Track & Field Teams Commemorate 2014-15 Accomplishments
10/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama track & field program held a banquet Friday night commemorating its tremendous 2014-15 cross country/track & field season. A focal point of the evening featured awards presented to members of the program whom distinguished themselves through performance, attitude, effort or community involvement during the 2014-15 academic and competitive year. The team captains for the 2015-16 season were also announced.
In the fall of 2014, the Alabama women's cross country team won three team titles before finishing third at both the SEC Championships and NCAA South Regional. It was the best SEC finish in team history since the 1994 team took second. The third-place showing at the regional meet was the second consecutive for the women's squad. Katelyn Greenleaf was named an All-NCAA South Region performer for the third time in her career, while Hannah Waggoner earned all-region honors for the first time. The men's team also claimed two team titles on the season and posted a sixth-place finish at the SEC Championships, an improvement of five places from the year before.
The Crimson Tide track & field teams produced successful indoor and outdoor seasons as well. Sprinter Remona Burchell not only won the 60-meter dash at the SEC Indoor Championships, but set the collegiate record in doing so. She was named the SEC Co-Runner of the Year for Indoor Track & Field and the NCAA South Region Women's Indoor Track Athlete of Year prior to the NCAA Indoor Championships, where she defended her national title in the 60 meters. On the men's side, Alex Amankwah set the school record in the 800 meters, breaking the previous record that stood for 11 years. Overall, a total of 12 athletes from the men's and women's teams combined to earn 16 All-America citations, including First Team honors from Burchell, Lakan Taylor (pole vault), Alex Amankwah (800 meters), and Cameron Hudson (long jump).
The outdoor season featured a number of individual and team highlights. The women's team was ranked 16th in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I National Team Computer Rankings on May 5, the team's highest ranking ever. It held onto that ranking for three weeks. After going undefeated throughout the spring in long jump finals, Quanesha Burks claimed both the SEC and NCAA title in the long jump. She was the first NCAA women's champion representing the Tide in the jumps since 1989. Burks was also named a semifinalist for the Bowerman Trophy, collegiate track and field's highest individual honor. The men's team was consistently in the top 20 all season long, anchored by its stellar relay teams. Both the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams earned All-America status at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. In total, the Crimson Tide collected 22 All-American honors for the outdoor season. Steven Gayle was a First Team performer in two events, helping the 4x100 relay quartet to an eighth-place finish while also taking fifth in the 400 meters at the national meet.
Both squads were also highly successful in the classroom during the academic year. The women's team was named an All-Academic Team by the USTFCCCA and 17 members of the men's team earned the association's All-Academic accolade. Greenleaf and Nia Barnes were selected to the Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District IV Track & Field/Cross Country Team. Barnes was later named a First Team Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American after being a member of the second team the previous season.
The 2014-15 Alabama Track & Field/Cross Country award winners:
2014 Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year - Matt Airola
2014 Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year - Katelyn Greenleaf
2015 Most Improved Male Athlete - Cameron Hudson
2015 Most Improved Female Athlete - Alex Gholston
2015 Outstanding Male Field Events Athlete - Jeremiah Green
2015 Outstanding Male Running Events Athlete - Steven Gayle
2015 Outstanding Female Field Events Athlete - Quanesha Burks
2015 Outstanding Female Running Events Athlete - Remona Burchell
2014-15 Male Scholar Athlete of the Year - Jake Zalesky
2014-15 Female Scholar Athlete of the Year - Merilyn Uudmae
2014-15 Study Hall Champion - Ahmed Ali
2015 Male Freshman of the Year - Daniel Haugh
2015 Female Freshman of the Year - Danielle McConnell
2015 Cross Country Men's Team Captain - Conner Thompson
2015 Cross Country Women's Team Captain - Allison Gregg
2015-16 Men's Team Captain - Justin Fondren
2015-16 Women's Team Captain - Quanesha Burks
2014-15 Above and Beyond Student Athlete - Andrew Harris
A brief look at each award winner:
2014 Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year - Matt Airola
Matt finished 12th at the SEC Cross Country Championships and led the team to a 6th place finish. He also earned All-SEC honors for the first time in his career, being named to the second team. Matt ran a personal-best 8k time of 24:25 at the Paul Short Invitational.
2014 Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year - Katelyn Greenleaf
Katelyn came in 12th at the NCAA South Regional, posting a personal-best time of 20:04. She was the team's top finisher at the SEC Championships, crossing the finish line 11th and pacing the team to a third place finish. Katelyn earned All-NCAA South Region and All-SEC honors for the third consecutive season.
2015 Most Improved Male Athlete - Cameron Hudson
Cameron made a huge impact in his first season with the Tide, earning First Team All-America honors in the indoor long jump after finishing seventh at the NCAA Championships. He was also a Second Team All-American for the indoor 60 meters and 4x400 relay. Cameron scored points for the team in a total of five events at the SEC Indoor and Outdoor Championships combined.
