Bama Women's Tennis Opens 2017 Season
With Back-To-Back Wins
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| Alabama Women's Tennis Posts Back-To-Back Wins Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
Bama absolutely dominated doubles play in the first match of the day against UAB winning all three matches. It was senior Erin Routliffe and freshman Maddie Pothoff getting things rolling for the Tide's first doubles victory from the No. 1 position blanking Pardis Kianoush and Marlene Herrmann, 6-0. Then it was sophomore Andie Daniell and freshman Kimberley Gintrand defeating Hana Sisirak and Reghan Lynch, 6-3, from the No. 2 spot to clinch the doubles point. This gave the Crimson Tide a 1-0 match lead going into singles play. Up next was senior Danielle Spielmann and junior Smith Hinton from the No. 3 position defeating Sophie Dodds and McKenna Root in a 6-4 decision.
Singles play was served up with the same luscious flavor as the doubles as freshman Juliana Valero (No. 5) blanked Taylor Factor in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0, before senior Joanna Savva (No. 6) gave Alabama a 3-0 match lead when she blanked Natalie Voss in straight sets as well, 6-0, 6-0. Spielmann then clinched the 4-0 match victory, as she recorded the Tide's third singles win in straight sets defeating Reghan Lynch, 6-0, 6-0.
The Crimson Tide continued to roll in the second match of the day with three doubles victories over Alabama State to improve to 6-0 on the day in doubles. Daniell and Spielmann picked up Bama's first doubles win of the match, blanking Mirna Curcic and Gabriela Lackova, 6-0. Routliffe and Pothoff then collected their second doubles victory together, as the pair clinched the doubles point from the No. 1 spot in a 6-1 decision over Marine Cartier and Reka Szentes. Valero and Saava finished their match from the No. 3 position defeating Brankica Orlovic and Marija Blazevic in a 6-2 decision.
Alabama was able to capture all six of its singles matches against the Hornets, all of which were decided in straight sets. Valero (No. 4) defeated Curcic, 6-2, 6-1, before Daniell (No. 1) beat Cartier, 6-2, 6-1, giving the Crimson Tide a 3-0 match advantage. Gintrand (No. 6) was able to clinch the match for the Tide for the first time in her career as she totally dominated Blazevic in a 6-1, 6-0 win. Saava (No. 5) then defeated Orlovic, 6-0, 6-1, before Spielmann (No. 2) smashed Szentes, 6-1, 6-0, to extend the match lead to 6-0. Hinton (No. 3) put the finishing touches on the Bama victory defeating Lackova, 6-3, 6-3, giving Alabama the 7-0 victory over the Hornets.
The Crimson Tide will host Illinois on Friday, January 20th at the Roberta Alison Baumgardener Tennis Facility. Start time is set for 6 p.m. CT.
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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Calamity At Coleman Coliseum
Arkansas Defeats Alabama In Women's Basketball
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
Alabama women's head basketball coach Kristy Curry said, "Credit Arkansas. I thought they played great today. It was one of those days where they played great, and we didn't play very well. Some-times you just credit those guys and get ready for the next one. I think we outscored them 32-28 (in the second half). You can't only play two quarters though. You have to play consistently. Credit those guys [yesterday]. My hat is off to Coach Dykes and his team. You pick up and just move forward."
Three Crimson Tide players finished in double figures on Sunday, with junior Ashley Williams leading the pack with 13 points to go along with six rebounds. She was followed by sophomore Shaquera Wade pumping in 11 points and junior Meoshonti Knight adding another 10 points. Junior Hannah Cook hauled in a team-high eight rebounds, while freshman Ashley Knight contributed five blocks in the contest. Five of the eight players for Arkansas finished in double figures, including freshman Jailyn Mason with a game-high 15 points.
Alabama was 17-of-55 from the field (30.9 percent) while Arkansas shot 27-of-60 (45.0 percent).
The Hogs out-rebounded the Tide, 47-31, and pumped in 22 bench points compared to Alabama's 10.
