Bama Women's Golfer Lauren Stephenson
Set To Compete In 2017 U.S. Women's Open
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| Lauren Stephenson Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – University of Alabama women's golfer Lauren Stephenson will be competing in the 2017 U.S. Women's Open scheduled for July 13-16 at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Stephenson qualified for this year's Open after winning a playoff at the U.S. Women's Open sectional tournament at the Governor's Club in Chapel Hill, North Carolina back on June 12th.
Stephenson and former South Carolina golfer Katelyn Dambaugh tied for second place at the sectional, both shooting 71-71/142 in the event. Stephenson then defeated Dambaugh in a playoff for the second qualifying slot to join Furman's Natalie Srinivasan, who captured the sectional win with a three-under par (70-71/141) performance, as the two qualifiers from the Chapel Hill sectional.
This year will be the second consecutive appearance at the open for Stephenson, also competing in 2016 following her freshman season at Clemson. Stephenson has since transferred to Alabama prior to the start of the 2016-17 academic year.
Stephenson is now the eighth Crimson Tide golfer to qualify for the U.S. Open, joining Peggy Kirsch (1980), Lois Ledbetter (1985), Kathleen Ekey (2008, 2009), Jennifer Kirby (2010, 2011), Brooke Pancake (2012), Stephanie Meadow (2012) and Emma Talley (2011, 2012, 2014).
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Tide Baseball's Chandler Taylor
Finishes 2nd In 2017 College Home Run Derby
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| Chandler Taylor Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – University of Alabama baseball sophomore Chandler Taylor has chalked up a second place finish in the 2017 College Home Run Derby on Saturday evening.
Taylor opened the Derby with a first round score of 17, ranking
second to start the night while advancing himself to the event's second
round. He followed that round with a 16 in the second to set his two-round
total at 33, securing himself a spot in the finals. Taylor then went up against Niko Hulsizer of Morehead State in the finals. He finished the first two rounds of
the Derby with 37 homers.
In the finals it was Hulsizer with a total of 17 points to set the bar for the
finals of the event. After getting in a groove and placing himself in
range, down 16 to 17, Taylor then lined a two-point ball to right to end the Derby. He finished second as the Tide's
first ever contest in the eight-year old event.
Taylor was Alabama's leader in home runs with 16, the most by
a Crimson Tide baseball player since Clay Jones' 17 in 2010. Taylor's homers
also placed him among league leaders for the regular season, ranking
third. In Southeastern Conference play, Taylor led everyday starters with a
team-leading 10 home runs. His numbers in SEC play ranked
fourth.
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4-Star DE Stephon Wynn, Jr.
Picks Crimson Tide Football For 2018
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| Stephon Wynn, Jr. commits to Crimson Tide football Photo Credit: SEC Country/Hal McGranahan |
The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football program picked up another big commitment on Saturday afternoon. The No. 5 strong-side defensive end in the country, Stephon Wynn, Jr., chose the Crimson Tide over the Georgia Bulldogs and others in a tight race. The strong push over the past few weeks seemed to be the deciding factor for the young man out of the IMG Academy.
Wynn is scheduled to graduate in December, and plans to enroll early at The Capstone. He has also commented that he doesn't plan to make any additional visits to other schools. He commented that he just felt that Alabama "was the place" for him.
The youngster has said he wants to play in the NFL, and with Alabama defensive line coach Karl Dunbar having coached in the pros, it was a big factor for Wynn. The young man says he wants to win games and he wants "to have fun."
The 6' 4", 285-pounder out of Anderson, South Carolina is rated by 247Sports as a four-star recruit coming in at No. 5 in the country.
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2018 University Of Alabama Football Commits
With the commitment of Stephon Wynn, Jr. out of Anderson, South Carolina on Saturday, The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team currently has 6 student-athletes who have committed to furthering their football careers at the Capstone. As new commits and signees are announced the list will be updated and released.
Here is the complete list of 2017 commitments and signees to UA as of 07/02/17:
- Jordan Davis, DE (6-6, 240), Memphis, Tennessee
- Xavier Williams, WR/ATH (6-1, 185), Hollywood, Florida
- Quay Walker, OLF ( 6-4, 220), Cordele, Georgia
- Jalyn Armour-Davis, CB (6-0, 160), Mobile, ALABAMA*
- Skyler DeLong, P (6-4, 180), Ft. Mill, South Carolina
- Stephon Wynn, Jr., DE (6-4, 285), Anderson, South Carolina
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Alabama Football Now 51st In 2018 Recruiting
The University of Alabama football program is slowing climbing the national rankings in 2018 recruiting. It wasn't long ago that the Crimson Tide was way down the list, then jumped to 57, 55 and now 51st on the 247Sports Composite.
