Byrne Notice presented by Mercedes-Benz
2/27/2020 2:00:00 PM | General
Busy Weekend in Tuscaloosa
We are gearing up for a busy weekend here in Tuscaloosa as seven of our teams will be competing at home between Friday and Sunday. Here is a sport-by-sport listing of what's to come:
- Baseball hosts a three-game series with Harvard, beginning Friday at 3 p.m. Saturday's contest is slated for a 2 p.m. start, and Sunday's first pitch is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
- Men's basketball has two remaining home games this regular season, the first of which will take place Saturday against South Carolina at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday's tip against Vanderbilt is also set for a 7:30 p.m. tip in Coleman.
- Women's basketball wraps up its regular season on Sunday, welcoming in Missouri at 12:40 p.m. for the Tide's Senior Day.
- Gymnastics hosts the Kentucky Wildcats on Friday at 7:15 p.m.
- Rowing begins the spring portion of its schedule on Saturday, hosting Eastern Michigan and SMU. First race is slated for 9 a.m.
- Softball welcomes in Arizona, McNeese and UT Arlington for the Easton Crimson Classic, which runs all weekend at Rhoads Stadium. The Tide will take on UT Arlington at 4 p.m. on Friday before the top-10 matchup with the Wildcats at 6 p.m. Alabama will face both teams again on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively and will wrap up the tournament on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. against McNeese.
- Women's tennis begins SEC play this weekend, hosting Florida on Friday at 5 p.m. and South Carolina on Sunday at 12 p.m. The Tide will also take on Alcorn State on the backend of Sunday's doubleheader, with first serve scheduled for 4 p.m.
Track & Field Readies for SEC Indoor Championships
The 2020 postseason begins this week with the annual running of the SEC Indoor Championships. The Crimson Tide and its conference rivals will converge on the Gilliam Indoor Stadium in College Station, Texas, as the Texas A&M Aggies host the event on Friday and Saturday. The meet will air live throughout the competition on SEC Network and online on SEC Network +. Both the Alabama women and men have ranked within the top-25 for each of the last two weeks, with the women currently sitting at No. 17 and the men at No. 23 entering conference championship weekend.
Great Week at the SEC Championships for Swimming & Diving
Coach Coley Stickels and his crew had a tremendous week at the recent SEC Swimming & Diving Championships, combining for a league-best nine individual and relay titles and four SEC Championship records as well as breaking 23 school records. Sophomore Rhyan White won two individual SEC titles, set two SEC records and posted two times in the 200 backstroke that rank among the top-10 in swimming history. Senior Zane Waddell also had a big week, becoming the fifth fastest 100 backstroker in history on the way to earning the Commissioner's Trophy, which goes to the individual high point scorer at the meet, and being voted the 2020 SEC Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
SEC Scholar-Athletes of the Year
In the span of a week, two members of the Crimson Tide were named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for their respective sports. As I mentioned above, Zane Waddell earned the honor for men's swimming & diving, and junior Daija Lampkin became our first recipient for women's indoor track & field. Zane's recognition marked the sixth time in a row that a member of our men's team has brought home the honor. This is shaping up to be another great year for the Crimson Tide when it comes to scholastic accolades, with Zane and Daija joining Vincent Kiprop (men's cross country) and Nealy Martin (soccer) in earning SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors during the current academic year. Overall, the Crimson Tide has earned this prestigious recognition, which is voted on by the coaches for their respective sports, 56 times since the award's inception in 2003.
SEC Tournaments Coming to Tuscaloosa
This week, members of our staff met with representatives from the Southeastern Conference office and the SEC Network at Rhoads Stadium as we continue preparations to host the SEC Softball Tournament, May 6-9. We are also working hard to get ready for the SEC Women's Tennis Tournament, which we will host April 15-19. SEC Softball all-session tickets will go on sale March 3 at 9 a.m. CT, while tickets to the women's tennis tournament will go on sale in early March. We're excited to have both events on campus and can't wait to fill both venues.
Taylor Morgan Named Vice Chair of the SEC Student-Athlete Committee
Earlier this week we were able to share the news that junior soccer player Taylor Morgan has been selected to serve as Vice Chair of the SEC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee by a vote of her peers from around the SEC. As Vice Chair, Taylor will take part in various meetings throughout the year with the league's Athletic Directors, Senior Woman Administrators and Faculty Athletics Representatives, providing the student-athlete voice and viewpoint on a wide array of topics. It's a prestigious position and one that carries great responsibility. We're very proud that Taylor was chosen to represent not only Alabama, but the SEC as well in this role.
New Sports Science Center Taking Shape
If you have been by the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility lately, I'm sure you have seen that the construction of our new Sport Science Center is well underway. This addition will be a one-stop shop for our student-athletes' medical care and training support and will contain dedicated spaces for every area of focus including a recovery area, evaluation space, assessment space, counseling, mental performance training and rehabilitation area. We expect an elite level of performance from our student-athletes and the Sports Science Center will provide the space necessary for our medical and training staff to deliver the high level of care they need and deserve. We are excited about the impact this space will have on all of our student-athletes, their experience at The University of Alabama and our ability to help them perform at their best in the classroom, in competition and in life by providing the best medical and training support possible. The creation of the Sports Science Center is part of our capital initiative, The Crimson Standard. If you would like to get learn how you can get involved to help the future of our programs and support the Sports Science Center through The Crimson Standard, visit crimsontidefoundation.org.
University Spotlight
The University of Alabama Dance Marathon raised $307,843.20 for Children's of Alabama during this year's fundraising efforts, which was announced at the 13.1 hour BAMAthon dance marathon. In total, UADM has raised more than $1.6 million in its nine-year history.
#RollTideFriday
This week's #RollTideFriday features come to us from near and far. First, we have UA grad Bruce McKee with friends Bob and Young-Hee Chudy from Connecticut on a recent campus visit, and our second submission comes to us from the British Virgin Islands where Scott and Louise Campbell, Bill and Carol Burgess and Walter and Margaret Batson are enjoying what looks to be incredible weather and views.
Bruce McKee with friends Bob and Young-Hee Chudy
Scott and Louise Campbell, Bill and Carol Burgess and Walter and Margaret Batson
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. Let's keep these great photos coming!
Schedule of Events
View the list of scheduled events, broadcast information, start times and stat links on our composite calendar. (Note: All times are listed in Central Time.)
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