"We just talked about how we were going through some adversity, and at the end of the day you either let adversity work on you, or you work on it,"Curry continued. "My thing is sometimes you just have to make a way, and that starts with you as an individual. Everybody wants the same thing in that room, I can promise you, and that's to be successful, but do we understand what that means? We've got to have great effort and great energy every day and every play, and I think there is too much inconsistency to think it's going to be okay. We're depending on somebody else to make a play or do something, so at the end of the day we certainly want to improve and we feel like we are improving every day, even though the scores the last two games haven't looked like we want."
Next up for Alabama is No. 4 Mississippi State. This will be Bama's third consecutive home game on Thursday, January 19th. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.
| Game Stats | AR | UA |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | .450 | .309 |
| 3FG% | .267 | .190 |
| FT% | .769 | .480 |
| RB | 47 | 31 |
| TO | 19 | 14 |
| STL | 7 | 7 |
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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Director Of Athletics Bill Battle Announces Retirement
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| Alabama Director Of Athletics Bill Battle Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
In a surprise announcement, Bill Battle,
Director of Athletics at The University of Alabama, has announced that he is retiring from his position to assume a new role as
Special Assistant to the President. The announcement came Sunday night.
Currently in his fourth year as Director of Athletics for the University of Alabama, Battle has been in charge of the Crimson Tide athletics department since March of
2013, when he succeeded the late Mal Moore. University of Alabama
President Stuart R. Bell said that Battle will continue to lead the
department until a successor transitions into the Director of Athletics
role.
Bell said, "Bill has done a tremendous job as Director of
Athletics, and has accomplished so much during his career. His business expertise, coupled with his coaching experience and his
strong understanding of the role an athletic department has in the daily
fabric of a university, has allowed us to achieve the great successes
we have enjoyed during his tenure. We are blessed to have the continued
benefit of his counsel."
In his statement, Bill Battle commented, "It's been a distinct privilege and honor serving as
Director of Athletics these last four years. When I took
over this role my wife, Mary, and I made a commitment to serving four
years and I am pleased to have been able to do just that. There are so
many people in the department who do a great job every day to make the
Crimson Tide successful. I am deeply grateful to each and every one of
them for their extraordinary efforts and loyalty to the University.
Being able to lead this department has been an honor and a privilege for
which I am most grateful.
"It is my hope that during my tenure here, we have been
able to make a difference in young people's lives and at the same time
move forward on many different fronts. I look forward to continuing to
serve the university by working closely with the new AD to assist in a
smooth transition. At the end of that period I look forward to working
with President Bell in the role of special advisor assistant to advance
his strategic initiatives for The University of Alabama. I look forward
to remaining active with the Crimson Tide Foundation and supporting
Crimson Tide athletics.
"I want everyone to know that my health was not a factor
in this decision as, at this time, I am in full remission and I feel
great. When I came here in 2013, I committed to Dr. Witt that I would be
here for four years, or the equivalent of another college degree. Last
summer, before my medical procedure, I told Dr. Bell that I was
expecting, as were my doctors, to come through that procedure very well,
and that I intended to serve out the last year of my contract.
"I told him that he should be looking for a replacement.
That process has been going on over the last few months. As you know,
in this business, high-level changes are hard to map out and announce
very far in advance. Meanwhile, I would like to continue to help the
University, but I'd also like to be able to spend more time at our farm
in Georgia and in Jackson Hole, the sort of things a full-time AD job
doesn't really permit."
Battle has always been a planner, methodical. He planned his work and worked his plan. Having been a businessman he was no newcomer to a detailed business plan, following that plan, and knowing where to make necessary adjustments to better that plan for the desired outcome.
The following is supplied from the University of Alabama Athletics Department:
Battle's Mission
As Director of Athletics, Battle has placed increased
focus on his primary mission for Alabama Athletics: to recruit and
develop student-athletes to compete at the highest levels in
intercollegiate athletics, to educate and prepare student-athletes to
compete at the highest levels in life after graduation, and to
accomplish both with honor and integrity. In four years at the helm,
Battle has not only maintained the unprecedented level of competitive
and academic success that was occurring when he took the post, but has
overseen a department that expanded upon that success.