Here's a look at the Top 10, and where all Southeastern Conference programs can be found:
1. Ohio State
2. Miami
3. LSU
4. Penn State
5. Oregon
6. Tennessee
7. Oklahoma
8. Texas
9. Clemson
10. Florida State
SEC Schools:
3. LSU
6. Tennessee
13. Texas A&M
20. Kentucky
27. Vanderbilt
35. Mississippi State
40. Arkansas
41. Florida
43. South Carolina
51. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
52. Auburn
53. Ole Miss
58. Georgia
92. Missouri
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UA Athletics No. 1 In Country
In First Team CoSIDA Academic All-Americans
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne said, "Not only are we extremely proud of each of our Academic All-Americans for their hard work both academically and athletically, but to lead the nation in first-team honors and to be one of just two schools with 10 or more honors this past year is an amazing accomplishment."
It should be noted that this year, the Tide had more student-athletes earn first-team recognition than all but three other NCAA Division I schools had total honors. UA and Minnesota (11) were the only schools to earn double-digit Academic All-America honors in 2016-17, with the Gophers earning three first-team, three second-team and five third-team honors.
The Crimson Tide has earned Academic All-America honors a Division I-best 77 times over the last eight seasons as well as an amazing 45 times over the last four.
Byrne said, "This year's honors continue to build on our tradition of success when it comes to the CoSIDA Academic All-America program and they speak volumes about the emphasis our student-athletes, coaches and staff put on academics."
UA became the first school this spring to have four student-athletes earn a place on the men's Academic All-America At-Large team in the same year, with all four coming from the Crimson Tide's swimming and diving program and all four – Connor Oslin, Anton McKee, Pavel Romanov and Luke Kaliszak – earning first-team recognition. It was Oslin and McKee's third time to earn Academic All-America, the second for Romanov and the first for Kaliszak.
The Tide also led the nation in overall at-large honors with six when gymnasts Mackenzie Brannan and Keely McNeer earned the honor for the women. Both women captured first-team honors as well. It was Brannan's second Academic All-American honor and McNeer's first.
McKee was able to extend the Alabama streak of Academic All-Americans of the Year when he earned his second consecutive honor in 2017, marking the eighth consecutive year that an Alabama student-athlete has earned that designation for their respective sport. Overall, an Alabama student-athlete has been named Academic All-American of the Year 11 times since 2004.
UA's Alex Gholston was named a First Team Track and Field Academic All-American for the second year in a row, marking the fifth year in a row the women's track and field/cross country program has had a student-athlete earn a place on the list.
The Bama softball team had two players earn Academic All-America honors this season, with Sydney Littlejohn picking up her second honor, while Chandler Dare made the list for the first time. Both women earned a place on the second team. Alabama softball players have earned 23 Academic All-America awards over the Tide's 21-year history, including at least one award winner every year since 2008.
It was Alabama volleyball's Krystal Rivers becoming the Crimson Tide's first Academic All-American of 2016-17 when she earned second-team recognition in the fall. It was her second such honor, and marked the third consecutive that at least one Bama volleyball player has earned the honor.
The University ofAlabama leads the Southeastern Conference with a total of 159 Academic All-American honors, and is ranked fifth among NCAA Division I schools. The Tide is ranked first among Division I schools since 2010 with 77 and third since 2000 with 123.
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Alabama Football Places 9 On SI Top 100 List
Sports Illustrated has released its list of Top 100 college football players, and the University of Alabama football program has placed nine on that list. All-in-all, the Southeastern Conference led all conferences with a total of 25 players on the list. The SEC placed 25, followed by the ACC with 21, the PAC 12 with 18, the B1G Ten with 14 and the Big 12 coming in with 13 players.
Besides the list-leading Crimson Tide with nine players on the list, second place was a four-way tie between Clemson, FSU, Washington and USC with six players each.
Making the list from the Southeastern Conference was ALABAMA, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Georgia, Florida and Arkansas. The only schools from the SEC not to place a player on the list were Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina and Missouri.
