Laurent Bams

12/9/17 MWSD vs CrimsonWhiteLaurent BamsPhoto by Hampton Callaghan

1/18/18 MWSD vs Ohio StateLaurent BamsPhoto by Robert Sutton

10/7/17 MWSD vs Crimson WhiteLaurent BamsPhoto by Hampton Callaghan

09-14-18 MWSD vs Delta StateLaurent BamsPhoto by Amelia B. Barton

01/23/16 MWSD Vs Georgia TechLaurent BamsPhoto by Daniel Melograna

01-21-17 MWSD vs. FSULaurent BamsPhoto by Hampton Callaghan

01-18-18 MWSD vs Ohio StateLaurent BamsPhoto by Amelia B. Barton

Bams, Waddell, Young, Howard - SEC 200 free relay champions

Position:
Freestyle/Breaststroke/Butterfly
Height:
6-2
Weight:
null
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Eijsden, Netherlands
High School:
Sint-Maartenscollege

Accolades

2017, 2018 First Team CSCAA Scholar All-American
2018 CoSIDA Academic All-American At-Large First Team
2016, 2017, 2018 SEC Academic Honor Roll
2018 First Team All-American: 400 freestyle relay
2018 Honorable Mention All-American: 200 and 400 medley relays, 200 freestyle relay
2018 SEC Champion: 200 freestyle relay
2017 First Team All-American: 200 freestyle relay
2017 Honorable Mention All-American: 100 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay
2017 Second Team All-SEC
School record holder: 400 freestyle relay

2019 – Senior

Took top honors as part of the 200 medley relay at the SEC Championships
Also scored in the 100 breaststroke (6^th), 100 butterfly (15^th), 100 freestyle (16^th), and as part of the 400 medley (2^nd) and 800 freestyle (9^th) relays at the SEC Championships
Took top honors in the 100 breaststroke, 100 freestyle, and as part of the 200 medley and freestyle relays against Florida State
Took top honors in the 100 breaststroke and 100 freestyle, and as part of the 400 medley and 400 freestyle relays against Auburn
Took top honors as part of the 200 and 400 freestyle relays at the Georgia Tech Invitational
Also scored in the 200 IM (5^th), 100 breaststroke (2^nd), and as part of the 200 (2^nd) and 400 medley (2^nd) relays, as well as the 800 freestyle relay (3^rd) at the Georgia Tech Invitational
Took top honors as part of the 200 medley relay, 100 breaststroke and 100 freestyle at Tennessee
Took top honors in the 200 IM, 100 breaststroke, 100 freestyle and as part of the 200 freestyle relay against Texas A&M
Took top honors as part of the 400 medley and 400 freestyle relays, as well as the 100 breaststroke at Ohio State
Also scored in the 100 freestyle (2^nd) against Ohio State
Took top honors in the 100 and 200 freestyles, and as part of the 400 medley relay to open the season against Delta State

2018 – Junior

Member of the CoSIDA Academic All-American At-Large First Team
First Team All-American as part of the 400 freestyle relay (7th) at the NCAA Championships
Honorable Mention All-American as part of 200 (9th) and 400 (11th) medley relays and the 200 freestyle relay at the NCAA Championships
Also competed in the 100 breaststroke at the NCAA championships
SEC Champion as part of UA’s 200 freestyle relay
Finaled in the 100 breaststroke at the SEC championships
At the SEC championships, scored in the 100 freestyle (13th) and 200 individual medley (16th) with a career-best 1:45.91, which ranks him fourth all-time at Alabama
Reached the podium as part of UA’s 200 medley relay (3rd) and 400 freestyle relay (3rd) and scored as part of its 400 medley relay (5th)
Took top honors against Ohio State in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events and as part of the 400 medley and freestyle relays
Took top honors at FSU in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events and as part of the 200 medley and freestyle relays
Posted a career-best time of 52.73 in the 100 breaststroke prelims at the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational to become the third-fastest all-time in that event at Alabama
Also posted a career-best time of 46.78 in the 100 butterfly, which ranks seventh all-time at Alabama
Took top honors at the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational as part of the 200 freestyle, 200 medley and 400 medley relays
Also, finaled in the 100 butterfly (2nd), 100 breaststroke (3rd) and 50 freestyle (5th) at the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational
Took top honors at Auburn in the 100 breaststroke and as part of the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays
Also scored in the 100 butterfly (2nd) at Auburn
Took top honors against Florida in the 100 breaststroke and as a part of the 200 freestyle and 400 medley relays
Swam 53.40 against Florida in his first collegiate 100 breaststroke to become the then-fourth fastest UA swimmer ever in that event
Opened the season by taking top honors at Delta State in the 100 butterfly and as part of the 400 freestyle relay
Also scored in the 50 freestyle (2nd) at Delta State
First Team CSCAA Scholar All-American
Named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll
Earned the Crimson Tide’s Most Valuable Award

