Mia Nonnenberg 19th In 200-Meter Butterfly; Alabama Football 2011 National Championship; Allen, Hand Top Defensive Linemen To Watch In 2016; Alabama Places 126 On SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll

Mia Nonnenberg 19th In 200-Meter Butterfly

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

Celebrating another top-20 finish, University of Alabama Crimson Tide swimmer Mia Nonnenberg finished 19th in the 200-meter butterfly with a new school record of 2:12.87 at the United States Swimming Olympic Team Tridals yesterday in Omaha, Nebraska. This was her second top-20 finish at the trials, and the third in the top-30.

Nonnenberg earned All-America honors as a sophomore in the 400 individual medley. On Tuesday the Bama swimmer finished 28th in the prelims of the 200-meter individual medley. On Sunday Nonnenberg finished 13th in the 400 individual medley with a new school record time of 4:43.87.

All-Americans Robert Howard and Alex Gray posted times of 50.65 and 51.08, respectively, in the 100-meter freestyle. Knox Auerbach posted a time of 50.94 in the same event. Howard was 54th, Auerbach came in 65th and Gray was 70th.

The Alabama team has six swims scheduled for today. Taylor Charles and Alec Scott will swim the 200-meter individual medley and Crews Wellford will swim the 200-meter backstroke. Concerning the women's portion of the competition, Bridget Blood and Stephanie Klotz will swim the 200-meter breaststroke while Temarie Tomley will participate in the 100-meter freestyle.

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Alabama Crimson Tide 2011 National Championship

2011 National Championship Celebration
Photo Credit: xsherix.blogspot.com

The year was 2011. The sport was football. The team: The University of Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Alabama Crimson Tide football team captured its 14th National Championship and the second at the University of Alabama for head football coach Nick Saban (his third including one at LSU.) Alabama's last National Championship had come just two year's earlier, 2009, under Saban. 2011 was Saban's fifth season at the University of Alabama.

The Tide finished the 2011 football season with an 11-1 regular season record, having fallen to LSU at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Bama failed to reach the SEC Championship Game as a result of that one loss, with the honor going to the Tigers. It was later said it was easier to reach the national championship of college football than it was to reach the Southeastern Conference Championship.

Bama was able to enter the national championship game as a result of all other undefeated teams falling to losses in the last couple of weeks of the season. So a rematch was in place for the 2012 BCS National Championship Game at the New Orleans, Louisiana Superdome.

The Crimson Tide left no doubt in the rematch as to who was the superior football team. Alabama shut out LSU 21-0 to capture the 2011 national title.

The Alabama defense led the nation in every major statistical category for the 2011 season, and was the first to do so since the 1986 season. Several Crimson Tide players were recognized for the individual accomplishments on the field. Barrett Jones won both the Wuerffel Trophy and the Outland Trophy; and Trent Richardson captured the Doak Walker Award, was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, and was also named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. Seven players were named to various All-America Teams with Dont'a Hightower being a consensus selection. Mark Barron, Jones and Richardson were each unanimous selections. In April 2012, eight members of the 2011 squad were selected in the NFL Draft, with an additional six signed as undrafted free agents to various teams.

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Allen, Hand Top Defensive Linemen To Watch In 2016

Alabama Football's Jonathan Allen

Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports

The University of Alabama's Jonathan Allen, one of the nation's top defensive lineman, has been recognized by Lance Zierlein of NFL.com as the top CFB interior lineman to watch for 2016. That's not all, though. Also making the top 10 list to watch is the Crimson Tide's Da'Shawn Hand.

Zierlein points out that Allen is so versatile that he could be categorized as either a defensive end or interior lineman. He also praised the young player's "skill level, football intelligence and ability to rush the passer."

The Crimson Tide's Da'Shawn Hand has made his presence known on the football field for Alabama on Saturdays. He comes in at number five on the top 10 list.

Of Hand, Zierlein points out that the young man "has length and plus get-off after the snap" ability. Though playing in only 18 percent of the defensive snaps last season, Hand managed three sacks.


                                          

Da'Shawn Hand

Photo Credit: FoxSports.com

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Alabama Places 126 On SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The University of Alabama leads the Southeastern Conference in the number of students making the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll. Alabama placed 126 students from nine different teams on this year's spring honor roll, led by the the 26 honorees from the rowing team.

To earn a place on the honor roll, a student must earn a 3.0 or better grade point average for either the preceding academic year or their career and be a sophomore or better in academic standing. The spring list honors those student-athletes that participate in baseball, men's and women's golf, rowing, softball, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's track and field. A total of 1,181 SEC student-athletes earned the honor during the spring season.

So far this season, Alabama has placed 267 students on the SEC Fall, Winter and Spring honor rolls. Additional names will be added to the Tide's tally when the first-year list comes out later this week.

