Zane Waddell

2/22/19 MWSD SEC TournamentAlabama junior swimmer Zane WaddellPhoto by Robert Sutton

2/20/19 MWSD SEC TournamentAlabama junior swimmer Zane WaddellAlabama sophomore swimmer Sam DiSetteAlabama sophomore swimmer Jack BlakeAlabama senior swimmer Robert HowardPhoto by Robert Sutton

10/25/17 MWSD vs FloridaZane WaddellPhoto by Hampton Callaghan

10-25-17 MWSD vs FloridaZane WaddellPhoto by Amelia B. Barton

1/18/18 MWSD vs Ohio StateZane WaddellPhoto by Robert Sutton

09-091-16 MWSD vs. Delta StateZane WaddellPhoto By Hampton Callaghan

01-21-17 MWSD vs. FSUZane WaddellKristian GkolomeevPhoto by Hampton Callaghan

01-21-17 MWSD vs Florida StateZane WaddellPhoto by Amelia B. Barton

1/18/18 MWSD vs OhioStatePhoto by Jake Arthur

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

Position:
Freestyle/Backstroke
Height:
6-3
Weight:
null
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Bloemfontein, South Africa
High School:
Grey College

Accolades

2019 FINA World Champion, 50-meter Backstroke
2019 World University Games Champion, 50-meter Backstroke
2019 NCAA Champion, 200 Medley Relay
2020 All-American - 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay, 400 medley relay
2019 First Team All-American, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay
2018 First Team All-American, 400 freestyle relay
2017 First Team All-American, 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay
2019 Honorable Mention All-American, 100 Backstroke, 400 Medley Relay and 400 Freestyle Relay
2018 Honorable Mention All-American, 100 backstroke, 200 and 400 medley relays, 200 freestyle relay
2017 Honorable Mention All-American, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay
2020 Second Team CoSIDA Academic All-American
2020 First Team CSCAA Scholar All-American
2019 First Team CSCAA Scholar All-American
2018 First Team CSCAA Scholar All-American
2017 First Team CSCAA Scholar All-American
2020 SEC Commissioner's Trophy
2019 SEC Champion, 100 backstroke, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay and 400 Freestyle Relay
2018 SEC Champion, 200 freestyle relay
2020 SEC Postgraduate Scholarship
2020 SEC Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2020 First Team All-SEC
2019 First Team All-SEC
2018 First Team All-SEC
2017 SEC All-Freshman
2020 SEC Academic Honor Roll
2019 SEC Academic Honor Roll
2018 SEC Academic Honor Roll
2017 SEC Academic Honor Roll

2020 – Senior

Earned All-America honors in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay
Seeded second in the 100 backstroke, fifth in the 100 freestyle and seventh in the 50 freestyle nationally headed into NCAAs before the championships were canceled due to the CoVID-19 pandemic
Also qualified for the NCAA Championships as part of the Tide’s 200 and 400 medley relays and 200 and 400 freestyle relays
Posted the nation’s No. 1 time in the 50 backstroke, leading off the Tide's 200 medley relay at the SEC Championships with a 22.33, giving him two of the three fastest times in swimming history
Swam the backstroke leg on the Tide’s school and SEC Championships record-setting 400 medley relay (3:02.17), with a school and SEC record 44.10
Took gold in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke and was second in the 100 freestyle by .01 at the SEC Championships
Also won gold in the 400 medley relay (with Liam Bell, Tyler Sesvold and Jonathan Berneburg), 200 freestyle relay (with Tyler Sesvold, Jonathan Berneburg and Sam DiSette) and the 400 freestyle relay (with Tyler Sesvold, Jonathan Berneburg and Colton Stogner) at the SEC Championships
Scored in the 200 medley relay at the SEC Championships taking fourth
Posted career-best times in the 50 freestyle (19.07), 100 freestyle (41.82) and 100 backstroke (44.10) at the SEC Championships
In addition to his school record in the 100 backstroke, he ranked third all-time at UA in the 50 and 100 freestyle at the end of his career
Closed the dual-meet season with wins at Florida State in the 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle and the 200 medley relay
Picked up wins the 50 freestyle and as part of the 200 and 400 medley relays at the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational
Earned wins at Auburn in the 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle and as part of the 200 medley relay
Opened SEC competition in Birmingham against Georgia with wins in the 100 backstroke and as part of the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay
Opened the season with a win at Delta State in the 100 freestyle and as part of the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay
Second Team CoSIDA At-Large Academic All-American
First Team CSCAA Scholar All-American
SEC Commissioner's Trophy (individual high point scorer at the SEC Championships)
SEC Postgraduate Scholarship
SEC Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year
First Team All-SEC
SEC Academic Honor Roll

2019 – Summer

Won the 50-meter backstroke at the FINA World Championships in Gwangiu, South Korea, with a time of 24.43 to edge world record holder Evgeny Rylov (24.49) of Russia by six-hundredths of a second
Won the 50-meter backstroke at the World University Games in Napoli, Italy, with a time of 24.48 after setting the WUG record at 24.46 in the semifinals

