Robbie Shelton Named PING 1st-Team All-American
Robby Shelton
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
They say the best things come in threes. Alabama Crimson Tide men's golfer Robbie Shelton has been named PING First Team All-American for the third consecutive year. The announcement came yesterday afternoon by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). Shelton joins former Bama golfer Bud Cauley as the only three-time first team All-American recipient in Alabama men's golf history.
Shelton's collegiate career came to a close after the 2016 NCAA Men's Golf Championships on Monday, finishing tied for sixth place overall with a 72-hole score of 1-over par 281. That score was the second-lowest four-round total in Alabama men's golf history. This was also Shelton's second top-10 finish at a national championship, with the previous time being when he finished tied for third back in 2014.
Shelton led the 2015-16 Crimson Tide men's golf team with a 70.53 stroke average, the third-lowest in Alabama history, and average vs. par of -0.53, which is fourth-best in program history. He also won three medalist honors this season, capturing the DICK's Sporting Goods Intercollegiate, the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate and the Puerto Rico Classic individual titles.
Shelton announced that he is foregoing his final year of eligibility to turn professional following the NCAA Championships. He leaves the program with a school record seven victories, surpassing Justin Thomas' six tournament victories from 2011-13. Shelton also holds the Alabama career records in stroke average (70.42) and average vs. par (-0.72), while his 67 career rounds of par or better, out of 103 total rounds played, ranks No. 3 in Alabama men's golf history. He holds title to three of the four lowest single-season scoring averages in the Alabama record books.
In addition to Shelton as PING First-Team All-American, Charlie Danielson (Illinois), Sam Horsfield (Florida), Beau Hossler (Texas), Lee McCoy (Georgia), Maverick McNealy (Stanford), Matthew NeSmith (South Carolina), Jon Rahm (Arizona State), Matthias Schwab (Vanderbilt) and Aaron Wise (Oregon) were also honored.
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
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Crimson Tide Softball Arrives In Oklahoma City
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Begins Play Tomorrow In Women's College World Series
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Robert Sutton
After departing Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Tuesday afternoon en route to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the Alabama Crimson Tide women's softball team has arrived. Bama's ladies are set to play in the 2016 Women's College World Series tomorrow evening at 6 p.m. CT at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
This WCWS is the 11th for the Tide and its fifth in the last six years
including a streak of three consecutive appearances.
Alabama opens play tomorrow evening against the third-ranked Oklahoma Sooners at 6 p.m. CT to be aired live on ESPN2. Alabama and Oklahoma have already faced off once this season, and that coming back on March 19th at the Easton Tournament in Fullerton, California. The Sooners defeated the Crimson Tide 2-0 in that contest. Alabama and Oklahoma have previously faced off five times at
the Womens College World Series, with Alabama winning three wins in contests, including capturing the
national championship series in 2012.
Eight schools will face one another in the tournament. The field includes two, four-team brackets set up in a double-elimination format. The two bracket winners then meet in a best-of-three series for the 2016 NCAA Women's College World Series Championship.
Here is the lineup for Thursday's first four games:
No. 8 seed Florida State vs No. 16 seed Georgia (11 a.m. CT on ESPN)
No. 4 seed Auburn vs No. 12 seed UCLA (1:30 p.m. CT on ESPN)
No. 3 seed Alabama vs No. 6 seed Oklahoma (6 p.m. CT on ESPN2)
No. 2 seed Michigan vs No. 10 seed LSU (8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2)
Eight schools will face one another in the tournament. The field includes two, four-team brackets set up in a double-elimination format. The two bracket winners then meet in a best-of-three series for the 2016 NCAA Women's College World Series Championship.
Here is the lineup for Thursday's first four games:
No. 8 seed Florida State vs No. 16 seed Georgia (11 a.m. CT on ESPN)
No. 4 seed Auburn vs No. 12 seed UCLA (1:30 p.m. CT on ESPN)
No. 3 seed Alabama vs No. 6 seed Oklahoma (6 p.m. CT on ESPN2)
No. 2 seed Michigan vs No. 10 seed LSU (8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2)
Andrea Hawkins & Kallie Case
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Robert Sutton
2016 WCWS Alabama Softball Team Banquet
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Robert Sutton
2016 WCWS Banquet Decorations
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Robert Sutton
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Track & Field Continue National Rankings
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Men's Team No. 11, Women No. 37
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The University of Alabama track and field teams are again nationally-ranked in this weeks pre-NCAA Championships U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Team Rankings. The Tide men are No. 11 this week with 109.31 points while the women are ranked No. 37 with 52.29 points.