Here is a look at Alabama's 2016 SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll:

Student-Athlete	Sport	Major
Lakareber Abe	Women's Golf	Accounting
Tyler Adams	Baseball	Human Performance Exercise Science
Charlotte Adkins	Rowing	Human Development Family Studies
Justin Ahalt	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Civil Engineering
Courtney Atkinson	Rowing	Mathematics
Payton Ballard	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Accounting
Caroline Barlow	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Psychology
Vanessa Barone	Rowing	Food and Nutrition
Lydia Blount	Rowing	Environmental Science
Rachel Bobo	Softball	Chemical Engineering
Sydney Booker	Softball	Finance
Geoffrey Bramblett	Baseball	Human Performance Exercise Science
Hayes Brewer	Men's Tennis	Finance/Economics
Tony Brown	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Communication Studies

Quanesha Burks	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Elementary Education
Jacklin Byers	Rowing	Public Relations and Finance
Tayla Cabana	Rowing	Human Performance Exercise Science
Kallie Case	Softball	General Studies
Katie Chambers	Rowing	Telecommunication and Film
Zack Coker	Baseball	Civil Engineering
Chandler Dare	Softball	Public Relations
Erin Delaney	Rowing	Social Work
Olivia Dennis	Rowing	Telecommunication and Film
Lacey Dent	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Communicative Disorders
Tanner DeVinny	Baseball	Consumer Sciences
Bennett Dunn	Women's Tennis	Advertising
Jeff Edmondson	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Civil Engineering
Emily Edwards	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Exercise Science
Will Edwards	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Marketing
Nicholas Eicholtz	Baseball	Management
Claire Estep	Rowing	Biology
Madeleine Evans	Rowing	Communicative Disorders

Carrigan Fain	Softball	International Studies
Conner Ferrentino	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Accounting
Filippa Fotopoulou	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Biology
Passion Gamble	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Exercise Science
Alex Gholston	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	English
Margaret Gillespie	Rowing	Public Relations
Grayson Goldin	Men's Tennis	Lower Div. Marketing
Peyton Grantham	Softball	Criminal Justice
Cammie Gray	Women's Golf	Human Environmental Science
Jessica Gray	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Biochemistry
Aryn Greene	Women's Tennis	Lower Div. General Business
Katelyn Greenleaf	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Nutrition
Allison Gregg	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Nutrition
Jacqueline Guezille	Rowing	Biology
Elias Hakansson	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Political Science
Meghan Hampton	Rowing	Food and Nutrition
Jonathan Hardee	Men's Golf	General Business
Andrew Harris	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Exercise Science

Andrea Hawkins	Softball	Human Performance Exercise Science
Erin Hayes	Rowing	Human Development Family Studies
Rachel Henderson	Rowing	Aerospace Engineering
Langford Hills	Men's Tennis	Accounting
Tyler Hitchner	Men's Golf	Undesignated Engineering
Keith Holcombe	Baseball	Human Performance Exercise Science
Kendall Howen	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Chemical Engineering
Jake Hubbard	Baseball	Sport Management
Janie Jackson	Women's Golf	Consumer Sciences
Danielle Kem	Rowing	Biology
Danny Kerznerman	Men's Tennis	General Studies
Leona Lafaele	Softball	Criminal Justice
Jacopo Lahbi	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Management
Mia Landegren	Women's Golf	Communications Studies
Nicole Lane	Rowing	Food and Nutrition
Anne Lehmann	Rowing	Chemical Engineering
McLean Lipschultz	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Physical Education
Sydney Littlejohn	Softball	Human Performance Exercise Science

Tom Lovelady	Men's Golf	Marketing
Korey Lovett	Men's Tennis	General Studies
Abigail Marks	Rowing	Mechanical Engineering
Natalia Maynetto	Women's Tennis	Finance
Danielle Mazer	Rowing	Management Information Systems
Miller McCarthy-Tuohy	Rowing	Biology
Haylie McCleney	Softball	Human Performance Exercise Science
Dani McConnell	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	General Studies
Tyler McMurray	Baseball	Mechanical Engineering
Olivia Miller	Rowing	Mechanical Engineering
Nicole Morales	Women's Golf	Journalism
Emily Navin	Rowing	Accounting
Jordan Nezich	Rowing	Engineering
Becker O’Shaughnessey	Men's Tennis	Finance
Michael Oczypok	Baseball	Business Administration
Amanda Oliver	Rowing	Human Performance Exercise Science
Nyia Owen	Rowing	Management Information Systems
Rachel Palmer	Rowing	Political Science

Meropi Panagiotou	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Apparel & Textiles-Fashion Retailing
Jennifer Parker	Rowing	Criminal Justice
Taylor Poe	Baseball	Consumer Sciences
Alexandra Pospisil	Rowing	Operations Management
Robby Prater	Men's Golf	Human Environmental Science
Rachael Reddy	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Nutrition
Anna Rawles Reed	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Restaurant & Hospitality Management
Hayden Reed	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Geology
Alison Ringle	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Exercise Science
Zac Rogers	Baseball	Marketing
Erin Routliffe	Women's Tennis	Public Relations
Marisa Runyon	Softball	Human Performance Exercise Science
Georgie Salem	Baseball	Management & Marketing
Nicole Sassaman	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Marketing
Margaret Schulz	Rowing	Food and Nutrition
Elizabeth Scott	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Nursing
Katherine Scott	Rowing	Human Performance Exercise Science
William Sellers	Men's Golf	Management

Kevin Shannon	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Computer Science
Connor Short	Baseball	Management
Josh Short	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Political Science
Eric Sivill	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Metallurgical Engineering
Alexandria Smith	Rowing	Psychology
Britainy Smith	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Exercise Science
Danielle Spielmann	Women's Tennis	Marketing
Gabrielle Sprio	Rowing	Finance and Economics
Rebecca Stover	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Public Relations
Shannon Sweatt	Rowing	Public Relations
Emma Talley	Women's Golf	Communication Studies
Lakan Taylor	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Exercise Science
Lindsay Taylor	Rowing	Chemical Engineering
Haley Teel	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Marketing
Conner Thompson	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Mechanical Engineering
Demi Turner	Softball	Human Performance Exercise Science
Nathan Vardaman	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Mechanical Engineering
Hannah Waggoner	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Mechanical Engineering
Kaitlin Walker	Women's Track & Field/Cross Country	Nutrition

