Alabama Gymnastics Earns Scholastic Honors
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| University of Alabama Gymnastics Team Photo Credit: RollTide.com |
The University of Alabama gymnastics team is not only outstanding on the field of battle, but also in the classroom as well.
These Alabama women have once again produced the highest team grade point average among Southeastern Conference gymnastics teams and was fifth among all NCAA Division I gymnastics programs. The announcement came via the National Association of College Gymnastics Coaches.
Something that UA gymnastics head coach Dana Duckworth is proud of is the fact that Alabama was the only team to advance to April's NCAA Super Six Team Final in Fort Worth, Texas and rank among the top-40 academically after posting a 3.64 team grade point average on the way to its 23rd top-3 national finish. This is the 11th consecutive year that UA gymnasts have posted a team GPA of 3.4 or better.
"To have a school-record number of Scholastic All-Americans and to be the only team in the top 40 by team GPA to also earn a spot in the Super Six, is something we are so very proud of," UA head coach Dana Duckworth said. "It just goes to show once again that at The University of Alabama, you can truly have it all."
The ladies from Bama managed to tie the school record originally set in 2011, with 14 gymnasts earning Scholastic All-American this year. To be a Scholastic All-American, a gymnast must have a 3.5 or better GPA either for the previous academic year, or for their career. A total of 37 Crimson Tide gymnasts have earned 64 Scholastic All-America honors over the last four years.
Four of Alabama's gymnasts carry a career GPA of 4.0. They are Abby Armbrecht, Amanda Huang, Lauren Beers and Mackenzie Brannan.
All-Americans Beers, Brannan, Keely McNeer, Aja Sims and Kiana Winston all earned the honor in 2016. This was Beers' fourth honor, the third for McNeer and Sims and the second for Brannan and Winston.
Earning the honor for the third time was Mary Lillian Sanders, while Mackenzie Valentin, Nickie Guerrero and Jennie Loeb all earned their second at the Capstone. Amanda Jetter, Armbrecht, Jenna Bresette, Huang and Ariana Guerra all earned the honor for the very first time.
Beers also able to capture for the third consecutive time the NCAA Elite 90 Award, given annually to the student-athlete at each of the NCAA's national championships with the highest GPA. In the seven-year history of the award, Alabama gymnastics is the only program in any sport to win all seven honors.
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Crimson Tide Recruits To Announce Soon
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Crimson Tide Recruits To Announce Soon
It's that time of year, just prior to the start of fall football practice and the start of the new season, that some recruits make their selections known as to where they want to spend their four years (or usually less) of college eligibility. This year is no exception, and The University of Alabama Crimson Tide is once again in the thick of things to pick up some additional 2017 recruits. Bama currently has verbal commitments from 15 student-athletes to play football for the Tide.
Four-star wide receiver Henry Riggs from Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery is expected to make his choice known on August 1st. Most believe Alabama is the front-runner, though he has also visited other schools, including Auburn and Penn State.
August 2nd is expected to be the commitment date for another Alabama-lean, outside linebacker Kendall Randolph out of Bob Jones High School. Kendall is the younger brother of former Crimson Tide basketballer Levi Randolph. Though Alabama is expected to be his school-of-choice, Randolph does include Auburn in his top five picks.
In a related story, four-star Todd Harris (see below) had planned an announcement any day but the Tide got his attention. Many believe that since he put off his announcement that Alabama is now in the catbird's seat.
Four-star linebacker KJ Britt is taking a good look at the Crimson Tide. He has said he will be making his announcement on August 6th. Britt has stated before that he really didn't have a list of finalists, but Alabama is one of his favorites.
There will be more. Many recruits like the national spotlight of National Signing Day to make their announcements so there will be a long wait for many of the prized recruits to declare. This time last year Alabama had 18 commitments for this current class, while right now for 2017 the Tide has 15 on board. But it is a fine 15, with Alabama ranked first in the SEC in the recruiting class, and second in the nation behind only Ohio State.
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Erin Routliffe Earns Wildcard Qualifiers Bracket
To The Roger's Cup In Montreal, Quebec
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| Erin Routliffe Photo Courtesy RollTide.com |
Native Canadian and University of Alabama Crimson Tide senior tennis standout Erin Routliffe won three matches in the Roger's Cup singles pre-qualifying bracket to earn a wildcard to the qualifiers bracket, where she will take on Kristina Kucova today at the Uniprix Stadium in Montreal, Quebec.
The Roger's Cup is sanctioned by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and is a Premier 5 event presented by National Bank.
Two sets was all it took Routliffe to win in each of her three matches, and was one of two players to earn a wildcard to compete in the qualifiers bracket. In her first match Routliffe defeated Clemson's Marie-Alexandre Leduc, 6-4, 6-4. Next up she completely dominated Vanessa Wong, 6-1, 6-3, in the second round. She then clinched her wildcard berth into the qualifiers bracket with a third round victory over Petra Januskova, 6-1, 7-6(7), who currently has an ITF singles ranking of No. 637.
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Todd Harris Receives Offer From Crimson Tide Football
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| Todd Harris Photo Credit: Chad Simmons |
A visit to The University of Alabama has postponed some plans that had been in the works for four-star 6 feet even, 172 pound Todd Harris. A commitment was only hours away, but now...he's doing some heavy-duty thinking.
It looked like the 2017 recruit was headed to either LSU or Ole Miss. Enter The Alabama Crimson Tide. Now Harris says he's really not sure when his commitment will come, or what school it will be. It has now become a three-way race, and the original two front-runners shouldn't be quite as comfortable.
He said that he was impressed with it all...the staff, facilities, players and the university itself. He could see the winning attitude.
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Elijah Conliffe Picks Up Alabama Offer
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Elijah Conliffe Picks Up Alabama Offer
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| Crimson Tide Prospect Elijah Conliffe Photo Credit: 247Sports |
He'd been waiting and it finally came.
Three-star defensive lineman Elijah Conliffe picked up an offer this week to play football from the school he loved, The University of Alabama. He had been waiting for this one. Waiting a year. Now it was here and he immediately announced that the Crimson Tide was his leader.
The 6' 4", 284-pound DL out of Virginia moved Alabama over Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Penn State.
Conliffe is being recruited as a defensive lineman at the 3-technique.
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Men's & Women's Tennis Earn ITA Academic Honors
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| Roberta Alison Baumgardner Tennis Facility Photo Credit: RollTide.com |
The University of Alabama men's and women's tennis teams have been named to the 2016 ITA All-Academic Team. Six of Bama's student-athletes have been named ITA Scholar Award winners also. The announcement came this week from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).
In order to qualify, the teams must possess a current cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or better. Both the Alabama women's and men's tennis teams registered impressive GPAs. The men had a 3.629 while the women recorded a 3.231 cumulative GPA as a team.
Concerning individual awards, student-athletes must have accumulated at least a 3.50 GPA or above to qualify for the Scholar-Athlete acknowledgement. The women's players earning Scholar-Athlete honors were Andie Daniell (4.113 GPA), Natalia Maynetto (4.110 GPA) and Danielle Spielmann (4.052 GPA). For the men, Scholar-Athlete honors were awarded to Hayes Brewer (3.899 GPA), Langford Hills (3.506 GPA) and Becker O'Shaughnessey (3.668 GPA).
