Where Are they Now?
Pg. 1 Coach Waters: State of the Program Pg. 2 2014 Season Preview Pg. 2 Athlete Spotlight: Lacey Dent Pg. 3 Meet the Coach: Adam Tribble
State of the Program Dear Booster Club Members, Happy Holidays! I hope this email finds everyone enjoying this festive time of year and looking forward to the start of the indoor season. One of the most rewarding events of our short time here has been the alumni reunion in conjunction with the John Mitchell Alabama Relays last spring. In speaking with alumni, it became abundantly clear that they were frustrated by a lack of information; they had no way of learning not only just about the athletes, but the entire program in general. With that in mind, this newsletter marks the start of what we hope to be a consistent distribution to our track and field family. Content will include season updates, recruiting profiles, alumni updates, coach and athlete profiles, meet results, and upcoming booster club events. During our first two years here, we’ve brought the team together under cohesive leadership with a unified vision. We have created a culture in which coaches, athletes, and support staff are, as we like to say, “pushing the pile in the same direction.” The result is a family atmosphere in which we all cheer for each other and provide encouragement. As I bring this letter to a close, I invite you to join our track and field family. Know that your support is instrumental in helping us win conference and national championships. I wish you all a very happy holiday season. Roll Tide! Dan Waters
2014 Indoor Schedule Jan. 18
Auburn Invitational
Birmingham, Ala.
Jan. 24-25
Rod McCravey Inv.
Lexington, Ky.
Jan. 31-Feb. 1
Indiana Relays
Feb. 14-15
Tyson Invitational
Bloomington, Ind. Fayetteville, Ark.
Feb. 27-March 1 SEC Championships College Station, Texas March 14-15
NCAA Championships Albuquerque, N.M.
Where Are they Now? Calvin Smith
One of the most heralded University of Alabama sprinters in history, Calvin Smith embodied what it meant to be a student-athlete. He graduated from Alabama with a degree in Public Relations while in the process cementing his legacy. He still holds the UA outdoor record in the 100 meters, was a four-time AllAmerican, and after leaving Alabama Smith won gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in the 4x100-meter relay for the United States. Now living in Tampa, Fla., Smith works in social work. He said that getting his degree from Alabama helped him prepare for life after running. The six-time SEC champion returns to the Capstone to visit every once in a while. He was here in March for the alumni weekend and likes the progress that has been made under head coach Dan Waters. “Dan is putting the program in the right direction,” Smith said. “I feel that many of the alumni were happy to see someone in place that was motivated and enthusiastic about getting Alabama back to where it used to be around the early 1980s and 90s when the program was one of the best in the country. And I think Dan will get it back to that time of greatness.”
2014 Season Preview We made drastic improvement in 2013 as our men’s and women’s teams both made tremendous strides in becoming the type of diverse teams we desire having here at Alabama. With another infusion of fresh talent to go with the development of the athletes already on our team, we feel confident that we can field a team that will be competitive on the conference and national level in a way that will make you proud, and on a level that our program hasn’t seen in quite some time. On the men’s team, we feel that our depth in the sprints and the throws will account for much of our team scoring impact this season. We return eight All-Americans from 2013: sprinter Diondre Batson, sprinter Alex Sanders, sprinter Akeem Haynes, sprinter Dushane Farrier, long jumper Kamal Fuller, high jumper Justin Fondren, triple jumper Imani Brown and thrower Elias Hakansson. This year, you will see added scoring depth in all facets of our team. We are particularly excited about our newcomers including throwers Hayden Reed, Nathan Karr and Joe Williams. Our highest profile freshman signee was triple jump specialist Jeremiah Green. The women’s team continues to develop into a strong unit. Pole vaulter Alexis Paine is our lone returning All-American on the women’s side and figures to maintain her place as one of the nation’s top collegiate vaulters. Other returnees to watch include 800-meter specialists Yanique Malcom and Kimberley Ficenec, distance runners Katelyn Greenleaf and Meropi Panagiotou and long jump/triple jump standout Callie Ives. Several newcomers to keep an eye on include thrower Candicea Bernard, sprinter Remona Burchell, sprinter/jumper Quanehsa Burks, sprinter Alex Gholston, distance runner Allison Gregg, sprinter Bri Sims and pole vaulter Lakan Taylor. For further information about our athletes, go online at rolltide.com and access the track & field page via the drop down menu at the top of the page.