Hunter Webb	Baseball	Consumer Sciences
Joe Williams	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Civil Engineering
Jake Zalesky	Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Aerospace Engineering

Bama Baseball Adds Jake Wells To Coaching Staff; Alabama Swimmers Compete In Day 3 Of Olympic Trials; Saban, Bama Win 2009 National Championship

Bama Baseball Adds Jake Wells To Coaching Staff

Jake Wells joins Crimson Tide baseball

Photo Courtesy RollTide.com

New University of Alabama head baseball coach Greg Goff officially announced the hiring of Jake Wells to the Crimson Tide coaching staff yesterday afternoon. Wells, a former player under Goff at Montevallo, will serve as the Bama's recruiting coordinator while also working closely with the team's catchers. He is the first addition Goff's Crimson Tide baseball staff, bringing a total of nine years of coaching experience to Tuscaloosa.

"I'm really excited that Jake has decided to come be a part of our staff here at Alabama," Goff commented. "He has played for me and coached under me, and he is one of the bright young coaches in the country. We are honored to get him on our staff. He is a tireless worker that will put forth a maximum effort each day."


Most recently, Wells spent the past two seasons at Louisiana Tech as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator for Goff.

Goff continued, "Jake is a player's coach. He's a high-energy guy with a lot of passion for the game of baseball, and he will always be available to help our players. He sets a high standard and expects the players to bring a positive energy and their best effort to the field every day."

Wells is married to the former Melissa Sherrod of Longview, Texas.

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Alabama Swimmers Compete In Day 3 Of Olympic Trials

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

University of Alabama Crimson Tide swimmers competed four times in three different events yesterday at the United States Olympic Team Trials being held in Omaha, Nebraska.

It was Crimson Tide All-American Mia Nonnenberg leading Bama with a 28th place finish in the prelims of the 200-meter individual medley after touching the wall in a time of 2:17.05. Earlier in the week, Nonnenberg finished 13th in the 400 individual medley with a new school record with a time of 4:43.87.

In the 200-meter butterfly competition, Taylor Charles finished 54th with time of 2:02.45 while Will Freeman was 62nd with a time of 2:03.48. In the 200-meter freestyle, Temarie Tomley came in 63rd with a time of 2:03.00.

The Crimson Tide has four more swims set for today. Nonnenberg will compete in the 200-meter butterfly while Knox Auerbach, Alex Gray and Robert Howard will compete in the 100-meter freestyle.

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Nick Saban, Crimson Tide Win 2009 National Championship

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Lucky Number 13 For The University Of Alabama

Photo Credit: NYDailyNews.com

The 2009 season was The University of Alabama Crimson Tide's 115th overall season to play the sport of football, the 76th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the 18th season playing in the SEC Western Division. It was also the 13th time the Crimson Tide football team captured the National Championship of college football, and the second overall for Alabama head coach Nick Saban (the first one coming at LSU). The Tide finished the 2009 season undefeated with a record of 14-0 (8-0 in the SEC) and the 2009 BCS National Championship.

The Crimson Tide entered the 2009 season as the favorite to win the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference, and went on to meet the Florida Gators in the 2009 SEC Championship Game. Alabama closed the regular season with a 12–0 record including four wins against Top 25-ranked teams. The 2009 SEC Championship was a rematch of the 2008 contest. Alabama came out on top by a final score of 32–13. On the following day, final Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings were unveiled and the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide would meet No. 2 ranked Texas for the BCS National Championship. In the BCS National Championship Game, the Crimson Tide defeated the Longhorns 37–21 to capture their first-ever BCS Championship.


Alabama earned their third Southeastern Conference Championship since the inception of the SEC Championship Game in 1992, and their 22nd SEC title overall. The victory over the Texas Longhorns gave Alabama their 13th national championship in football (the eighth wire service title since the AP Poll began in 1936) and their ninth perfect season since 1925. The season included victories over the previous three national champions: the Florida Gators, the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers, and the Texas Longhorns.

The 2009 season also brought The University of Alabama its first Heisman Trophy winner in running back Mark Ingram. Ingram won the award over Stanford running back Toby Gerhart. Other award winners on the 2009 squad included Rolando McClain, who won the Butkus Award and the Jack Lambert Award, and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, who won the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach. Also, six players were named to various All-America Teams with Terrence Cody, Mike Johnson, and Javier Arenas being consensus selections and Ingram and McClain each being unanimous selections. Mark Ingram was named the offensive MVP of the National Championship Game.

