Byrne Notice presented by Mercedes-Benz
3/29/2021 12:58:00 PM | General
Championship Filled March for Alabama Athletics
What an amazing time for the Crimson Tide! Over a stretch of three weeks we've won two Southeastern Conference team titles and had five teams finish in the top 20 at their respective NCAA Championships:
- Women's swimming and diving tied its all-time best finish at No. 5
- Women's cross country posted it's second-highest finish ever at No. 8
- Men's indoor track and field posted its fourth-consecutive top-10 finish, taking seventh
- Men's swimming and diving posted its seventh-consecutive top-15 finish, taking 15th
- Women's indoor track and field finished No. 16
Mercy Chelangat won our very first individual NCAA Cross Country Championship, was named the coaches association National Cross Country Athlete of the Year and is a finalist for the Honda Award. The women's swimming and diving team jumped from 34th in 2019, the last time the NCAA hosted its championship, to fifth this season. That extraordinary run capped by our first-ever NCAA relay title with Morgan Scott, Kalia Antoniou, Flora Molnar and Cora Dupre taking top honors in the meet's last event, the 400 freestyle relay. We also won our first SEC Men's Basketball Tournament Championship since 1991, while women's gymnastics won its 10th SEC Championship led by SEC All-Around Champion Luisa Blanco. After a stretch like that, there's no doubt that Nate Oats is right … this is a "Championship School."
Basketball Ends Incredible Run
We are so proud of both basketball squads this season, reaching heights neither had seen in many, many years. Our men's basketball team won both the SEC Regular Season and Tournament titles, becoming the first team in the league to do so since 2017. It was the program's first regular season championship since 2002 and first tournament crown since 1991.
The men then went on to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16, its eighth in program history and first since 2004. With the overtime loss on Sunday, our team finished the season with a 26-7 overall record.
On the women's side, our team advanced to its first NCAA Tournament since 1999 and won its Round of 64 matchup with Jordan Lewis recording a near triple-double of 32 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. We headed into SEC play undefeated for the first time in program history and recorded back-to-back eight win seasons in league play for the first time since 1997 and 1998.
A special shout out to our seniors on both squads, who believed in the programs and helped build the foundation for Alabama Basketball for years to come.
SEC Gymnastics Wins SEC Title No. 10
Our gymnastics squad was spectacular in Huntsville, Ala., making sure the Southeastern Conference championship trophy didn't leave the state. Luisa Blanco, who would go on to be voted the SEC Gymnast of the Year by the league's coaches, won four individual titles, including the all-around to lead us to the title. Luisa shared top honors with Lexi Graber on the balance beam and with Shania Adams and Makarri Doggette on the uneven bars. We are very proud of the grit and fire our ladies showed from the word, "Go," and we can't wait to cheer them on as they host the NCAA Regional Championships April 1-3.
Golden Flake A-Day Game Information
The 2021 Golden Flake A-Day Game is scheduled for Saturday, April 17 inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. We are thrilled that our broadcast partners at ESPN elected to nationally televise the game, which will kick off at 12 p.m. CT. Due to the continuation of physical distancing and specific seating requirements, we are ticketing this year's game in both the premium and general seating areas. General seating tickets will go on sale April 10. For more information, please contact the Athletic Ticket/TIDE PRIDE Office at 205-348-2262, or ticketoffice@ia.ua.edu.
Bama Blitz
Save the date! Bama Blitz, the fourth-annual University-wide giving event is coming up April 12-15. Athletics will be raising support for the Crimson Tide Scholarship Fund (CTSF). The CTSF is the annual scholarship fund for Alabama Athletics, which provides critical scholarship support for our student-athletes. Your gift of any amount will put us one step closer toward our goal of funding a full annual scholarship during the four-day online giving event. For more information, visit bamablitz.ua.edu.
University Spotlight
Take a walk around campus and you're likely to see the addition of several new outdoor seating areas. Adirondack chairs, made by UA staff members, as well as small tables, fire pits and corn hole boards are amongst the items added in multiple locations to help provide socializing options to students and staff in an open-air space.
#RollTideFriday
This week's #RollTideFriday submissions come from near and far. First, we have Baby Blank in Tuscaloosa, submitted by Brian Blank. Secondly, it may not be gear, but a really cool set of pics from Stephen Hill in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Baby Blank in Tuscaloosa
Stephen Hill in Reykjavik, Iceland
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
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