The Alabama men’s swimming and diving team begins its most important play of the season Thursday for the 2019 NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.

Alabama did not participate in the opening day of action as it was not a top eight seed and begin on March 28.

“The championship meet is really what it’s all about,” Alabama coach Dennis Pursley said in a press release. “It’s what you work toward from day one of the season. It’s a great opportunity and one that we’re really excited about.”

Eight Crimson Tide swimmers qualified for this year’s tournament. Five qualified for individual events, while the other three will participate in the relay lineup.

Senior Robert Howard will be the No. 1 seed in the 50 freestyle with an 18.74 time at SECs, as well as being seeded fourth in the 100 freestyle at a 41.57 time and 11th in the 200 freestyle. The Crimson Tide didn’t send many swimmers, but senior Laurent Bams and junior Zane Waddell are expected to also be impact swimmers come championship time.

Waddell, the SEC 100 backstroke champion, is seeded fourth in the 100 backstroke having recorded a time of 44.77. Bams is also seeded in the 100 breaststroke with a 51.96 time.

Senior Knox Auerbach, sophomore Jack Blake and freshman Jonathan Berneburg fill out the Alabama’s NCAA roster to participate in the relay contingent.

“We’re looking to finish as high as we can in the team standing,” Howard said. “We’re not taking as many people as some of the other teams, so that’s motivation for us, to finish as well as we can with the people we have in the meet.”

Alabama earned automatic bids both the 200 and 400 medley and freestyle relays. The team is the nation’s No. 1 seed in the 200 medley and freestyle relays. Alabama adds to its credentials seeded seventh in the 400 medley relay and fifth in the 400 freestyle relay.

“We’re coming off an SEC Championship meet where we won three relay titles and were second in a fourth against some of the best teams in the county,” Pursley said. “So realistically, we’ll be racing for the top spot in some relays this week.”