2009 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Schedule:

09/05   Virginia Tech             W 34-24
09/12   Florida International  W 40-14
09/19   North Texas               W 53-7
09/26   Arkansas                   W 35-7
10/03   @Kentucky                W 38-20
10/10   @Ole Miss                 W 22-3
10/17   South Carolina           W 20-6
10/24   Tennessee                  W 12-10
11/07   LSU                             W 24-15
11/14   @Mississippi State      W 31-3 
11/21   Chattanooga                W 45-0
11/27   Auburn                         W 26-21
12/05   Florida                          W 32-13
01/07   Texas                            W 27-21

Obasohan, Randolph Competing In Vegas League; Bama Baseball Loses Another In-State Commitment; Tide Freshman Mack Wilson Suffers Injury; Bama Swimmers Shine On Day 2 Olympic Trials; Fox's Tim Brando Makes Football Playoff Predictions

Obasohan, Randolph Competing In Vegas Summer League

Former Alabama standout Retin Obasohan

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

Two former University of Alabama men's basketball players have signed to compete in the 2016 Las Vegas Summer League. Retin Obasohan will be playing for the Sacramento Kings while Levi Randolph will be playing for the Memphis Grizzlies. The event will feature a total of 24 teams competing in 67 games. It will last for 11 days, from Friday, July 8th through Monday, July 18th, at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

First up will be Randolph and the Grizzlies on July 8th taking on the NBA Developmental League Select Team. Game time  will be 5:30 p.m. CT. Obasohan's first game will be the same day at 9 p.m. CT when the Sacramento Kings take on the Toronto Raptors in a game broadcast by NBA television.
 
The Las Vegas Summer League will consist of a 24-team field composed of 11 playoff teams from the 2015-16 NBA season, 12 teams with lottery picks in the 2016 NBA Draft and an NBA D-League squad. The teams will compete in three preliminary round games from July 8th-12th before being seeded in a tournament that starts on July 13th  and concludes with the Championship Game on July 18th. Each team in the event is guaranteed to play at least five games.

You can tune in to ESPN and NBA TV, providing non-stop coverage, starting on opening day for all 67 games from Las Vegas. The full broadcast schedule will be announced at a future date.

In addition to his appointment with the Grizzlies, Randolph will also compete for the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Summer League in Salt Lake City, being held July 4th through the 7th. The six-game, four-team event features the 76ers, the Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs.

Levi Randolph

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

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Alabama Baseball Loses Another In-State Commitment

Alabama Crimson Tide baseball has lost another in-state commitment. James Clemons 2017 center fielder Jordan Anderson took to the social media platform Twitter last night and tweeted that he had decided to decommit from the Tide. He is the second Huntsville-area player to do so in less than two weeks.

His tweet read:

After talking to my coaches, family, friends, and mostly God, I have decided to Decommit from The University of Alabama! ⚾️

— Jordan Anderson⚾️ (@21janderson) June 27, 2016

In his last high school season, the 6-foot-1 Anderson hit .385 with five triples and 29 RBIs in 39 games. As a sophomore, the youngster hit .327 with five triples and 20 RBIs in 38 games.

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5-Star Freshman LB  Lyndell Wilson Suffers Torn Meniscus

Lyndell "Mack" Wilson
Photo Credit: 247Sports.com

Injuries have dogged former G.W. Carver linebacker Lyndell "Mack" Wilson. Wilson had shoulder surgery in May after suffering an injury his senior high school season. Now the young man has a torn meniscus prior to the start of his freshman season at The University of Alabama.

In a tweet the five-star linebacker said, "I'll be back don't sleep on me #SpeedyRecovery."

The 6' 2", 220-pounder will undergo surgery today.

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Bama Swimmers Shine On Day 2 Olympic Trials

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

Alabama Crimson Tide swimmers Luke Kaliszak and Bridget Blood both finished in the top 20 on day two of the United States Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. In addition, Bama swimmers posted nine swims.

Kaliszak was a part of the Tide's NCAA Champion 200 medley relay team this past season. On day two of the trials he finished tied for 18th in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 55.43. Kaliszak then had a swim-off, winning with a time of 54.58. A total of 183 swimmers competed in the preliminaries of the event.

Blood competed in the 100-meter breaststroke, taking 20th place with a time of 1:08.85.

In the men's 200-meter freestyle, Matthew Adams posted a time of 1:51.68 for 58th, Alex Gray was 85th with a time of 1:52.89 and Knox Auerbach was 98th with a time of 1:53.83.

Four swims are on tap for Bama today.

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Fox Sports' Tim Brando Makes Football Playoff Predictions

Fox Sports' commentator Tim Brando has made his prediction of this season's four college football playoff teams. Spoiler alert: The Alabama Crimson Tide did not make his list.

Brando names LSU, Clemson, Oklahoma and Michigan as the four teams in.

Phil Steele Releases Preseason Top 25; Aaron Fleshner Finishes Top 10 At Olympic Trials; Nation's No. 1 Center Ruiz Lists Tide In Top 8; LB Christopher Allen Still Likes The Tide; Bama Looking To Flip Major Tennison From Texas; Gene Stallings & Crimson Tide Capture 1992 National Championship

Phil Steele Releases Preseason Top 25

Phil Steele

Photo Credit: TheCardinalConnect.com

One of the most respected football gurus in the country, Phil Steele, has released his 2016 preseason top 25 college football poll. His well-known magazine, Phil Steele College Football Preview Magazine, was released this past week and listed his college football poll.

Here are Steele's preseason top 25 for the 2016 season:

1. Florida State
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. LSU
5. Clemson
6. Ohio State
7. Tennessee
8. Washington
9. Notre Dame
10. Stanford
11. TCU
12. Michigan
13. Michigan State
14. Iowa
15. UCLA
16. Boise State
17. Ole Miss
18. Baylor
19. Miami
20. Houston
21. Louisville
22. Nebraska
23. Georgia
24. Texas
25. USC

The Alabama Crimson Tide holds the number one spot in almost every preseason poll, yet Steele is adamant this is the year of the Seminoles.

As reported a few days ago, Steele believes it will be Alabama, LSU, Florida State and Oklahoma this year in the College Football Playoff games. He selected the Seminoles to defeat the Crimson Tide for the National Championship.

