The University of Alabama’s 2018 men’s Indoor Track & Field SEC championship team was honored Friday afternoon at the Sarah Patterson Champions Plaza for the “Celebration of Champions.”

During the ceremony, head coach Dan Waters and Athletic Director Greg Byrne gave their speeches before the athletes were presented with the title on the plaza wall.

“It’s great to be here; I see Sarah here, I see coach Battle over there half of our neighborhood is here,” Byrne said. “Hopefully, someone will keep the lights on their porch while we’re gone, but it is a wonderful day to be here, wonderful to once again celebrate the accomplishments of one of our great teams.”

The Men’s indoor track team secured the track & field program’s 13th SEC championship and the first men’s title since 1972. The team was named the NCAA track & field cross country program of the year and posted an overall team GPA of 3.12.

Heading into the new season, Alabama brings back multiple athletes, a crucial part of a team’s chemistry. Waters is hopeful that will make a significant impact on the team’s success carrying over to this year.

“We got kids that are going to be seniors, so that’s always a good thing going into the championship portion of the year with seniors,” Waters said. “We’re excited about what we can do this year; obviously it’s all in front of us so got to stay healthy and continue to do the best job coaching each athlete one day at a time.”

The championship team is slated to receive their championship rings during halftime of the Alabama vs. Texas A&M game on Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 2:30 pm.