Byrne Notice presented by Mercedes-Benz
4/26/2021 1:30:00 PM | General
Paying Tribute to Fluff
Last week, we announced our plans to honor Cameron Luke Ratliff, better known to many of us as Fluff. These plans include creation of the Luke "Fluffopotamus" Ratliff Memorial Gift Fund, a plaid jacket for future Crimson Chaos presidents to wear at games and a plaque on the seat he used to always sit in at Coleman Coliseum. For those wishing to donate to the gift fund, visit uactf.org/fluff to access the form.
Record Breaking Weekend for Track and Field
Our track and field teams enjoyed a number of big performances last weekend, including breaking three school records between two different meets. Tamara Clark became the first Crimson Tide woman under 11 seconds in the 100-meter dash, breaking her own record with a 10.96 in Baton Rouge, while Robert Dunning took the top spot in school history when it comes to the 110-meter hurdles with a 13.28. In Fayetteville, Ark., Mercy Chelangat chopped more than 30 seconds off the previous school record in the 5,000 meters, burying it with a jaw-dropping 15:17.79, which ranks 25th in collegiate history. Congrats to Dan Waters and his crew as they enter the homestretch of the regular season in fine form.
NCAA Titles and Another Top-5 National Finish for Gymnastics
Dana Duckworth and her team closed out the 2021 season with a pair of individual NCAA Championships and a top-5 team finish in Fort Worth, Texas, recently. Luisa Blanco won the balance beam and was runner-up in the all-around, while Lexi Graber took the top spot in the floor exercise. The Crimson Tide has now won 29 individual NCAA titles and posted 30 top-5 national finishes. Luisa, Lexi, Makarri Doggette and Shallon Olsen also combined for 14 All-America honors this season and Luisa has been named a finalist for the prestigious Honda Award for Gymnastics. Throw in our 10th Southeastern Conference Championship, and we enjoyed a stellar season on the mats.
Tickets on Sale for Weekend Baseball Series
Our baseball team is back in action at home this weekend, hosting the Missouri Tigers on Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. Tickets are currently on sale for $10 each and available for all three days in pods of two and four.
Cortina Pou and DiSette Nominees for H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship
We have proudly nominated Alba Cortina Pou (women's tennis) and Sam DiSette (men's swimming and diving) for the SEC's H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship, with the winners being announced on May 18. This prestigious award has been presented to the league's top female and male scholar-athletes since 1986, with Alabama winning a league-best 11 times.
Edson Ortiz is the SEC Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Again
Congratulations go to Edson Ortiz, who was voted the SEC Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row by the league's coaches. Edson plays No. 1 for George Husack's squad and has already earned his undergraduate degree and is working on a master's degree in sports hospitality. He is the third Alabama men's tennis player to earn this particular honor, joining Saketh Myneni (2010) and Daniil Proskura (2013 and 2014). Overall, the Crimson Tide leads the league in SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors with 61 honors over 13 sports since the award came into being in 2013.
Fouts and Hemphill Top 25 Finalists for 2021 USA Softball Player of the Year
More national recognition for Montana Fouts and Bailey Hemphill as the duo make up two of the top 25 finalists for the 2021 USA Softball Player of the Year. They were both finalists in 2019 and were also on last year's preseason list prior to the 2020 campaign that ended early due to COVID-19. Well-deserved, Montana and Bailey!
Alabama and the SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll
The Southeastern Conference office released its Winter Academic Honor Roll last week, and the Crimson Tide placed 66 student-athletes on the list, giving us the most of any school that doesn't sponsor equestrian and/or rifle. The winter list includes football, gymnastics, men's and women's basketball along with men's and women's swimming and diving. We are proud of the way all of those teams have excelled both athletically and academically again this season, especially in a very different and often challenging year.
NCAA Spring Championships Approaching
With SEC championships in the books, our golf and tennis programs now await NCAA tournament selection announcements, which begin this week with women's golf. The field will be unveiled Wednesday, April 28 at 1 p.m. CT on the GOLF Channel. Next up is the announcement of the NCAA Tennis Championships, slated for Monday, May 3 beginning at 5 p.m. CT on NCAA.com. Men's golf will find out where it is headed for NCAA Regionals on Wednesday, May 5, which is also scheduled for a 1 p.m. CT show on the GOLF Channel.
Bama Blitz Raises $79,025
We want to take a moment to thank the 411 donors who contributed $79,025 during the fourth annual Bama Blitz on April 12-15. The generosity of these donors exceeded our goal of raising $51,354 to fund a full annual athletics scholarship during the online giving event. We'd also like to extend special thanks to Julia & Gil Arnett, whose challenge gift was instrumental in our success. You can view the campus-wide Bama Blitz results at bamablitz.ua.edu.
University Spotlight
With final exams taking place this week, we'd like to give a shout-out to all Alabama students here on campus and those attending classes virtually as we wrap up the 2020-21 academic year. We hope you all finish strong and have a wonderful summer.
#RollTideFriday
This week's photos keep it local as both come to us from Tuscaloosa. First, we have Mr. Arias enjoying an afternoon softball game, and secondly, a submission from Missy Sartain.
Mr. Arias
Missy Sartain
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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