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1/31/2019 3:22:00 PM | General
NCAA Today's Top Ten Award Winner Luke Kaliszak Continues to Make us Proud
Last Wednesday, I had the great pleasure of presenting Luke Kaliszak with his Today's Top Ten Award during the NCAA Celebration Dinner in Orlando, Fla. An NCAA Champion, All-American and Academic All-American as a member of our men's swimming and diving program, Luke is the 15th member of the Crimson Tide to earn this particular accolade, which celebrates the top ten senior student-athletes in the NCAA, regardless of sport, gender or NCAA division. He is also the eighth in the past 10 years, which puts us on an absolutely stunning run. Just as he did throughout his career, Luke represented The University of Alabama and this department with great dignity and class, using his time on stage to give credit for his success not only to his coaches and teammates, but most poignantly to his mom and dad who were in the audience. To me, his heartfelt tribute to his parents was one of the most moving and impactful moments of the night, and with the list of honorees recognized that night, that is certainly saying something. Congratulations to Luke, with our deepest appreciation for all he has accomplished and the first-class manner in which he continues to represent this University.
2019 Homecoming Date Set
Mark your calendars! The 2019 Golden Flake A-Day Spring Football Game is scheduled for April 13 at 1 p.m., and our 2019 Homecoming game will be played on Saturday, October 26, against the University of Arkansas. Further details about Homecoming weekend activities, including kickoff time for the game, will be released as they are finalized.
Women's Golf and Softball set to Begin Seasons
Best of luck to our women's golf and softball teams as they begin their respective seasons in the next week on the road. Golf gets things started at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, Calif. Feb. 3-5, while softball heads to Troy Feb. 8-10 to face Murray State, Maryland and the host Trojans.
Swimming & Diving Ranks among the Nation's Best in the Classroom
The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) came out with its Scholar All-America Team award recipients for the fall semester recently and not only were both our men and women on the list, but both ranked in the top-five by team grade point average. In fact, Alabama was the only school to have both the men's and women's team finish in the top-five by team GPA and have both teams score at last year's NCAA Championships. Our women posted a 3.67 GPA, which is first in the SEC and fifth among all DI schools, while the men earned a 3.55, which ranks first in the SEC, first among schools that finished in the top-15 of last year's NCAA Championships and fourth among all DI schools. With the championship season right around the corner, we're very proud about what our swimmers and divers have already accomplished in the classroom this year.
Reunion, Reunion, Reunion
It was two weeks of reunions here at Alabama, with our women's basketball team honoring the 25th anniversary of our 1994 Final Four appearance, the swimming and diving program celebrating 60 years of the men's team and 40 of the combined men's and women's program, and the gymnastics team holding its annual Alumni Night last Friday, while honoring the 2009 SEC Championship squad. It is always such a special thing to have the men and women who set the bar so high for Alabama Athletics back, and I hope they all enjoyed their time back on campus, sharing stories, laughs and memories.
CTF Night Celebrated at Gymnastics
During last Friday's meet, Alabama Gymnastics and the Crimson Tide Foundation celebrated the generosity of our donors and the impact they make on our programs. Bryant Society members, Susan and Macon Gravlee and CTF supporters Julie and David Chadwick (along with their son Wil) were recognized for their fully endowed gymnastics scholarships. During the meet, the CTF was pleased to recognize gymnastics alumnae Barbara Mack Harding and Mary Ellen Mack Carter as we accepted Barbara's generous gift in honor of their parents, Jayne and Gary Mack, to our new Capital Initiative, The Crimson Standard. We were also joined by three-time All-American and 2015 SEC Champion Nickie Guerrero as we recognized her parents, Barbara Rayner and Rick Guerrero for the gymnastics scholarship they established in their daughter's honor. Throughout the night, we were reminded of the contributions, both large and small, from generous Crimson Tide supporters and the impact made on our outstanding student-athletes. Alabama gymnast, Lexi Graber shared her gratitude in video. Learn how you can support our outstanding student-athletes with a gift to the Crimson Tide Foundation at crimsontidefoundation.org.
TIDE PRIDE Renewals Due Tomorrow
Also, I wanted to remind all of our TIDE PRIDE members that the deadline to renew your TIDE PRIDE contribution is tomorrow, February 1. When you make your TIDE PRIDE contribution, your additional gift to the Crimson Tide Scholarship Fund will earn three Tide Totals Priority Points for every $100 contributed. Remember, every gift matters!
Built by Bama: Molly Dowd
Our latest Built by Bama Service Award winner is Molly Dowd, Director of Athletic Student Services. Molly does an outstanding job with our student-athletes in assisting them get the best education possible and helping to prepare them for the world beyond athletics. Congratulations, Molly!
Clear Bag Policy Reminder
A reminder to fans that the Clear Bag Policy is in effect at all Alabama Athletics ticketed events. For more information on the policy, including approved bags and prohibited items, visit RollTide.com/AllClear.
Metal Detector Testing at Men's Basketball
Another reminder that we will be testing our walkthrough metal detectors at three more men's basketball games during the 2018-19 season – February 6 vs. Georgia, February 16 vs. Florida and March 5 vs. Auburn. All of this is being done as a proactive effort to evaluate improved security procedures for our fans and teams, and we certainly appreciate your cooperation!
University Spotlight
Congratulations to UA master's student Shelby Baron on being named Wheelchair Professional of the Year by the Professional Tennis Registry. She is currently ranked No. 40 in singles in the world and No. 2 in the U.S. and is scheduled to complete her degree in speech pathology in May. Way to go, Shelby!
#RollTideFriday
We're going international again this week with our #RollTideFriday features. First, friend of mine and former Missouri Director of Athletics, Mike Alden, submitted this photo from his travels to Tonle Sap Lake in Siem Reap Cambodia. As you can tell, that is not an officially licensed shirt. :) Our second was sent in to us from Paul McGuire on a trip to the Taj Mahal.
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.
Upcoming Schedule of Events
View the list of upcoming events, broadcast information, start times and stat links on our composite calendar. (Note: All times are listed in Central Time.)
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