Byrne Notice presented by Mercedes-Benz
4/12/2021 6:28:00 PM | General
Golden Flake A-Day Game set for Saturday
The 2021 Golden Flake A-Day Game is right around the corner, taking place Saturday, April 17 inside Bryant-Denny Stadium at noon on ESPN. In addition to the game, we have several football events planned that day, including the Captains' Ceremony at Denny-Chimes and an in-game Heisman Trophy recognition. Following the game, we will honor the 2020 national championship team with an on-field celebration, so be sure to stay in your seats!
Due to the continuation of physical distancing and specific seating requirements (50 percent capacity), we are ticketing this year's game with general seating on sale for $5 each. Facial coverings are required for entry into the stadium and to be worn at all times except when eating or drinking.
Gymnastics Heads to NCAA Championships for the 37th Time
After winning our 10th SEC Championship last month, our gymnastics team posted another strong showing at the recent NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional Championships, earning its 37th berth to the national championships final site. Our 37 appearances is the second-highest total in NCAA Championships history, only trailing Utah. During the regional weekend, Luisa Blanco posted the highest all-around total of any regional with a 39.800 while she and Makarri Doggette both scored perfect 10.0s in their specialties. Luisa would go on to be voted the Region 1 Gymnast of the Year, while our coaching staff was voted the Region 1 Head Coach and Assistant Coaches of the Year. The season comes to an end this weekend, with the NCAA Championships April 16-17 in Fort Worth, Texas. We start things off on Friday at 5 p.m. CT in Semifinal Session II at Dickies Arena, while the finals are Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The Semifinals will be broadcast on ESPN2, while finals will be on ABC.
Track and Field Comes Up Big on Senior Weekend
Alabama track and field dodged the weather this weekend to put up great performance after great performance while hosting at the 2021 Crimson Tide Invitational, breaking two school records, three Sam Bailey Track Stadium marks, winning 13 event titles and earning 25 medals over the course of the three-day meet. Eliud Kipsang shattered the school record in the 1,500 meters with a 3:36.00, which ranks him seventh all-time in NCAA history and puts him No. 1 in the nation. Ryan Lipe soared to a new school record in the pole vault, clearing 5.6 meters on Saturday. And while Tamara Clark missed her own school record in the 100 meters by hundredths of a second, her 11.07 is the fastest time in the nation this season, giving her the top marks in both the 100 and 200 meters in 2021. We also celebrated our seniors during the meet, honoring more than 30 student-athletes for all they've meant to the Crimson Tide. It was a great weekend and we're looking forward to more highlights as the season progresses.
Road Warriors
The Tide's success over the weekend spanned far beyond Tuscaloosa with several of our spring sports in action across the country. Baseball swept its series against Texas A&M in Bryan-College Station, its first SEC road sweep since 2017, while rowing had a strong showing at the Lake Las Vegas Pac-12 Women's Invitational with the First Varsity 4+ defeating Cal and USC by nearly eight seconds. In Fayetteville, two of our teams celebrated wins on Sunday with softball clinching the series against the Razorbacks and men's tennis winning its third in a row against a ranked opponent with the 5-2 victory. Great job!
SEC Women's Tennis Championships come to Tuscaloosa
We are fortunate to host two SEC spring championships this season, the first of which features women's tennis teams from across the league. Action begins Monday, April 19 and runs throughout the week with the championship being played Friday, April 23 at 9 a.m. So far, the weather is looking great, so come on out and support the Tide!
Rhyan White Comes Up Big with West Coast Swims
Junior Rhyan White closed the TYR Pro Swim Series at Mission Viejo this weekend with a monster swim in the 200-meter backstroke, going 2:07.24, which makes her the No. 1 American and third in the world in 2021. Rhyan also ranks fourth in the U.S. and 14th in the world in the 100-meter backstroke after going 59.66 at Mission Viejo. Rhyan's big West Coast weekend is just a continuation of a strong collegiate season, where she won all three of her individual events at the SEC Championships and took silver in the 100 and 200 backstroke at the NCAA Championships, leading our women's team to a top-5 national finish, tying the best in school history.
Bama Blitz Underway
Bama Blitz, The University of Alabama's fourth-annual online giving event, is underway. Bama Blitz began at noon today and will run until 11:59 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 15. We are raising support for the Crimson Tide Scholarship Fund (CTSF), 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 to our goal of funding a full annual scholarship. With your gift of $30 or more, we'll send you a home state decal so you can show your Bama pride where you reside.
Well-Deserved Recognition for Batt and Grimes
Congratulations to two of our executive staff members, J. Batt and Tiffini Grimes, who were recently recognized with notable awards. J. was named to the Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40, while Tiffini was surprised with the Dr. Kathleen Cramer Award as part of UA's 2021 Honors Day celebration. This award is presented to a faculty or staff member in conjunction with a student or group of students who have intense loyalty and pride in UA and work together to positively impact the student experience. We are proud of you both!
University Spotlight
UA's RISE Center will hold its annual Tournament of Champions April 22-23 at NorthRiver Yacht Club and a women's doubles tennis tournament April 22 at the PARA Tuscaloosa Tennis Center with both events benefitting therapeutic services provided by RISE. This is always a great event put on by the folks at RISE and certainly benefits an incredible education program we have here on campus.
#RollTideFriday
This week's #RollTideFriday photos feature some good-looking hats. First, we have Jennifer in Kentucky, and secondly, we have Steve and his wife in Panama City.
Jennifer in Kentucky
Steve and his wife in Panama City
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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