Athlete Spotlight: Lacey Dent Sophomore - Mobile, Ala. - Multi-Events When did you begin competing in multiple events? “I didn’t start doing the multis until my sophomore year of high school. From then on, I loved it. I liked being able to do all the different events. After that, I started trying to get recruited as a heptathlete than anything else.” Do you have a favorite event? “Yes, the long jump and 100 meter hurdles. I started doing those first, then moved into the other events.” Why did you decide to attend Alabama? “Initially, I wanted to go out of the state for school but when I came on my visit, it felt like home. The team felt like home. The coaches have our best interests at heart and they are trying to do something big here. All of it together convinced me.” What was your proudest accomplishment as a freshman? “I had a really good shot put throw. Coming out of high school, I threw 30-8 ½. During one of our meets last season, I hadn’t done well in the high jump, so I needed to recover with a good shot put throw. Instead of cracking under the pressure, I was able to recover and threw a PR of 37-6.” What do you enjoy most about being an athlete in the track and field program at Alabama? “I’m really happy that I have this opportunity to be here and better myself as a person and an athlete. I’m looking forward to this upcoming season. Hopefully, I can lead my team to even more improvement.”
Meet The Coaches: Adam Tribble The favorite part of Alabama distance coach Adam Tribble’s job isn’t winning championships and awards. It’s the people. Specifically, it’s helping people overcome work to achieve their goals. “Of course, I want to win and I want this program to be the best it can be, but I think my individual satisfaction comes from seeing people do things they didn’t think they could do,” Tribble said. “At the end of the day, it’s not just about the times. It is about helping people achieve things they’ve set out to do.” In his third season as distance coach at Alabama, Tribble understands what it takes to reach goals, even in the face of adversity. After graduating from Athens Christian Academy in Athens, Ga., Tribble ran at Georgia Southern until the school cut the program after his first year. He transferred to the University of Georgia in his hometown. At Georgia, Tribble endured a handful of coaching changes and injuries to earn all-region honors for cross country. Tribble was a two-year captain under his final head coach, current Alabama head coach Dan Waters. Still, Tribble felt that he had some miles left to run. “When I finished my college career, I felt like I had never really done anything, so I started to dabble in marathons,” said Tribble. In 2008, Tribble qualified for the Olympic Trials and placed 46th in the marathon. “That was my swan song with running. That was good enough for me,” said Tribble. “I didn’t want to take away from my job.” Tribble’s job has always been coaching, something he felt inspired to do after a tragedy left him without a coach of his own. In the middle of cross country season during his junior year at Athens Christian, Tribble’s coach, Kent Kramer, died in a car wreck on the way to school. “When that happened, I started to see things a little differently,” said Tribble. “I wanted to be a teacher and coach. Once I got to college, I decided I wanted to coach at the college level.” When his undergraduate career ended, Tribble remained at Georgia as a graduate assistant on Waters’ staff. After that, he spent five years at Arkansas, where he helped lead the women’s cross country team to three consecutive SEC championships. From 2009-11, Tribble coached at Oregon State, where he met his wife Meredith, a volunteer assistant coach at OSU at the time. When Adam moved to Alabama, Meredith left her coaching job at Ole Miss and became a volunteer assistant at the Capstone. Having a spouse who understands the demands of collegiate coaching has been a blessing for Tribble. “It’s a crazy lifestyle,” said Tribble. “When your wife has done it before, it makes it a lot easier.” Things haven’t always been easy for Tribble, but throughout his coaching career, Tribble has used his unique, often difficult experiences to shape the careers of his runners. “Many times in sports, coaches spend four or five years with one person and learn how only one person did it,” said Tribble. “I’ve got a lot of different perspectives to be able to draw from. It’s really helped me to have so many different experiences. I have had the privilege of working with some really good people. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Compliance Corner
