabama Puts a Record Seven Student-Athletes on CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large Team
The CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large team came out on Thursday, and Alabama once again led the way with a new national record seven Crimson Tide student-athletes - swimmers Laurent Bams, Robert Howard, Luke Kaliszak and Temarie Tomley along with gymnast Mackenzie Brannan, tennis player Andie Daniell and golfer Kristen Gillman - earning the prestigious honor. While the other Academic All-America teams focus on one sport, the at-large program spans 14 women's and 12 men's sports, making the competition fierce. Combine that with the fact that each school can only nominate four men and four women per year and our seven honorees in 2018 is truly amazing. This monumental feat is a testament to the drive and dedication of our students, our faculty and coaches as well as the staff at the Bill Battle Academic staff.
Five Crimson Tide Student-Athletes Selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft
The Alabama baseball team had five players drafted in the 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft last week. The list includes: Jake Walters (Miami Marlins), Chandler Taylor (Houston Astros), Cobie Vance (Oakland Athletics), Jett Manning (San Francisco Giants) and Chandler Avant (New York Mets). With the selections, Alabama has now had at least one player selected in the draft in 40 consecutive years and has had a player taken in 47 of the 53 total drafts in the event's history. All five of the draftees played significant roles this past season, and we appreciate all of their contributions to the program during their time in Tuscaloosa.
Crimson Tide Scholarship Fund
Recently, Herbert Jones, a sophomore business major on our men's basketball team, reflected on the importance of his scholarship. He said, "I am very grateful to be on a scholarship at The University of Alabama. It allows me to pursue my dreams of not only playing basketball at a prominent school, but it also gives me the opportunity to obtain my ultimate goal of earning a college degree, which will serve as a foundation for the rest of my life. My scholarship gives me a chance to be a role model to the younger generation, and that's something that I take a great deal of pride in." Your gift to the Crimson Tide Scholarship Fund (CTSF) provides the opportunity for student-athletes, like Herbert, to reach their dreams and achieve successful futures. Make your contribution today to support scholarships for our outstanding student-athletes. Remember, every gift matters!
University Spotlight
According to UA's Center for Business and Economic Research, enrollment at The University of Alabama, which was a record 38,563 students this year, has helped push the overall population of Tuscaloosa to more than 100,000Â for first the first time. No surprise that Tuscaloosa is among the top five places in Alabama with the largest annual numeric increases since 2010 because it's such a wonderful place to work, get an education and live!
#RollTideFriday
Our first #RollTideFriday feature this week comes to us from Lucy Arnold, who hiked the Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point in the Grand Canyon proudly wearing her RTR hat. Next up is a submission from Misty Stamper that was taken during a trip to the Colosseum in Rome.
Lucy Arnold
Misty Stamper
Remember to use the hashtag #RollTideFriday in your social posts and tweet your photos to me at @Greg_Byrne. We will select two photos to feature in each blog and add even more to our #RollTideFriday Fan Hub.
