Bama Central

Multiple Alabama Track Athletes Advance One Step Closer to Paris Olympics: Roll Call, June 28, 2024

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Alabama Athletics, including full TV listings.

Katie Windham

Clayton Elder
Clayton Elder / Alabama Athletics

The 2024 Paris Olympics are just weeks away and athletes all around the United States are still competing for spots to represent Team USA at this summer's Olympic games. Several current and former Alabama track athletes are participating in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

Five of those athletes competed well enough on Thursday to secure a spot in the semifinals or finals of their respective events. Shelby McEwen, who was at Alabama from 2018-2019, reached the 2.19-meter mark (7-2.25) in the men's high jump to reach Sunday's event finals. Quanesha Burks, who competed for the Crimson Tide from 2013-2017, finished fourth (6.75m | 22-1.75) in the opening round of the women's long jump to reach Saturday's event final.

A trio of Alabama runners all competed in the men's 400m hurdles, and all three advanced to the semifinals. Clayton Elder earned an automatic-qualifying, fifth-place finish of 51.98 in the event's opening heat. Corde Long finished third in the same heat with a 50.42, and Chris Robinson won the second heat (49.54) en route to clocking the second-fastest time overall in the opening round.

Did you notice?

  • Quarterback Jalen Milroe, transfer safety King Mack and freshman offensive lineman Joseph Ionata were named football's Student-Athletes of the Week.
  • Alabama rowers Lizzie Hall, Lauren Lowe and Sydney Wenstrom were all named to the 2024 Academic All-District Team.
  • Former Alabama softball associate head coach Alyson Habetz was named as the head coach of her alma mater Louisiana on Wednesday. Some of the first official photos in Ragin' Cajun gear were released on Thursday. Habetz retired from Alabama after the 2023 season and 25 years with the program.

Countdown to Crimson Tide's 2024 Football Season Opener:

64 days

On This Day in Crimson Tide History:

Juneย 28, 1968: Paul W. โ€œBearโ€ Bryant recommended artificial turf be installed at Legion Field in Birmingham and Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and noted that the university would immediately begin installing the synthetic grass on the practice fields. The approximate cost of putting in a 100-yard field was $200,000. City officials in Birmingham seemed to concur with Bryant's wishes, noting the poor playing conditions that existed with the seemingly ever worn-out grass at Legion Field.ย โ€” Bryant Museum

Juneย 28, 1976: Butch Hobson made his Boston debut at Fenway Park with a double off the center-field wall and a rare inside-the-park home run, both off the Orioles' Rudy May. Boston won 12 -8.

Juneย 28, 1988: Terrence Cody was born in Fort Myers, Fla.

Crimson Tide Quote of the Day:

"Well Eli, Smokey just came out of the tunnel, and he's about 100 yards away from me now, and if I had my deer rifle I believe I could drop him, back to you Eli"โ€”Jerry Duncan's comments to Eli Gold just prior to kickoff against Tennessee.

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Katie Windham

KATIE WINDHAM

Katie Windham is the assistant editor for BamaCentral, primarily covering football, basketball gymnastics and softball. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama and has covered a variety of Crimson Tide athletics since 2019 for outlets like The Tuscaloosa News, The Crimson White and the Associated Press before joining BamaCentral full time in 2021. Windham has covered College Football Playoff games, the Women's College World Series, NCAA March Madness, SEC Tournaments and championships in multiple sports.ย 

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