Alabama
Crimson Tide Invitational
Alabama Claims Seven Event Titles, Honors Senior Class on Final Day of Crimson Tide Invitational
4/23/2023 12:11:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
In total, the Crimson Tide racked up 27 top-five finishes during its home meet
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama track and field program claimed seven different event titles on the final day of the Crimson Tide Invitational.
Chelsea Igberaese and Taylor Gorum got Alabama rolling early as the duo posted two top-three finishes in the women's discus. Igberaese's first throw of the event (55.14m | 180-11) secured the Tide its first victory of the day and also moved her to No. 4 on Alabama's all-time list. Gorum's 53.42-meter throw (175-3) earned her a third-place finish.
Later, Alabama's 4x100-meter relay group (Jekovan Rhetta, Antonio Crisco, Clayton Elder, Jonathan Martin) clocked a first-place finish before Na'Taja Ballard also found success on the familiar track, securing the event win in the women's 400 meters.
In his outdoor season debut, Christian Edwards became the Crimson Tide's fourth event champion of the day. The reigning SEC Indoor silver medalist needed only his first jump to, ultimately, secure the men's triple jump title.
Cordè Long (400-meter hurdles), Brady Barton (men's 1,500-meters) and the men's 4x400-meter relay squad (Chris Robinson, Cordè Long, Leander Forbes, Khaleb McRae) would each claim the final three wins on Saturday evening. It's now the third time this season that an Alabama student-athlete has won the men's 400-meter hurdle title.
On Saturday, the Crimson Tide welcomed home over 200 track and field alumni and also honored its 2023 senior class: Flomena Asekol, Bobby Colantonio Jr., Alan de Falchi, Chelsea Igberaese, Eliud Kipsang, Samantha Kunza, Talaya Lewis, Katie Lightfoot, Amara Obi, Hailey Poole, Jami Reed, Rich Saenz, Quincy Scott, Grady Shiflet, Matthew Weaver, Jacob Wiggers, Karmen Williams.
In total, Alabama racked up eight event titles and 27 top-five finishes during its home meet. Gorum also broke a school record (women's hammer throw), making it the seventh time this outdoor season alone that an Alabama school record has fallen.
Head Coach Dan Waters Said
"We always compete really well at home. There's a home field advantage in every sport, and it's absolutely true with track and field. Giving our athletes the opportunity to compete on a track they practice on every single day and providing them with the familiarity and comfort that only a home meet can offer – it was great, and I'm happy with the performances from this weekend."
"This is a great senior class, and these men and women will be missed immensely. It's a special group that has kind of been the backbone of our program for a long time. It was great having them out here this weekend competing in front of their friends and family."
"We had over 200 alumni come back this weekend, and that fills my heart with joy. It's good to see them back here; it's kind of like a big family reunion. It was great seeing their smiling faces, and there were a lot of stories being told throughout the weekend. I think everybody, across the board, had a great time."
"Thanks, again, to everybody – from managers, to coaches, trainers, media relations, event management, the cleaning crew; our grounds looked amazing all weekend – there's just so many people that help put on a home meet like this. We even had members of our own track team out here working to make this event as special as possible for everybody, and I think it absolutely was."
Crimson Tide Top Finishes
- Igberaese (55.14m | 180-11) and Gorum (53.42m | 175-3) finished first and third, respectively, in the women's discus. It became a new PR for Igberaese who now holds the fourth-farthest throw in UA history.
- On the men's side, de Falchi recorded a second-place throw (60.07m | 197-1) in the discus
- Caelyn Harris finished second in the women's long jump (6.01m | 19-8.75)
- Alabama's Rhetta, Crisco, Elder and Martin won the 4x100-meter relay (39.99)
- Carter Waters (9:16.33) and Macy Schelp (11:18.61) finished third and fourth, respectively, in the men's and women's 3,000-meter steeplechase
- Ballard (54.01) and Obi (54.99) finished first and fifth, respectively, in the women's 400 meters. On the men's side, Forbes (fourth, 46.79) and Crisco (fifth, 46.85) also clocked top-five finishes.
- Poole used a 48.98-meter (160-8) performance in the women's javelin to earn third place
- Rhetta (10.29) and Quincy Scott (10.47) finished second and fourth, respectively, in the men's 100-meter dash
- In the 800-meter run, Keaton Morrison finished second (2:10.83) on the women's side, followed by a pair of top-five finishes from the men's program: Shiflet (second, 1:49.16) and Mark Shannon (1:52.60)
- Christian Edwards won the men's triple jump via a performance of 14.98-meters (49-1.75)
- Cordè Long (50.10) and Clayton Elder (51.65) finished first and fifth, respectively, in the men's 400-meter hurdles
- Igberaese (17.70m | 58-1) and Cherisse Murray (17.21m | 56-5.75) finished second and third, respectively, in the women's shot put
- Brady Barton won the men's 1,500-meter run (3:49.03)
- Two different groups for Alabama finished in the top three of the men's 4x400-meter relay
- First – Robinson, Long, Forbes, McRae (3:07.45)
- Third – Elder, Crisco, Patrick Daves, Terrance Howard (3:09.39)
Up Next
- Alabama will travel to Baton Rouge, La., next weekend for the LSU Invitational (April 29)
- The one-day meet will be the regular-season finale for the Crimson Tide
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