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Aaron Fleshner Finishes Top 10 At Olympic Trials

Aaron Fleshner

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

Former University of Alabama diver Aaron Fleshner has completed the 2016 United States Olympic Diving Trials in Indianapolis, Indiana with a pair of top-10 finishes. He combined with Miami diver Bridam Herrera to place third in the synchronized 3-meter springboard event. The two were sixth after preliminaries and semifinals before moving to third in the finals. The duo's combined 1106.19 over three rounds earned Fleshner and herra second alternate for the 2016 U.S. Olympic team.

Fleshner also took his third consecutive top-10 U.S. Olympic Trials finish from the 3-meter board.
The eight-time All-American moving from 13th place after preliminaries (357.45 points), to 11th place after semifinals (374.25 points) and to 10th place in the finals (406.80 points) with a combined score of 1138.50.

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Nation's No. 1 Center Ruiz Lists Tide In Top 8

Center Cesar Ruiz

Photo Credit: Hudl.com

The No. 1 center in the country according to 247Sports Composite Rankings, Cesar Ruiz out of Bradenton, Florida, released his top eight schools on Twitter yesterday afternoon. 

They are, in no particular order, The Alabama Crimson Tide, LSU, Florida, Auburn, Florida State, Oklahoma, Michigan and North Carolina. Michigan is believed to be the leader for the services of the 6' 3, 290-pound Ruiz.

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Linebacker Christopher Allen Still Likes The Tide

Four-star linebacker football prospect Christopher Allen out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana appears to be taking a nice hard look at The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football program. Allen named Bama his leader earlier in April, and has been making more than a few visits to the Capstone.

Allen seems to have taken a shine to coaches Tosh Lupoi, Sam Petitto and, yes, the head coach himself, Nick Saban. But that's not all. The addition of Louisiana native Sam Pititto as Assistant Director of Player Personnel didn't hurt any either. Running backs coach Burton Burns is Allen's primary recruiter.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Allen is the number seven rated outside linebacker and number 107 player in the country. It is not yet known when the 6' 4", 234-pounder will make his commitment.

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Bama Looking To Flip Major Tennison From Texas

The University of Alabama is interested in three-star Texas tight end commit Major Tennison out of Bullard, Texas. It just happens that Tennnison will be paying a visit to Tuscaloosa on July 21st, and Bama will be putting on the Ritz for the young man. Alabama currently has no 2017 commits for the tight end position, and the Tide would like to turn Tennison.

The Crimson Tide extended an offer to Tennison at the end of February. He then paid a visit to the campus two days later. The 6' 6", 245-pounder said it was hard to put into words the feeling of receiving an offer from the Tide.

Besides Alabama, other schools interested in Tennison are Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Michigan and more.

According to BamaOnline, Alabama has been contacting him more often recently.

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Gene Stallings & Alabama Crimson Tide 

Capture 12th National Championship

Alabama 1992 Championship Celebration

Photo Credit: AlabamaFansite.com

And then there were a dozen. Today we take a brief look at The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football's 12th National Championship. To date, Alabama stakes claim to a total of 16 championships.

The University of Alabama claimed its 12th National Championship in football in 1992 under the leadership of head coach Gene Stallings. It was as though "The Bear" was walking the sidelines again all season. And why shouldn't it, as Stallings had played for Paul W. Bryant at Texas A&M University, and was one of the famed "Junction Boys." The Crimson Tide finished its regular season undefeated with an 11-0-0 slate. 

1992 brought about the inaugural Southeastern Conference Championship game pitting the University of Alabama against the Florida Gators. Alabama won their 20th SEC title against the 12th-ranked Gators 28-21 and brought the Alabama record to a perfect 12-0-0.

Alabama received an invitation to play the Miami Hurricanes in the January 1, 1993 Sugar Bowl. The Crimson Tide entered the contest as a heavy underdog, yet it was the boys in crimson humiliating the Hurricanes 34-13 stunning the college football world. Alabama completed the 1992 season with a record of 13-0-0 to capture the 1992 National Championship. The outstanding player of the game was Derrick Lassic.

1992 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Schedule

09/05    Vanderbilt               W 25-8

09/12    Southern Miss        W 17-10

09/19    @Arkansas             W 38-11

09/26    Louisiana Tech        W 13-0

10/03    South Carolina        W 48-7

10/10    @Tulane                 W 37-0

10/17    @Tennessee           W 17-10

10/24    Ole Miss                  W 31-10

11/07    @LSU                     W 31-11

11/14    @Mississippi St       W 30-21

11/26    Auburn                     W 28-21

01/01    Miami                      W 34-13

1992 Championship Coach Gene Stallings

Photo Credit: SaturdayDownSouth.com

The Bear & Bama Win 79 National Championship; Gholston & Burks Academic All-Americans; Steele Predicts College Football Playoff Teams

The Bear & Bama Win 1979 National Championship

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Tide Defeats Hogs 24-9 To Cap Sensational Season

1979 University Of Alabama National Champions

UA Photo

 The 11th National Championship in football for The University of Alabama Crimson Tide came in 1979. This was the sixth and final national championship credited to head coach  Paul "Bear" Bryant. This was Bama's 85th overall season in football, and the 45th in the Southeastern Conference. It was Bryant's 22nd year.