We will use this space in each newsletter to highlight various items of use to you as a supporter of our program in the area of recruiting. While every situation differs, the best course of action always is to contact the Athletics Compliance Office (205.348.3641) with questions. With that in mind, here are some basic rules regarding “Do’s and Don’ts” regarding what you, as a supporter of our program, can do for or with prospects: • Boosters are not allowed to contact a prospect in an attempt to recruit or encourage attendance at Alabama. This includes telephone calls, letters, emails, and facsimiles, along with any face-to-face contact on or off the Alabama campus; • Boosters should not attempt to aid in recruiting prospects by obtaining film/videotape or transcripts from a prospect’s educational institution in an effort to evaluate the prospect’s academic eligibility or athletic ability; • If you know of a recruit, you can send information (news articles, game programs) concerning a prospect to the track and field coaching staff; • With regards to social media, you may not post messages on a prospect’s website or social media sites (Facebook, Twitter or other similar sites) encouraging attendance at Alabama; • Boosters should not invite a prospect or a prospect’s family to any booster function or alumni event. This includes informal events such as tailgate parties or meals after games. Your support is a vital element of any success our program can achieve. Please keep the adherence of NCAA rules in mind at all times. Your first instinct whenever you have a question about how to help should be to contact our Compliance Office.
Dan Waters, Head Coach P.O. Box 870393 Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0393
JERSEYS? SINGLETS? WE WANT ‘EM! We would like to include historical artifacts from our program’s past for use in our team room, team meeting room and offices. We want to give our student-athletes a sense of the history of the program and having old jerserys or competition uniforms to put on the walls would help create that environment. So, if you are willing to donate anything of that type please contact Dan Waters at 205.348.3557.
State of the Program Dear Booster Club Members, Happy Holidays! I hope this email finds everyone enjoying this festive time of year and looking forward to the start of the indoor season. One of the most rewarding events of our short time here has been the alumni reunion in conjunction with the John Mitchell Alabama Relays last spring. In speaking with alumni, it became abundantly clear that they were frustrated by a lack of information; they had no way of learning not only just about the athletes, but the entire program in general. With that in mind, this newsletter marks the start of what we hope to be a consistent distribution to our track and field family. Content will include season updates, recruiting profiles, alumni updates, coach and athlete profiles, meet results, and upcoming booster club events. During our first two years here, we’ve brought the team together under cohesive leadership with a unified vision. We have created a culture in which coaches, athletes, and support staff are, as we like to say, “pushing the pile in the same direction.” The result is a family atmosphere in which we all cheer for each other and provide encouragement. As I bring this letter to a close, I invite you to join our track and field family. Know that your support is instrumental in helping us win conference and national championships. I wish you all a very happy holiday season. Roll Tide! Dan Waters
2014 Indoor Schedule Jan. 18
Auburn Invitational
Birmingham, Ala.
Jan. 24-25
Rod McCravey Inv.
Lexington, Ky.
Jan. 31-Feb. 1
Indiana Relays
Feb. 14-15
Tyson Invitational
Bloomington, Ind. Fayetteville, Ark.
Feb. 27-March 1 SEC Championships College Station, Texas March 14-15
NCAA Championships Albuquerque, N.M.
