Byrne Notice presented by Mercedes-Benz
6/21/2022 10:30:00 PM | General
Making the Grade
Last time out, we shared the great job our teams did in the classroom, with 16 earning better than a 3.0 team grade point average. On an individual basis, we had 258 student-athletes earn a 3.5-or-better grade point average in the spring, including 106 who garnered a perfect 4.0.
Strong Showing in the NCAA APR
In other news from the classroom, the NCAA released its latest Academic Progress Rate last week, and we're pleased that we once again posted strong numbers when it comes to this important metric. Men's basketball (1,000), soccer (1,000), football (997) and women's basketball (991) all produced program records when it came to the APR, while eight additional teams tied their all-time best marks. We had 15 teams post marks better than 990, including seven with a perfect 1,000, and 12 that ranked in the top three in the SEC. Figures released last week cover the four-year period extending from the 2017-18 through the 2020-21 school years.
Potter Selected to Furman Athletics 2022 Hall of Fame Class
A well-deserved honor for women's golf head coach Mic Potter, who was named to Furman University's 2022 Athletic Hall of Fame class. Prior to coming to Tuscaloosa in 2005, Coach Potter led the Paladins for 23 years, beginning in 1983. While there, he coached Furman to 16 NCAA Championship appearances, which included a national runner-up finish in 1987.
Track and Field Closes Outdoor Season Strong
Congratulations to Dan Waters and our track and field teams for closing out the 2021-22 season with a strong showing at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. I had the great fortune to be on hand when Mercy Chelangat won the second individual NCAA title of her career, and the first 10,000-meter championship in Crimson Tide history. Mercy ran a great race and dominated the second half to win by 12 seconds. Overall, our men took 11th place, just one point out of ninth, while the women were 15th. It was the men's fifth-consecutive top-15 finish and the third in a row for the women. Overall, a total of 20 members of our track and field squads earned 26 Outdoor All-America honors. It was a very good way to close our year.
Track and Field/Cross Country Men and Women Are Top 10 in Program of the Year Standings
Track and field's finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships not only capped off another great season for the Crimson Tide, but it also secured top-10 finishes in the annual United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Program of the Year standings for both teams, making the Crimson Tide one of just four schools to have both its men and women finish in the top 10. The Program of the Year standings take into consideration team finishes at the NCAA Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Championships. The Tide men took eighth, while the women were ninth.
Busy Summer Continues for Swimming and Diving
It's already been a busy summer for Margo Geer and our swimming and diving program and that continues this week with four of our current swimmers at the FINA World Championships in Budapest, including Rhyan White, Kalia Antoniou, Kensey McMahon and Diana Petkova, along with alums Anton McKee and Kristian Gkolomeev. Last week also saw a trio of swimmers - Morgan Liberto, Derek Maas and Nicholas Perera earn First Team CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition as part of the at-large program.
More Academic All-Americans
In addition to our swimming and diving contingent, we had representation on both the baseball and softball Academic All-America Teams. Owen Diodati earned baseball's first honor since 2007 with a spot on the third team. Montana Fouts and Kaylee Tow both earned first-team honors for softball with Kaylee becoming just the second four-time winner of the honor in program history. Â
Coons Takes Home SVG/NACDA College Sports Media Award
Congratulations to Emma Coons, a student editor in Crimson Tide Productions, for winning the Outstanding Social Media Video Award for a collegiate student at this year's Sports Video Group College Sports Media Awards Show in Atlanta. We have so many incredibly talented students working throughout our department, and Emma is certainly one of them. Great job!
Gameday Staffing Opportunities
We are in the process of identifying and selecting new event staff members for the 2022 season to assist us on providing the best gameday experience possible through a variety of roles and responsibilities. Online applications are available and open positions include gate operations, ushers, guest services, event security, hospitality, kitchen support staff and servers.
Crimson Tide Scholarship Fund
Our fiscal year is coming to a close on Thursday, June 30. If you have not yet made a philanthropic contribution to Alabama Athletics this year, please consider donating to the Crimson Tide Scholarship Fund (CTSF). The CTSF is the annual scholarship fund for Alabama Athletics, providing scholarship support for the Crimson Tide's 600+ student-athletes. Donors to the CTSF earn three Tide Totals priority points per $100 donated. To learn more or to donate, visit crimsontidefoundation.org/ctsf.
University Spotlight
Congratulations to all 11,224 students who earned a spot on the spring 2022 dean's list or president's list. In addition, 363 students who enrolled in UA Early College were named to the director's list for earning a 3.6 GPA or higher.
#RollTideFriday
For our final Byrne Notice of the season, and first day of the summer, we're going with a water theme in this edition for #RollTideFriday. Alums Dawn and BJ Fitzgerald are pictured here at Amicolola Falls in Dawsonville, Georgia and Marcus Hill is representing the Tide at Horseshoe Bay in Bermuda.
Dawn and BJ Fitzgerald
Marcus Hill
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!
