This weekend, Mar. 1-2, six members of the Crimson Tide track and field team will travel to South Bend, Ind., to compete in the Alex Wilson Invitational hosted by the University of Notre Dame. This meet serves as a last-chance qualifier for the NCAA Indoor Championships to take place in Fayetteville, Ark., on Mar. 8-9.
The Alabama men’s and women’s teams placed 7th and 10th respectively at the Southeastern Conference Championships last weekend.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this group and how they have developed over the course of the season,” head coach Dan Waters said. “Considering we have such a young team that is inexperienced on the SEC level, they have really competed and advanced through the indoor season.”
These six athletes the Tide will send include Elias Hakansson in the men’s weight throw, Alexis Paine in the women’s pole vault, and in the 4×400 relay, Joel Lynch, Ken Taylor, Dwight Davis and Quincy Smith. They look to join Krystle Schade at the NCAA Championships later this month.
“We are sending six athletes to Notre Dame in an attempt to get them qualified for the NCAA indoor meet. Both Elias [Hakansson] and Alexis [Paine] are right on the cusp of making the field in their events. So is our 4×400 relay,” Waters said. “This is simply one last opportunity to get them into the meet. If they can qualify, who knows what can happen at that point? We’re confident that they can, due to their consistent improvement through the season to this point.”
Hakansson was named SEC Freshman of the Week the week of Feb. 12 for his record-breaking performance in Lincoln, Neb., on Feb. 9 at the Nebraska Triangular. He broke a 15-year-old school record in the weight throw. His throw of 66-9 1/4 surpassed Derrick Jones’ previous record by 3 1/2 inches.
“Elias [Hakansson] is one of our newcomers in his first season with us. He is a hammer thrower in the outdoor season but had never thrown the weight before this indoor season,” Waters said. “So, he has literally been learning the event by competing this winter, and his marks, for a guy that really is just figuring out the event, are very impressive.”
Last weekend, Paine took top honors in the pole vault at the SEC Championships when she cleared 13-8 1/2. She also broke her own Alabama record of 13-5 1/4. She now holds five of the top six pole vault clearances in Alabama history.
“Alexis [Paine] has really developed into an excellent pole vaulter for us. She broke the school record and won the SEC Indoor title last weekend, and she has really focused and worked hard in the event,” Waters said. “She’s been a tremendous asset to our program. She’s one of the athletes that was here before we arrived and has really bought in to what we have been telling our team. She’s a great example for her teammates.”
These six athletes will make one last attempt to meet the automatic qualifications for the NCAA Championships.
Leading in today’s Crimson White:
Grant getting ready to face Gators in Gainesville
Alabama, LSU both offer 8th grader scholarship money to play for their team in 2017