The '79 Tide went undefeated during the regular season, finishing at 11-0-0, and winning the Southeastern Conference Championship with a 6-0 slate. It should be noted that Alabama defeated a pair of Top-20 Southeastern Conference rivals during the regular season. Bama bested the 18th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers 27-17, as well as the 14th-ranked Auburn Tigers 25-18.

1979 marked Alabama's seventh perfect, unblemished season in college football history. The others were 1925, 1930, 1934, 1945, 1961, 1966. This does not include the 1897 season as Alabama played only one football game that season, but did win the contest. The Crimson Tide defense was spectacular, recording five shutouts and allowing only two teams to score in double digits. The offense scored thirty points or more seven times.

The Crimson Tide then received an invitation to play the 6th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in the January 1, 1980 Sugar Bowl. Alabama routed the Hogs 24-9 to finish the season at 12-0-0, and were the consensus national champions. The outstanding player of the game was Major Ogilvie.

1979 Alabama Football Schedule

09/08   @Georgia Tech      W 30-6
09/22   Baylor                     W 45-0
09/29   @Vanderbilt            W 66-3
10/06   Wichita State          W 38-0
10/13   @Florida                 W 40-0
10/20   Tennessee              W 27-17
10/27   Virginia Tech           W 31-7
11/03   Mississippi State      W 24-7
11/10   @LSU                      W 3-0
11/17   Miami                       W 30-0
12/01   Auburn                     W 25-18
01/01   Arkansas                  W 24-9

1979 National Championship Ring

UA Photo

Bama Always Makes The Cover

Bryant's Final National Championship Ride

Photo Credit: The Birmingham News

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Alabama Track & Field

Gholston & Burks Are Academic All-Americans

Alex Gholston

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

Gholston and Burks. Two names well known by fans of Alabama Crimson Tide track and field. The announcement came yesterday that the Alabama track and field duo of Alex Gholston and Quanesha Burks were selected to the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America Track & Field/Cross Country Team. Gholston was one of 15 NCAA Division I first-team honorees while two-time NCAA champion Burks earned recognition on the second team.

University of Alabama track and field head coach Dan Waters commented, "This really shows the balance we strive for at Alabama, To have an NCAA champion and All-American also earn Academic All-America is a tremendous feat. We are very proud of everything Quanesha and Alex have accomplished to this point in their Crimson Tide careers."

Gholston, a junior, boasts a 4.0 cumulative grade point average and finished 16th at the 2016 NCAA Championships in the 400 meter after posting a personal-best time of 52.11 at the Southeastern Conference Championships. An English major from Town Creek, Ala., she ran the lead leg of the Tide’s 4x400 relay that recorded the fifth-, sixth- and eighth-fastest times in school history at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, NCAA East Regional and SEC Outdoor Championships, respectively. She was also a member of the Tide’s indoor 4x400 relay that finished seventh at the SEC Indoor Championships. Gholston recorded a leap of 22 feet, 2 1/2 inches.

Burks is a two-time NCAA champion, having won the national long jump title at botht he NCAA outdoors in 2015 and the indoors in 2016. She has a cumulative GPA of 3.5. She also finished as the NCAA runner-up in the long jump in last month’s NCAA Outdoor Championships. A two-time SEC long jump champion, the junior from Hartselle, Alabama, who is majoring in elementary education, currently holds the 10 best jumps in Alabama women’s track & field history. Her winning jump at the SEC Outdoor Championships was the best in the NCAA in 2016.

Gholston and Burks are now the fifth and sixth members of the Alabama women’s track and field team to earn Academic All-America honors. Along with the pair, junior thrower Joe Williams earned a place on the 2016 Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District IV Track & Field/Cross Country Team earlier this season.

Quanesha Burks

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

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Phil Steele Predicts This Season's Playoff Teams

Well known college football guru Phil Steele has predicted the four college football teams to be involved in this season's college football playoffs. Steele is predicting The Alabama Crimson Tide to meet the Oklahoma Sooners in the Peach Bowl, while he likes Florida State and LSU in the Fiesta Bowl.

Steele predicts the Crimson Tide to defeat the Sooners, and State to beat LSU for the Alabama-Florida State matchup for the national championship. He picks the Seminoles to win the 2016 National Championship.

Davis Riley Honorable Mention All-American; Long Snapper Thomas Fletcher Commits To Tide; Bama No. 1 Recruiting Class For 2017; Tide Has 15 Football Commitments For 2017; 4-Star OT Kendall Randolph Announces Top 5; Alabama Football 1978 National Championship

 Golfer Davis Riley PING Honorable Mention All-American

Crimson Tide Freshman Golfer Davis Riley

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

Alabama Crimson Tide men's freshman golfer Davis Riley has been named as a PING Honorable Mention All-American. The announcement was made yesterday by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).

Crimson Tider Robby Shelton was named first team All-American by the GCAA earlier in the month. Riley and Shelton gives Alabama two All-American honors in the same year, the first time that's happened since a couple of seasons ago.

Riley had seven top-10 finishes this season. He also earned SEC All-Freshman and Second Team All-SEC honors. Riley matched his career-best finish when he tied for fourth overall with a 6-under par 210 at the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional. Riley tied for fourth in just his second collegiate competition (Olympia Fields/Illini Invitational) with a season-low 208 back during the fall season in 2015. He was able to finish under par five times, as well as winning both of his matchups in the Farmlinks Collegiate Match Play event.

In addition, Riley was second on the Crimson Tide men's team with a 71.75 stroke average per round and a 0.58 average against par. Riley ended the year ranked 36th in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index.

