The Alabama track and field team closed out the outdoor season with 31 All-America honors following an outdoor season that saw the Crimson Tide men and women both finish in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships.
“We had a great showing at the NCAA Championships, which was indicative of the way we trained and prepared this season,” UA head coach Dan Waters said. “I also think the number of All-America honors that we earned is a good barometer of how well we performed at the outdoor championships.”
Senior Gilbert Kigen earned first-team recognition in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, while junior Mauricia Prieto was named to the first team as part of the 4×100-meter and 4×400-meter relays.
Juniors Takyera Roberson, Katie Funcheon and Natassha McDonald also earned First Team All-America accolades as part of the 4×400-meter relay, while sophomore Daija Lampkin and Tamara Clark and junior Symone Darius joined Prieto on the first team as part of the 4×100-meter relay.
Seniors Portious Warren and Kord Ferguson along with sophomore Samantha Zelden earned first-team honors in the throws, with Warren making the list in the women’s shot put, Ferguson in the men’s discus and Zelden in the women’s javelin.
The Tide also had a trio of First Team All-Americans in the high jump, with senior Stacey Destin and junior Abigail Kwarteng earning the recognition for the women, while junior Shelby McEwen grabbed the accolade on the men’s side.
Junior Esther Gitahi, the Tide’s last individual competitor during the championships weekend, made the first-team list in the 5,000 meters.
The Crimson Tide women totaled 13 First Team All-America honors, the third-highest total in the nation, while the men had four first-team honors, giving Alabama a combined total of 17, which ranks sixth nationally.
The Tide also came away with nine Second Team All-America honors and five honorable-mention accolades.
Seniors Haley Teel (shot put) and Kiara Williams (long jump), junior Robert Dunning (110-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles) and freshman Bobby Colantonio Jr. (hammer throw) along with Clark (100 and 200 meters), McDonald (400 meters) and Prieto (200 meters) earned second-team honors.
Sophomore Nickolette Dunbar (shot put) and freshman Chago Basso (shot put) as well as Ferguson (shot put), Funcheon (400 meters) and Lampkin (200 meters) were named honorable mention.
