After three wins at the SEC indoor Championships, the University of Alabama track and field team is gearing up for the NCAA Indoor Championships on Friday in Albuquerque, N.M.

Senior Diondre Batson won the men’s 60-meter dash with a time of 6.66 seconds at the SEC Championships. Freshman Jeremiah Green took first place in the men’s triple jump with a 16.29-meter jump, and junior Charodd Richardson was an individual champion in the men’s weight throw. All three will be competing this weekend.

Batson, who will be competing in the men’s 200 and 60-meter dash, said he wants to try for bigger accomplishments.

“I was happy,” Batson said. “It was an honor to bring another SEC title to my school. It always feels good to be [an] SEC champion, but I want bigger accomplishments like a NCAA title. At that meet, it was all about points and team.”

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Junior Remona Burchell, who took second in the women’s 60-meter dash, will be competing this weekend in the 60-meter dash. Having transferred to Alabama, Burchell said she is slightly nervous about her first NCAA Championship.

“Yeah, I feel pressure. I don’t know why, but I do feel pressure,” Burchell said. “Maybe because I want to place in the top three. I know I can place in the top three, so I’m trying not to doubt myself.”

While the championship may bring added pressure, coach Dan Waters said the team is treating it like every other meet.

“We try not to do anything differently than what we normally do. Of course, all ten of our athletes are incredibly focused and are putting the final finishing touches on their indoor season,” Waters said. “We try to approach it as the same kind of meet we always go to with the same kind of focus and the same kind of competitive edge.”

Alabama has 10 athletes going to the NCAA Championship – more than double from last year. Waters said those competing are a combination of older and newer athletes.

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“It’s a nice mix,” Waters said. “It’d be interesting to see how the young guys will handle the stage and if the old guys can help them out.”

Batson said racing indoor is harder than racing outdoor because it’s in a more confined space.

“There’s a huge difference in the 200 because there’s a bank turn,” he said. “There’s an advantage for smaller people because there’s a turnover on the turns, and it’s harder for bigger people. It’s all about start in the 60. It’s all about your first 30 meters indoor.”

Burchell said the team competes as a unit.

“I think everyone is trying to compete as a team,” he said. “We all come together and compete, so the team can be better.”

Waters said Alabama has many scoring opportunities in the NCAA Championships because the team is so diverse.

“On the men’s side, we have eight different scoring opportunities, which is nice. Now we’re playing the odds a little bit,” Waters said. “The women have three opportunities to score well. It’s good to have diversity. We wanted to build a team that had athletes competitive at every discipline.”

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