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Long Snapper Thomas Fletcher Commits To Alabama Football

Bama Football Head Coach Nick Saban & Thomas Fletcher

Twitter Photo

Center Thomas Fletcher yesterday announced his commitment to The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football program. He will be the Tide's next "long snapper," or so it is planned, upon the graduation of Cole Mazza. 

Fletcher is a snapper for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He is a two- up to a five-star prospect according to which service you read. 

The 6' 2", 220-pounder grew up near Portland, Oregon in nearby Vancouver, Washington. He and his family moved to Georgetown, Texas last summer, then transferred to the IMG Academy in Bradenton in January.

Fletcher plans to be an early graduate and enroll at UA in January. He picked the Crimson Tide over Texas A&M, Oregon and Florida State.

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Crimson Tide Football Now Holds Top 2017 Recruiting Class

According to 247Sports composite rankings, The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team has overtaken the Ohio State Buckeyes as the No. 1 recruiting class for 2017. The addition of long snapper Thomas Fletcher yesterday was enough to bump the Tide ahead of the Buckeyes.

Top 10 Recruiting Class Of 2017

  1.  Alabama

  2.  Ohio State

  3.  Oklahoma

  4.  Michigan

  5.  Georgia

  6.  Notre Dame

  7.  Tennessee

  8.  Florida State

  9.  LSU

10.  Miami

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2017 Football Commitments For Alabama Football

The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team currently has 15 student-athletes who have committed to furthering their football careers at the Capstone. As new commits are announced the list will be updated and released. 

Here is the complete list of 2017 commitments to UA as of 6/23/16:

• Najee Harris, RB (6-1, 210), Antioch, California 
• Alex Leatherwood, OL (6-4, 300), Pensacola, Florida
• Chadarius Townsend, ATH, (6-0, 180), Tanner, Alabama*
• Xavier McKinney, DB (6-1, 170), Roswell, Georgia
• Brian Robinson, RB (6-2, 210), Tuscaloosa, Alabama*
• Aaron Sterling, DL (6-1, 270), Stone Mountain, Georgia
• Gary Johnson, LB (6-2, 225), Dodge City (Kan.) Community College
• VanDarius Cowan, LB (6-4, 217), Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
• Tua Tagovailoa, QB (6-1, 210), Honolulu, Hawaii
• Elliot Baker, OL (6-7, 295), City College of San Francisco (Calif.)
• Mac Jones, QB (6-2, 185), Jacksonville, Fla.
• Markail Benton, LB (6-2, 245), Phenix City, Alabama*
• Brandon Ruiz, K (5-10, 165), Gilbert, Arizona
• Tyrell Davis, LB ( 6-6, 202), Lewisville, Texas
• Thomas Fletcher, C (6-2, 220), Bradenton, Florida

*State of Alabama Recruits/Commitments

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4-Star Offensive Tackle Kendall Randolph Announces Top 5

Left Tackle Kendall Randolph
Twitter Photo

Madison, Alabama native Kendall Randolph announced his top five schools for playing his college football. The four-star offensive tackle made his announcement last night on the social media platform, Twitter.

Four of the five selections by Randolph are Southeastern Conference schools. Randolph has picked, in no particular order, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Michigan.

Randolph gave no other information in his Thursday night tweet/announcement.

They young man plays left tackle for Bob Jones High School.

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University Of Alabama Football National Championships: 1978

Paul W. Bryant

The Bear

Alabama Athletics Photo

The 1978 University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team won the 10th National Championship for the school, and was Paul "Bear" Bryant's fifth as a coach. 1978 was Alabama's 84th overall and 45th season in the Southeastern Conference, or Southern Conference as it was once known. Coach Bryant was in his 21st year as a head football coach.

The Crimson Tide had a regular season record of 10-1-0, with it's only blemish being to the USC Trojans. Alabama defeated the 10th-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers 20-3 and 11th-ranked Missouri Tigers 38-20 during the regular season. Alabama won the Southeastern Conference championship with a 6-0 record, and was then extended an invitation to play the top-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions in the January 1, 1979 Sugar Bowl. The Crimson Tide won that game 14-7, finishing the season at 11-1-0.

1978 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Schedule

09/02    Nebraska         W  20-3

09/16    at Missouri       W  38-20

09/23    USC                 L   14-24

09/30    Vanderbilt         W  51-28

10/07    at Washington  W  20-7

10/14    Florida              W  23-12

10/21    at Tennessee    W  30-17

10/28    Virginia Tech     W  35-0

11/04    Mississippi St     W 35-14

11/11    LSU                    W  31-10

12/02    Auburn               W  34-16

01/01    Penn State         W  14-7 

Tide Places 8 On Athlon All-America Football Teams; Avery Johnson Part Of NBA Draft Coverage; Alabama Crimson Tide Football 1973 National Championship; UA Swimmers & Divers Earn Scholar All-America Honors

Tide Places 8 On Athlon All-America Football Teams

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

Athlon Sports has named eight University of Alabama Crimson Tide football players on its preseason All-America teams.

Alabama's eight selections are tied for the most players named for the honor. Clemson, the team the Crimson Tide defeated in the 2016 College Football Championship, also had eight selections.

Four Crimson Tide players were named first team selections. They are sophomore wide receiver Calvin Ridley, senior defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, junior tackle Cam Robinson, senior defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, and junior punter JK Scott. These four for the Tide are the most among all programs.

Making the second team are senior linebacker Reuben Foster and senior safety Eddie Jackson.