Once again the Southeastern Conference dominates the USTFCCCA rankings. The SEC captured the No. 1 spots on the men’s and women’s conference Index Top 10 list again this week, totaling 1,979.99 points for the men and 2,115.64 points for the women.
The national team rankings are compiled by a mathematical formulae based on national descending order lists and data taken from previous seasons. The purpose and methodology of the rankings is to create an index that showcases the teams that have the best potential of achieving the top spots in the national team race. Rankings points do not equate with NCAA Championships team points.
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
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Women's Basketball Returning To Coleman Coliseum
Beginning this next season, the Alabama women's basketball team will be moving from Foster Auditorium to once again play their home games in Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide has primarily played their home contests at Foster Auditorium since the renovation there was completed back in 2011.
In her statement, Alabama women's basketball head coach Kristy Curry had this to say, "One of the first things I talked about in my introductory press conference when we arrived three years ago was building our fan base. We’ve worked really hard at that both on the court and in the community, and in turn, those fans have provided us with one of the most incredible and electric home court atmospheres anywhere. Foster Auditorium is such a special place, and we have enjoyed calling it our home since day one. We will continue to work out of and practice in Foster, but we are thrilled that the interest and excitement around the program has made for a move back to Coleman Coliseum."
The women’s basketball team has made this move before, having split their playing time between Foster Auditorium and Coleman Coliseum from 1974-81. The team then made the move to play their games exclusively at Coleman Coliseum from 1981-2011. Alabama then reopened Foster Auditorium after an extensive renovation project with its game against the Florida Gators in February of 2011. Since that time women’s basketball has played all but four of its home games at Foster Auditorium.
Alabama Director of Athletics, Bill Battle, said, "With our program improving each season under Coach Curry’s leadership, we are optimistic about our future. Based on a variety of factors, we decided that now is the time for our women’s team to play its games in Coleman Coliseum. We have seen growth in our attendance at Foster Auditorium, and we want to enable more growth in the future. Foster Auditorium remains an excellent home for our women’s program to practice and office in throughout the week."
Women's basketball season ticket sales have increased over 50 percent since Curry took over the program in 2013. New attendance records have steadily continued to be set, with the most recent coming on January 17th of this year when 3,732 were cheering the Crimson Tide on to victory over the Georgia Bulldogs. That number is also No. 13 among all Alabama women’s basketball attendance figures, which includes those games played at Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide's average attendance is up an average of 1,506 per game since Curry’s arrival (1,145 in 2012-13; 1,992 in 2013-14; 2,550 in 2014-15; 2,651 in 2015-16).
Ready to check out the Alabama basketball women for yourself? Season tickets for the 2016-17 season will soon go on sale. Line up for single tickets all the way up to group tickets beginning on July 1st for your chance to watch the Lady Tide play their first full season back in Coleman Coliseum.. For more information, contact the Alabama Ticket Office at 205-348-BAMA or toll free at 1-877-TIDETIX.
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History Of UA's Denny Chimes
Part 2
Denny Chimes
Photo Credit: University Of Alabama
This is part two of a three-part series about Denny Chimes, located on the campus of the University of Alabama. We're looking at its history, significance, and tradition in this series.
The construction of Denny Chimes was done by Skinner, Maxwell and Company. Final cost of the project was $40,000, with the dedication taking place on May 27, 1929.
The tower has a square white limestone base and features pilasters at each corner. There is a recessed bay between each corner. An eagle with partially outstretched wings is perched at each of the four corners on a molded cornice. The limestone base transitions to a brick shaft that gradually tapers to a limestone crown. Featured atop the shaft is a belfry with square pillars separated with neoclassical grills. All is topped by a stepped pyramidal roof of limestone. It should be noted that the limestone was quarried in Alabama.
The bricks used in the construction came from the state of Virginia in honor of Denny and his home state.
There are 25 cast bronze bells featured. The largest bell has a circumference of approximately 11 feet (3m) and a height of 3 feet (1m). When rung the chimes are a beautiful sound indeed. The Westminster chimes ring every 15 minutes. They chime other songs or the alma mater as part of university celebrations or holidays.
An automatic player that plays roll music is located inside the base. There is also a keyboard console located there that is used on special occasions.
The bell carillon was converted into an electronic system by 1945, and then updated in 1966.
While today the manual organ is played by both university faculty and students, the organ originally was played by Alabama organ professor Warren Hutton, the carillonneur, for memorial services and special events.
The Walk of Fame surrounds the tower, where the captains of the football team have placed their hand and footprints in cement slabs at its base since 1948.
Tomorrow we will take up the final installment of the series.