Competitive Success
During Battle's tenure, Alabama has produced three NCAA
team national championships (men's golf in 2013 and 2014; football in
2015); 10 SEC team championships in five different sports (three in
football, two in gymnastics, two in men's golf, and one in women's golf,
softball and women's tennis); 15 NCAA individual champions (seven in
2013-14, six in 2014-15,and two in 2015-16); 43 Academic All-Americans
(eight in 2013, 17 in 2014, eight in 2015, 9 in 2016, and one so far in
the 2016-17 academic year – leading the nation in that category in both
2014 and 2015), including six Academic All-Americans of the Year (one in
2013, 2014 and 2015 and a national-leading three in 2016); and 16 NCAA
Postgraduate Scholarship awardees (5 in 2013, a national-leading 7 in
2014, two in 2015, and 3 in 2016).
Vision Led to Fundraising Success & Facility Improvements
Battle's vision has impacted the Alabama Athletics
Department in numerous ways, particularly in revitalized fundraising
efforts that directly enhance the daily experience of every Crimson Tide
student-athlete. He revitalized the Bryant Society, Alabama's highest
level of donors that exceed a million dollars, and has overseen that
group to grow from nine members in 2013 to twenty six in 2016, with more
expected in 2017. He has also overseen growth in endowed scholarships
and his goal continues to get entire teams' scholarships endowed, Battle
spearheaded the redevelopment of Alabama's historic baseball facility,
Sewell-Thomas Stadium, transforming an aging facility into one of the
nation's most dynamic venues when the stadium opened in February, 2016.
He also has led the drive for numerous other facility and departmental
improvements, including a new rowing facility, a new dining hall for all
student athletes, plans for a renovated aquatics facility, and several
other projects in various stages of development. He has increased
outreach efforts to keep students, fans, faculty, staff and stakeholders
abreast of all the good things he sees happening in Alabama Athletics.
Enhancing a Culture of Excellence
Thus far during the 2016-17 academic year, Alabama has
won one SEC team title (football), produced four All-Americans and one
Academic All-America honoree. During the 2015-16 academic year, Alabama
won two SEC titles (football and women's golf) while seven of 17 teams
finished their respective seasons ranked among the top 25 nationally,
including four national top-10 finishes and one national title
(football). Individually in 2015-16, six student-athletes earned three
individual NCAA championships: Quanesha Burks (women's indoor track –
long jump), Katie Bailey (gymnastics – vault) and the men's swimming
200-yard medley relay team (Connor Oslin, Pavel Romanov, Luke Kaliszak
and Kristian Gkolomeev).
A Premium on Academic Achievement
Alabama's success in graduating student-athletes
reflects a culture that has placed a premium on academic excellence.
That emphasis has resulted in an SEC-best 25 NCAA Postgraduate
Scholarship awardees from 2011-16; a national-best (tied with Stanford
66 Academic All-Americans since 2010; an SEC-leading 114 Academic
All-Americans since 2000 (third nationally).
In 2015-16, Alabama became the first school to have
three Academic All-Americans of the Year in the same academic year. In
an unprecedented feat, Alabama swept the 2015-16 Academic All-American
of the Year titles for the at-large team selected by the College Sports
Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Over the last six years,
Alabama has had nine student-athletes earn Academic All-American of the
Year honors, the most by any school in the nation over that span, and
Crimson Tide student-athletes have been named Academic All-American of
the Year for all sports in three of the last four years.
Crimson Tide student-athletes graduate at a rate of 72
percent with a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 92 in 2016, which ranked
second in the SEC and was up one point from the previous year. The GSR
spans the period covering students who attended the University during
2005-08. In addition to standing in the top two in the SEC with its
overall GSR, the Crimson Tide was first or tied for first in nine
different sports (football, men's basketball, gymnastics, men's golf,
women's golf, men's tennis, women's tennis, softball and men's swimming
& diving. Men's track & field and women's soccer were second in
the SEC with scores of 96 and 94, respectively.