Where Are they Now? Calvin Smith
One of the most heralded University of Alabama sprinters in history, Calvin Smith embodied what it meant to be a student-athlete. He graduated from Alabama with a degree in Public Relations while in the process cementing his legacy. He still holds the UA outdoor record in the 100 meters, was a four-time AllAmerican, and after leaving Alabama Smith won gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in the 4x100-meter relay for the United States. Now living in Tampa, Fla., Smith works in social work. He said that getting his degree from Alabama helped him prepare for life after running. The six-time SEC champion returns to the Capstone to visit every once in a while. He was here in March for the alumni weekend and likes the progress that has been made under head coach Dan Waters. “Dan is putting the program in the right direction,” Smith said. “I feel that many of the alumni were happy to see someone in place that was motivated and enthusiastic about getting Alabama back to where it used to be around the early 1980s and 90s when the program was one of the best in the country. And I think Dan will get it back to that time of greatness.”
2014 Season Preview We made drastic improvement in 2013 as our men’s and women’s teams both made tremendous strides in becoming the type of diverse teams we desire having here at Alabama. With another infusion of fresh talent to go with the development of the athletes already on our team, we feel confident that we can field a team that will be competitive on the conference and national level in a way that will make you proud, and on a level that our program hasn’t seen in quite some time. On the men’s team, we feel that our depth in the sprints and the throws will account for much of our team scoring impact this season. We return eight All-Americans from 2013: sprinter Diondre Batson, sprinter Alex Sanders, sprinter Akeem Haynes, sprinter Dushane Farrier, long jumper Kamal Fuller, high jumper Justin Fondren, triple jumper Imani Brown and thrower Elias Hakansson. This year, you will see added scoring depth in all facets of our team. We are particularly excited about our newcomers including throwers Hayden Reed, Nathan Karr and Joe Williams. Our highest profile freshman signee was triple jump specialist Jeremiah Green. The women’s team continues to develop into a strong unit. Pole vaulter Alexis Paine is our lone returning All-American on the women’s side and figures to maintain her place as one of the nation’s top collegiate vaulters. Other returnees to watch include 800-meter specialists Yanique Malcom and Kimberley Ficenec, distance runners Katelyn Greenleaf and Meropi Panagiotou and long jump/triple jump standout Callie Ives. Several newcomers to keep an eye on include thrower Candicea Bernard, sprinter Remona Burchell, sprinter/jumper Quanehsa Burks, sprinter Alex Gholston, distance runner Allison Gregg, sprinter Bri Sims and pole vaulter Lakan Taylor. For further information about our athletes, go online at rolltide.com and access the track & field page via the drop down menu at the top of the page.
Athlete Spotlight: Lacey Dent Sophomore - Mobile, Ala. - Multi-Events When did you begin competing in multiple events? “I didn’t start doing the multis until my sophomore year of high school. From then on, I loved it. I liked being able to do all the different events. After that, I started trying to get recruited as a heptathlete than anything else.” Do you have a favorite event? “Yes, the long jump and 100 meter hurdles. I started doing those first, then moved into the other events.” Why did you decide to attend Alabama? “Initially, I wanted to go out of the state for school but when I came on my visit, it felt like home. The team felt like home. The coaches have our best interests at heart and they are trying to do something big here. All of it together convinced me.” What was your proudest accomplishment as a freshman? “I had a really good shot put throw. Coming out of high school, I threw 30-8 ½. During one of our meets last season, I hadn’t done well in the high jump, so I needed to recover with a good shot put throw. Instead of cracking under the pressure, I was able to recover and threw a PR of 37-6.” What do you enjoy most about being an athlete in the track and field program at Alabama? “I’m really happy that I have this opportunity to be here and better myself as a person and an athlete. I’m looking forward to this upcoming season. Hopefully, I can lead my team to even more improvement.”