2017 – Summer

Won the 400 medley relay title along with Christopher Reid, Pavel Romanov and Robert Howard at the 2017 U.S. Open while breaking the school record with a combined 1:39.11 time
Took second as part of the Tide’s 400-meter freestyle relay at the 2017 U.S. Open
Also took 14th in the 100-meter freestyle at the 2017 U.S. Open

2017 – Sophomore

First Team All-American as part of the 200 freestyle relay (5th) at the NCAA Championships
Honorable Mention All-American in the 100 freestyle (12th) and as part of 400 freestyle relay (9th) at the NCAA Championships
Anchored the Tide’s 400 freestyle relay, breaking the school record (2:48.84) and taking first in the B final at the NCAA Championships
His career-best times in the 100 freestyle (42.39) and 200 freestyle (1:34.33) during prelims at the NCAA Championships ranks him third all-time at Alabama in both events
His career-best time in the 50 freestyle (19.53) during prelims at the NCAA Championships ties him for seventh all-time at Alabama
Also competed in the 50 freestyle and 200 freestyle at the NCAA Championships
Finaled as part of the 400 freestyle relay that took 2nd at the SEC Championships, breaking then-school record (2:49.68) in the process
Also finaled at the SEC Championships in the 100 (4th) and 200 (7th) freestyle events and as part of the 200 freestyle relay (3rd)
Second Team All-SEC
Posted a then-career-best time in the 200 freestyle (1:34.56) during prelims at the SEC Championships
Also scored in the 50 freestyle (11th) at the SEC Championships
Earned wins against Florida State in the 100 and 200 freestyle and as part of the 400 freestyle relay
Earned wins at Georgia Tech as part of the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays
Also scored in the 200 butterfly (2nd) at Georgia Tech
Earned wins at LSU in the 100 and 200 freestyle and as part of the 400 medley and 400 freestyle relays
Earned a win as part of the 200 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay at the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational
Finaled in the 50 freestyle (4th), 200 freestyle (5th), 1,650 freestyle (6th) and as part of the 800 freestyle relay (2nd) at the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational
Earned wins in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle at Auburn
Opened the season by winning the 100 butterfly, 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle against Delta State, also earned a win against Delta State as part of the 400 freestyle relay
First Team CSCAA Scholar All-American
Named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll
Earned President’s List (4.0 grade point average) for the fall and spring semesters
Carries a 4.0 cumulative grade point average into his junior season
Earned the Tide’s Best Competitor Award

2016 – Summer

Took seventh in the 100-meter butterfly with a 54.23, after posting a 53.83 in prelims, and 11th in both the 100-meter freestyle (50.19) and 50-meter freestyle (23.00) at the U.S. Open in Minneapolis

2016 – Freshman

Joined Alabama for the spring semester
SEC Male Freshman of the Year
First Team All-American as part of the 200 freestyle relay (3rd) and 400 freestyle relay (6th) at the NCAA Championships
Honorable Mention All-American in the 100 freestyle (13th) after posting a career-best 42.39 at the NCAA Championships
His time in the 100 freestyle at the NCAA Championships ties him for second all-time at Alabama
Also competed in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly at the NCAA Championships
Finaled at the SEC Championships as part of the 200 and 400 freestyle relays, taking third in both, and in the 100 freestyle (6th)
Scored in the 50 freestyle (10th) and the 100 butterfly (11th) at the SEC Championships
Second Team All-SEC
SEC All-Freshman
Posted career-best times in the 50 freestyle (19.56) and 100 butterfly (46.92) at the SEC Championships that rank him sixth all-time at Alabama in both
Won the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly at home against Georgia Tech
First Team CSCAA Scholar All-American
Earned President’s List (4.0 grade point average) for the spring semester

Prep Highlights

Swam for Jean Willigers and Winand Willigers at Zwemclub Eijsden
Netherlands National Junior Team member, 2011-15
Scored in the 50-meter backstroke at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, taking fourth
Finaled in the 400m freestyle mixed relay in the 2014 European Junior Championships in Dordrecht, Netherlands, taking third
Also scored in the 400m freestyle relay and 100m backstroke at the 2014 European Junior Championships, taking fifth and eighth, respectively
Scored in the 100m backstroke and 50m backstroke at the 2013 European Junior Championships in Poznan, Poland, taking ninth and 13th, respectively
Scored in the 400m medley relay and 200m backstroke at the 2011 European Youth Olympic Festival in Trabzon, Turkey, taking seventh and 16th, respectively