For Alabama track and field coach Dan Walters, this is a season for rebuilding and determining the expectations of his team.
Although the Tide has compiled tremendous speed, the bulk of their points this season have come from long and high jumps, as well as distance throws. After an indoor season that met the team’s expectations, the Tide will turn its attention toward the outdoor season. Other teams aren’t the only competition Alabama will have to face, however. It will also have to compete against the clock. As the Southeastern Conference Championship meet draws near, the Tide is determined to come away with a top-five finish. Its ultimate goal, however, is to do what LSU, Florida and Arkansas have already done: finish in the top five at the NCAA track meet in June. Having excellent leadership will help the Tide this season. They have two dedicated leaders, sophomore Kamal Fuller of Kingston, Jamaica and senior Krystle Shade of Sunrise, Fla. Fuller is in his second season doing jumps for the team. In his first season competing in the long jump, Fuller placed in the top four of the SEC. He went on to place in the top 10 nationally. “I lead by example,” Fuller said. “When I go and compete well every day on the track and support my teammates, I feel like I have accomplished a lot.” Fuller said his high school coach prepared him for this season. “My high school coach did a great job preparing me,” Fuller said. “He basically told me that I am a competitor and that my job is to go out every day and compete. I just want to do what my coach asks of me and be the best at it. And my target goal is to jump eight meters.” Shade is in her third season for the team and is a former All-American. She placed second in the SEC for her 6-foot jump in the SEC Championships in the indoor season. “I am a junior track team-wise, and my teammates see me as a leader because of my work ethic,” Shade said. “My training consists of bender and step drills and my target goal is to…get into the Olympics.” As the season begins to take shape, Alabama will see how its arms, legs and feet will respond.