In 2015-16, Alabama led the SEC in total teams achieving
perfect GSR scores of 100 with eight (men's basketball, gymnastics,
men's golf, women's golf, men's tennis, women's tennis, softball and
men's swimming & diving). Fourteen Alabama programs recorded a GSR
score of 90 or better and all 17 posted marks of 83 or above (the
average GSR for student-athletes is 82 for all of NCAA Division I).
In 2016, the Alabama football team led the SEC and
ranked second nationally in graduates on its roster for postseason play
with 22. Only Temple (29) had more. Alabama's total tied with Nebraska
in second. From 2013-15, Alabama football led the nation three
consecutive years in graduates on its roster for postseason play. With
29 in 2015, the Tide set a national record for the most graduates ever
playing on a single team in postseason action.
The Crimson Tide had the highest Graduation Success Rate
(86) among the four teams selected for the 2016 College Football
Playoff. Alabama had the second-highest GSR (80) of the four teams
selected for the 2017 College Football Playoff. The 2016 season marked
the eighth consecutive year that the Crimson Tide football team suited
up more than 20 graduates for a bowl game as 22 Crimson Tide players
already had earned diplomas prior to the postseason. Three Tide football
players graduated with master's degrees in the 2016 fall semester.
Just a little personal note:
Thank you, Bill Battle, for all the hard work you have given to the University of Alabama which has trickled all the way down to the fans of the teams which you and your department have so successfully guided. From player, to foe as an opposing coach during your career, then back to directing the athletic department that is a shining example to all others in this country. You have always been family throughout.
Enjoy the farm and time with family, and good luck in your new endeavor with the University of Alabama.
Roll Tide!
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Arizona AD To Become New AD For Alabama
Greg Byrne To Replace Bill Battle
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Arizona AD To Become New AD For Alabama
Greg Byrne To Replace Bill Battle
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| Photo Credit: ZonaZealots.com |
The University of Alabama wasted no time in tapping a replacement for outgoing Director of Athletics Bill Battle. According to a report from AL.com, the athletic director from Arizona, Greg Byrne, will be named as the new AD at UA. The official announcement could come as soon as today.
Byrne has been serving Arizona as the AD since 2010, was the former AD at Mississippi State from 2008-10 and served in an administrative position at Kentucky from 2002-05. It should also be noted that his dad, Bill Byrne, served as AD at Texas A&M from 2003-12. The 45-year old was also considered a top candidate for the AD position with Florida just last year.
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Former Crimson Tide Men's Golf Standout
Justin Thomas Wins 2nd Consecutive PGA Tour Event
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| Former Crimson Tide Golfer Justin Thomas Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
To add to the phenomenal start to 2017, Thomas began the week by becoming the youngest PGA professional to shoot a 59 which came in Thursday's opening round. He followed that by then shooting a 64 in Friday second round, followed by a pair of 65s on both Saturday and Sunday. Thomas also set the PGA record for lowest 36-hole score (123) and tied the 54-hole record (188), matching Steve Stricker's mark through three rounds of the John Deere Classic back in 2010.
Breaking and setting records is beginning to look like a trademark of Thomas' play. His four-round total of 253 broke the Tour's 72-hole scoring record, previously held by Tommy Armour III. Armour shot 254 at the 2003 Valero Texas Open.
Thomas had a stellar career as a Crimson Tider at the University of Alabama (2011-13). His years of play for the program was highlighted by winning the 2013 NCAA National Championship, the first in Alabama men's golf history. Thomas also became the first Alabama golfer to earn the Haskins Award and the Nicklaus Award, presented to the National Player of the Year, and the Phil Mickelson Award, as the National Freshman of the Year. He was a two-time first team All-American and was also named the 2012 Southeastern Conference Golfer of the Year and Freshman of the Year.