2019 – Junior

NCAA Champion as part of the Crimson Tide’s 200 medley relay, setting a pool record of 1:22.26 on the way to the title
Earned First Team All-America honors at the NCAA Championships after finaling in the 200 medley relay (1st), 200 freestyle relay (6th),
Earned Honorable Mention All-America honors at the NCAA Championships after scoring in the 100 backstroke (12th), 400 freestyle relay (9th) and 400 medley relay (9th)
Also swam in 50 freestyle at the NCAA Championships
SEC Champion in the 100 backstroke and as part of the 200 and 400 freestyle, as well as 200 medley relays
Part of the Tide’s 200 medley relay (1:22.19) and 200 freestyle relay (1:15.43) that set Southeastern Conference Championship records
Posted a then career-best 44.77 on his way to winning the SEC 100 backstroke title, which ranked him second all-time at UA
Also finaled in the 100 freestyle (7th) and as part of the 400 medley relay (2nd) at the SEC Championships
Scored in the 50 freestyle (9th) at the SEC Championships
Won the 100 backstroke and the 200 medley and freestyle relays against Florida State
Took top honors in the 100 backstroke and as part of the 400 medley and freestyle relays against Auburn
Took top honors as part of the 200 and 400 freestyle relays at the Georgia Tech Invitational
His 46.33 at the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational was a career-best time at the time and ranked him third all-time at Alabama
Took top honors in the 100 butterfly and as part of the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays at Tennessee
Took top honors in the 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke and as part of the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays against Texas A&M
SEC Swimmer of the Week (10/9/18)
Took top honors in the 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke and as part of the 400 medley and 400 freestyle relays at Ohio State
Took top honors in the 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly and as part of the 400 medley and 400 freestyle relays to open the season against Delta State
First Team CSCAA Scholar All-American
First Team All-SEC
Named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll
Earned the Crimson Tide’s Most Valuable Award

2018 – Summer

Won two gold and two silver medals 2018 South African Short Course National Championships in Durban, winning both the 50 and 100-meter backstroke with times of 23.55 and 51.63, respectively
Second in the 50 and 100-meter freestyle, with times of at 21.65 and 47.54, respectively, at the 2018 South African SCM National Championships
Finished second in the prelims of the 100-meter butterfly with a 53.25 before scratching out of the final at the 2018 South African SCM National Championships
Qualified for the 2018 FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships in the 50 and 100-meter freestyle and the 50-meter backstroke

2018 – Sophomore

First Team All-American as part of the 400 freestyle relay (7th) at the NCAA Championships
Honorable Mention All-American in the 100 backstroke (12th) and as part of 200 (9th) and 400 (11th) medley relays and the 200 freestyle relay (10th) at the NCAA Championships
Also competed in the 50 (43rd) and 100 (25th) freestyle at the NCAA Championships
SEC Champion as part of UA’s 200 freestyle relay
Reached the podium in the 100 backstroke (3rd) and as part of UA’s 200 medley relay (3rd) and 400 freestyle relay (3rd), finaled in the 50 freestyle (4th) and as part of its 400 medley relay (5th) and scored in the 100 freestyle (9th) at the SEC championships
Took top honors against Ohio State in the 50 freestyle and as part of the 400 freestyle and medley relays
Took top honors at FSU in the 50 and 100 freestyle events and as part of the 200 freestyle relay
Took top honors at the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational in the 100 butterfly and as part of the 200 and 400 freestyle relays and the 200 and 400 medley relays
Took top honors at Auburn as part of the 400 freestyle relay
Took top honors against Florida as a member of the 200 freestyle and 400 medley relays
Opened the season by taking top honors at Delta State in the 50 freestyle and as part of the 400 freestyle and 400 medley relays
First Team CSCAA Scholar All-American
Named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll
Earned the Crimson Tide’s Most Valuable Award

2017 – Freshman

First Team All-American as part of the 200 medley relay (2nd) and 200 freestyle relay (5th) at the NCAA Championships
Honorable Mention All-American in the 50 (13th) and 100 freestyle (16th) and as part of 400 freestyle relay (9th) at the NCAA Championships
Anchored Alabama’s NCAA runner-up 200 medley relay that went under the previous NCAA record and broke the school record with a 1:21.89
Swam the second leg of the Tide’s 400 freestyle relay, breaking the then school record (2:48.84) and winning the NCAA Championships B final
Finaled as part of the 400 freestyle relay that took 2nd at the SEC Championships, breaking the then-school record (2:49.68) in the process
Posted then career-best times in the 50 freestyle (19.17) and 100 freestyle (42.30) at the SEC Championships, ranking him second all-time at Alabama in both events
Finaled at the SEC Championships in the 50 freestyle (2nd) and as part of the 200 medley relay (2nd), 200 freestyle relay (3rd) and 400 medley relay (4th)
Scored at the SEC Championships in the 100 freestyle (9th)
SEC All-Freshman
Also competed in the 100 butterfly at the SEC Championships
Earned wins against Florida State in the 50 freestyle and as part of the 400 medley and 400 free-style relays
Earned wins at Georgia Tech in the 50 and 100 freestyle
Earned wins at LSU in the 50 freestyle and as part of the 400 freestyle relay
Earned a win as part of the 200 and 400 freestyle relay at the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational
Finaled at the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational in the 100 butterfly (2nd), 50 yard freestyle (3rd) and 100 backstroke (5th)
Earned wins at Auburn in the 50 freestyle and as part of the 400 freestyle relay
First Team CSCAA Scholar All-American
Named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll

Prep Highlights

Swam for Simon Gray at SuperSport Seals Bloemfontein
Medaled at the 2015 Youth Commonwealth Games for Team South Africa, earning four gold and two bronze
Medaled at the 2014 Region V Youth African Games for Team South Africa, earning eight gold and one bronze
Set ten South African age group records from 2011 to 2015
Earned Honors for swimming in 2015
Four-time Grey College Best Swimmer
Four-time Grey College Sportsman of the Year
Awarded Academic Merit in 2015