Meet The Coaches: Adam Tribble The favorite part of Alabama distance coach Adam Tribble’s job isn’t winning championships and awards. It’s the people. Specifically, it’s helping people overcome work to achieve their goals. “Of course, I want to win and I want this program to be the best it can be, but I think my individual satisfaction comes from seeing people do things they didn’t think they could do,” Tribble said. “At the end of the day, it’s not just about the times. It is about helping people achieve things they’ve set out to do.” In his third season as distance coach at Alabama, Tribble understands what it takes to reach goals, even in the face of adversity. After graduating from Athens Christian Academy in Athens, Ga., Tribble ran at Georgia Southern until the school cut the program after his first year. He transferred to the University of Georgia in his hometown. At Georgia, Tribble endured a handful of coaching changes and injuries to earn all-region honors for cross country. Tribble was a two-year captain under his final head coach, current Alabama head coach Dan Waters. Still, Tribble felt that he had some miles left to run. “When I finished my college career, I felt like I had never really done anything, so I started to dabble in marathons,” said Tribble. In 2008, Tribble qualified for the Olympic Trials and placed 46th in the marathon. “That was my swan song with running. That was good enough for me,” said Tribble. “I didn’t want to take away from my job.” Tribble’s job has always been coaching, something he felt inspired to do after a tragedy left him without a coach of his own. In the middle of cross country season during his junior year at Athens Christian, Tribble’s coach, Kent Kramer, died in a car wreck on the way to school. “When that happened, I started to see things a little differently,” said Tribble. “I wanted to be a teacher and coach. Once I got to college, I decided I wanted to coach at the college level.” When his undergraduate career ended, Tribble remained at Georgia as a graduate assistant on Waters’ staff. After that, he spent five years at Arkansas, where he helped lead the women’s cross country team to three consecutive SEC championships. From 2009-11, Tribble coached at Oregon State, where he met his wife Meredith, a volunteer assistant coach at OSU at the time. When Adam moved to Alabama, Meredith left her coaching job at Ole Miss and became a volunteer assistant at the Capstone. Having a spouse who understands the demands of collegiate coaching has been a blessing for Tribble. “It’s a crazy lifestyle,” said Tribble. “When your wife has done it before, it makes it a lot easier.” Things haven’t always been easy for Tribble, but throughout his coaching career, Tribble has used his unique, often difficult experiences to shape the careers of his runners. “Many times in sports, coaches spend four or five years with one person and learn how only one person did it,” said Tribble. “I’ve got a lot of different perspectives to be able to draw from. It’s really helped me to have so many different experiences. I have had the privilege of working with some really good people. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Compliance Corner
We will use this space in each newsletter to highlight various items of use to you as a supporter of our program in the area of recruiting. While every situation differs, the best course of action always is to contact the Athletics Compliance Office (205.348.3641) with questions. With that in mind, here are some basic rules regarding “Do’s and Don’ts” regarding what you, as a supporter of our program, can do for or with prospects: • Boosters are not allowed to contact a prospect in an attempt to recruit or encourage attendance at Alabama. This includes telephone calls, letters, emails, and facsimiles, along with any face-to-face contact on or off the Alabama campus; • Boosters should not attempt to aid in recruiting prospects by obtaining film/videotape or transcripts from a prospect’s educational institution in an effort to evaluate the prospect’s academic eligibility or athletic ability; • If you know of a recruit, you can send information (news articles, game programs) concerning a prospect to the track and field coaching staff; • With regards to social media, you may not post messages on a prospect’s website or social media sites (Facebook, Twitter or other similar sites) encouraging attendance at Alabama; • Boosters should not invite a prospect or a prospect’s family to any booster function or alumni event. This includes informal events such as tailgate parties or meals after games. Your support is a vital element of any success our program can achieve. Please keep the adherence of NCAA rules in mind at all times. Your first instinct whenever you have a question about how to help should be to contact our Compliance Office.
Dan Waters, Head Coach P.O. Box 870393 Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0393
JERSEYS? SINGLETS? WE WANT ‘EM! We would like to include historical artifacts from our program’s past for use in our team room, team meeting room and offices. We want to give our student-athletes a sense of the history of the program and having old jerserys or competition uniforms to put on the walls would help create that environment. So, if you are willing to donate anything of that type please contact Dan Waters at 205.348.3557.