2015 Most Improved Female Athlete - Alex Gholston
Alex earned All-American status for the first time in her career during the outdoor season, being named to the second team in both the 400 meters and the 4x100 relay. She also ran a 52.31 in the 400 meters at the NCAA East Prelims, which is the sixth-fastest time in the event in school history.
2015 Outstanding Male Field Events Athlete - Jeremiah Green
Jeremiah earned All-American status in the triple jump during both the indoor and outdoor seasons; he finished ninth at the NCAA Indoor Championships and sixth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. His jump of 52 feet, 10 and one-fourth inches at the SEC Indoor Championships was good enough for third place along with being the sixth-best mark in program history.
2015 Outstanding Male Running Events Athlete - Steven Gayle
In his first season as part of the Tide program, Steven collected All-American honors in four different events, highlighted by his fifth-place finish in the 400 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He was also an integral part of both the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams, helping both teams score at the SEC Outdoor Championships and the 4x100 team take eighth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
2015 Outstanding Female Field Events Athlete - Quanesha Burks
Quanesha won the long jump title at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a jump of 22 feet, eight inches, while also winning the SEC Championships in the event. For the season, Quanesha went undefeated in long jump finals. She was also a Second Team All-American in the outdoor 4x100 relay. Quanesha most recently won gold at the NACAC Senior Championships this summer in the long jump.
2015 Outstanding Female Running Events Athlete - Remona Burchell
Remona won her third NCAA title this year, claiming the indoor 60 meter championship for the second time in her career. Remona was also named the SEC Indoor Runner of the Year and the NCAA South Region Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. Her 60-meter dash time of 7.08 at the SEC Championships not only won her the event but was also a collegiate record.
2014-15 Male Scholar Athlete of the Year - Jake Zalesky
Jake finished his freshman year with a perfect 4.0 GPA in engineering. He was named an All-Academic performer by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. He posted a personal-best clearance of 16 feet, 7 and one-half inches in the pole vault at the SEC Championships for a seventh-place finish.
2014-15 Female Scholar Athlete of the Year - Merilyn Uudmae
Merilyn graduated in May with a degree in marketing. She finished her career by being named to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll and a U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic performer. She also had a tremendous senior season competitively, posting personal-best marks in both the long jump and triple jump.
2014-15 Study Hall Champion - Ahmed Ali
Ahmed was dedicated in the classroom and on the track in his first season at the Capstone, logging the most hours completed in study hall while also earning First Team All-America honors in the 4x100 relay and Honorable Mention All-America honors in the 200 meters.
2015 Male Freshman of the Year - Daniel Haugh
Daniel finished third in the weight throw at the SEC Championships with a personal best of 68 feet, 7 inches, earning him Second Team All-SEC honors. He placed in the top 10 in five of the six meets in which he competed in the weight throw.
2015 Female Freshman of the Year - Danielle McConnell
Danielle was named Honorable Mention All-American in the hammer throw. She also placed 3rd in the hammer throw at the SEC Championships, earning her a spot on the All-SEC Freshman Team. Danielle claimed the hammer throw title at the LSU Invitational, which was her first-ever collegiate meet.
2015 Cross Country Men's Team Captain - Conner Thompson
"Conner is a true track junkie seeking to take his own running and the team's to new levels of success," assistant coach Adam Tribble said. "He is a quiet leader who aims to set the tone with consistent-progressive work as he and the team compete during the 2015 cross country season."
2015 Cross Country Women's Team Captain - Allison Gregg
"With blunt honesty and a dogged determination, Allison strives each day to push not only herself but also those around her to continually strive for more," Tribble explained of Gregg. "Through good and bad days, she is never satisfied and cares about those around her to press forward without losing sight of what she is doing herself."
2015-16 Men's Team Captain - Justin Fondren
"Justin is a high character athlete who consistently gives a great effort daily in practice and especially in competitions," head coach Dan Waters said. "He is a solid young man who is a pleasure to work with, and he is very worthy of a leadership position."
2015-16 Women's Team Captain - Quanesha Burks
"Quanesha is a great example both on and off the track as to what it takes to be a great athlete," assistant coach Miguel Pate stated. "She not only excels in athletics but also in her academics and in the community as well. She has a championship mindset that not all athletes possess or are capable of achieving, which is the key to her success."
2014-15 Above and Beyond Student Athlete - Andrew Harris
Andrew is the ultimate teammate, always willing to go out of his way to help any way he can. From giving someone a ride home after practice to volunteering to host a recruit who is coming on a visit, he treats everyone like family. Andrew is a positive influence on the team on and off the track.