Here is a list of the players from the ten SEC schools making the list:
Alabama – 9 players
- No. 6 – Minkah Fitzpatrick
- No. 20 – Calvin Ridley
- No. 23 – Bo Scarborough
- No. 38 – Da’Shawn Hand
- No. 54 – Jonah Williams
- No. 55 – Shaun Dion Hamilton
- No. 68 – Ronnie Harrison
- No. 75 – Jalen Hurts
- No. 77 – Da’Ron Payne
Auburn – 4 Players
- No. 48 – Kamryn Pettway – RB
- No. 74 – Jarrett Stidham – QB
- No. 80 – Braden Smith – RT
- No. 90 – Marlon Davidson – DE
LSU – 2 Players
- No. 7 – Arden Key – LB
- No. 17 – Derrius Guice
Texas A&M – 2 Players
- No. 13 – Christian Kirk – WR
- No. 61 – Armani Watts – S
Florida – 2 Players
- No. 72 – Duke Dawson – CB
- No. 100 – Eddy Pineiro – K
Georgia – 2 Players
- No. 62 – Trenton Thompson – DL
- No. 66 – Nick Chubb
Arkansas – 1 Player
- No. 57 – Frank Ragnow – C
Mississippi State – 1 Player
- No. 97 – Nick Fitzgerald – QB
Ole Miss – 1 Player
- No. 52 – Marquis Haynes – DE
Vanderbilt – 1 Player
- No. 93 – Ralph Webb – RB
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University Of Alabama Athletics
Reports 22 NCAA Minor Rule Violations
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - The University of Alabama has released its annual list of secondary rules violations that the athletic department reported to the NCAA.
Of the 22 minor infractions reported by the university, nine were from the UA football program involving mostly recruiting. None of the infractions reported are considered major.
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban was listed as having violated one of the NCAA rules. Once again, this one was a minor infraction. According to the report released by the university, Saban "inadvertently used a wrong number for a coach and called a (recruit) prior to September of his senior year." The recruit in question wasn't contacted for a two-week period this past September.
Defensive lineman Johnny Dwight was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 football season for selling multiple pieces of school issued equipment and participation awards valued at approximately $820. He was again eligible after serving his four-game suspension.
A "non-coaching" staff member was also at fault for "providing tactical instruction" during a game. The not-named staff member was suspended for one game. Only the nine on-field assistant coaches and the head coach are allowed to coach during the games.
Also listed as violations from the football department were:
- One player participated in an impermissible promotional activity
- One mid-year enrollee tweeting about hosting a specific recruit
- Two instances of communication with recruits prior to allowed communications window
- Impermissible in-person contact with a recruit
- Allowing an impermissible recruiter to be present during an off-campus meeting
The UA men's basketball team reported one infraction involving a player taking part in a practice before signing the NCAA's drug test consent form.
A gymnastics issue involved the football program indirectly. The program reported an instance of a recruit's father taking a photo with a former Alabama football player while on an unofficial visit.
The men's track team was guilty of paying for five family members of one recruit's family when the NCAA rules only allow for four.
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Alabama Football Commit Xavier Williams
Considering Shutting Down His Recruitment
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| Xavier Williams (6) Bing Photo |
University of Alabama receiver commit Xavier Williams has commented that he may be shutting down his recruitment, which should make every UA football fan quite happy. The 6', 190-pound four-star recruit is pleased with his choice of Alabama football.
Williams is listed as a four-star receiver recruit and ranked at No. 95 nationally, according to more than one rating service.
Though Williams recently payed a visit to Miami, near his hometown of Hollywood, Florida, there's a good chance it will be his last to Miami or any other school for that matter. Williams has said he is "100 percent sold" on the Crimson Tide and will probably cease contact with other schools soon. Williams is planning a return visit to The Capstone on July 21st for its Champions Cookout.
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Athlon Sports Ranks The SEC Football Coaches
Athlon Sports released its rankings of SEC football coaches. Here is how the rankings pan out:
1. Nick Saban, University of Alabama
2. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State
3. Jim McElwain, Florida
4. Gus Malzahn, Auburn
5. Bret Bielema, Arkansas
6. Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss
7. Butch Jones, Tennessee
8. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
9. Will Muschamp, South Carolina
10. Mark Stoops, Kentucky
11. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt
12. Kirby Smart, Georgia
13. Ed Orgeron, LSU
14. Barry Odom, Missouri