Named to the fourth team are junior tight end O.J. Howard and senior linebacker Tim Williams.

Athlon's All-America teams are based on how players will perform in 2016. Career statistics and awards matter in the evaluation, but choosing players for the 2016 All-America team is largely based on both predicting and projecting the best players for the upcoming 2016 football season.  

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Avery Johnson Part Of NBA Draft Coverage

UA Men's Head Basketball Coach Avery Johnson

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

Set those big screen televisions to the NBC television network tonight. University of Alabama men's basketball coach Avery Johnson will be a part of the 2016 NBA Draft coverage on NBC. He will be serving as an in-studio guest analyst for tonight's broadcast. Johnson, who is entering his second season as the head coach of the Crimson Tide basketball program, will provide in-depth analysis surrounding this year’s draft and give his perspective on the selections. Johnson spent quite a few years in the NBA as head coach and player.

                       

The 2016 NBA Draft will begin Thursday night at 7 p.m. CT at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Johnson will be part of the live draft day coverage beginning with the special 2016 NBA Draft Preview show this afternoon at 4 p.m. CT, highlighting the draft's top prospects, breaking news and topics. He will be one of five analysts on the show, working alongside Steve Smith, David Aldridge, Seth Davis and Stu Jackson. Matt Winer will serve as the studio host.

Johnson will host with the same group on the network’s 2016 NBA Draft Review following the draft, recapping the draft with news, information and analysis starting at 11 p.m. CT.

Johnson spent 16 seasons in the NBA as a player with seven different teams, highlighted when he helped guide the San Antonio Spurs to an NBA Championship in 1999. He also spent nearly seven seasons as a head coach for the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets. Johnson was named the 2006 NBA Coach of the Year.

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University Of Alabama Football National Championships: 1973

We are taking a brief look at each of the 16 football national championships claimed by The University of Alabama Crimson Tide.

National championships in NCAA Divsion I FBS has most every year been debated. While Bama claims 16, the NCAA documents 20  in its list of Past Division I National Championships. (UA does not claim the five additional listed from the years 1945, 1962, 1966, 1975, 1977.)

Prior to 1945, national championships were selected by a rather large group of organizations and associations. Some of the championships were even named retroactively, something that was eventually stopped. These organizations include the National Championship Foundation (NCF), Dunkel Index, Helms Athletic Foundation, Houlgate, Spalding's Football Guide, Litkenhaus, and the College Football Reasearch Association (CFRA).

The AP Poll has in the past been the most widely-circulated and recognized selector of national championships since 1936. In addition, the AFCA Coaches Poll had been widely recognized since 1950. The BCS, or Bowl Championship Series, was instituted in 1998 to determine the national champion and lasted up until 2013. Then in 2014 a four-team playoff system was instituted to determine the national champion in Division I football. (Alabama was a participant in the first-ever playoff system.)

The ninth National Championship claimed by the Crimson Tide was awarded for the 1973 season. It was the fourth national title for Alabama head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. UA completed the regular season 11-0-0, winning the Southeastern Conference Championship before being invited to play Notre Dame in the December 31, 1973 Sugar Bowl at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana.

This first contest between the two football powers was one of the highest rated college football games ever, receiving a 25.3 Nielsen rating. This was the sixth appearance for the Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl and their 27th overall bowl game appearance. Attendance at the game was officially listed as 85,161.

The Crimson Tide lost to the Irish 24-23, finishing the 1973 season at 11-1-0. Alabama was selected as the national champion by the Coaches Poll, and was the last time this poll would make its selection prior to the bowl games because of the controversy.

1973 University Of Alabama Football Schedule

09/15   California       W 66-0

09/22   at Kentucky    W 28-14

09/29   at Vanderbilt   W 44-0

10/06   Georgia           W 28-14

10/13   at Florida         W 35-14

10/20   Tennessee       W 42-21

10/27   Virginia Tech   W 77-6

11/03   at Miss St         W 35-0

11/10   Miami               W 43-13

11/22   at LSU              W 21-7

12/01   Auburn             W 35-0

12'31   Notre Dame       L 23-24

University Of Alabama's Paul "Bear" Bryant

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

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UA Swimmers & Divers Earn Scholar All-America Honors

The University of Alabama Crimson Tide swimming and diving teams have placed 28 as Scholar All-Americans, according to the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America, with 12 of those earning first-team recognition.

Of those 28 honorees, 14 came from the men's team and 14 from the women.

Men's honorees include Luke Kaliszak, Connor Oslin, Pavel Romanov, Laurent Bams, Robert Howard, Anton McKee, Brent Sagert. Christian Arseneau, Knox Auerbach, Taylor Charles, Szymmy Day, Jacob Kelsoe, Carl Madden and David Morton.

Women's honorees include Caroline Korst, Hannah Musser, Emma Saunders, Temarie Tomley, Marian Yurchishin, Kara Fredlock, Brittany Gilbert, Katie Kelsoe, Stephanie Klotz, Christina Lu, Justine Macfarlane, Dakota Toner, Ayanna Woods and Taylor Zablocki.

Earlier this month both the University of Alabama  men and women were honored as Scholar All-America Teams by the coaches’ association. Alabama was the only school to have both its men’s and women’s teams obtain a better than 3.35 team grade point average.The women's team earned a GPA of 3.65, with the men's team earning a 3.44 average. Overall, the Crimson Tide men and women were both ranked sixth by team GPA. Alabama’s men and women were ranked first and second, respectively, in the SEC by team GPA.