ATHENS, Ga. – Junior Zane Waddell gave the Alabama men’s swimming and diving team its fourth Southeastern Conference title of this year’s championships, winning the men’s 100 backstroke during Friday night’s finals at Gabrielsen Natatorium.
Waddell posted a career-best 44.77 in finals, coming within .04 of 2017 UA senior Connor Oslin’s SEC record and within two-tenths of Oslin’s school mark, to earn Alabama’s third 100 backstroke title in the past four years.
The Tide closed out the night with a silver medal in the men’s 400 medley relay, marking its third top-two relay finish of these championships. Waddell combined with seniors Laurent Bams, Knox Auerbach and Robert Howard to post a school record 3:04.17 and reach the podium.
In the team race, the Tide men are sixth with 559.50 points after day four, while the women are 11th with 312.50 points.
Howard receives SEC honor
Alabama senior Robert Howard was voted the Southeastern Conference Male Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the league coaches.
He is a nine-time All-American and four-time SEC champion in the pool and, with a 4.0 grade point average in accounting, is also an academic All-American.
