CRIMSON TIDE NOTEBOOK: Tide golf team set for Jerry Pate Intercollegiate

University of Alabama senior Michael Thompson, the nation’s top-ranked amateur golfer, is among the collegiate elite who will gather in Birmingham over the next few days for the 2007 Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate.

UA will host the tournament for the 21st year, this time on Monday and Tuesday at Birmingham’s Old Overton Club, host of the 12-team event since 1997.

“This tournament is a big part of what Alabama golf is all about,” said Crimson Tide coach Jay Seawell, whose team is ranked No. 2 in the Golf World/Nike Golf College Coaches’ Poll and No. 4 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.

“We get a chance to host a golf tournament and bring in some of the best teams in the country to the state of Alabama. Mr. Pate has always given back to golf, college golf, and especially the University of Alabama, and this tournament is a tribute to what he has done. It’s a great college golf tournament on the calendar.”

Alabama is the tournament’s defending champion, setting a school 54-hole record to win it last fall. The 2007 field includes Alabama, Auburn, Brigham Young, East Tennessee State, Florida, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, North Carolina, Texas, Texas Tech, UAB and UNLV.

Six of the teams are ranked among the Top 25 in the Golf World/Nike Coaches poll, including No. 2 Alabama, No. 5 Florida, No. 16 UNLV, No. 19 ETSU, No. 23 Texas and No. 25 Georgia State. Seven are ranked among the Top 35 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, including No. 4 Alabama, No. 10 Auburn, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 19 Florida, No. 23 UAB, No. 28 ETSU and No. 32 Texas.

Led by medalist Joseph Sykora, Alabama won the fall 2006 JPNI setting a school 54-hole record at 819. Sykora also set a 54-hole individual record in his win, shooting 67-67-65/199 on the par-71 course.

“It should be some good golf, some really good competition,” said Thompson, who was a 2007 U.S. Amateur finalist.

“The Jerry Pate is our second opportunity to defend one of our titles from last year. We did that successfully at the Carpet Capital Collegiate earlier this year, so we look forward to going out there with a strong team, playing against good competition and hopefully successfully defending our title there, as well. Last year at the Jerry Pate we played very well.

“We set school scoring records. Joseph won the tournament individually and set an individual scoring record, shot 14-under, 199 for three rounds, which is fabulous. And we set some single-day scoring records as well as the total team record, so we look forward to trying to do it again this year. The course is set up perfect for us. We’ll just go out there and play hard and see what happens in the end.”

The five golfers who will compete in the JPNI for the Crimson Tide are defending individual champion Sykora (72.17 stroke average), Thompson (69.67), Mark Harrell (73.44), Gator Todd (74.78) and Matt Hughes (72.50).

Women’s golf

ranked in top 10

After a dominant performance last week, the Crimson Tide women’s golf team has earned the highest ranking in Alabama history and its first top-10 ranking in head coach Mic Potter’s three seasons at the Capstone.

The team is ranked ninth in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings as well as 19th in the NGCA Coaches Poll.

After coming close in the season-opening Cougar Classic and finishing in a tie for third, the Tide put all the pieces together and captured the team title at the Wildcat Fall Invitational. In addition to the team victory, Tide players finished in each of the top three individual spots. The Tide led from start to finish en route to its first tournament championship since the fall of 2005.

The Tide was led at the Wildcat Fall Invitational by true freshman Courtney Harter, whose 213 was the lowest round for any Alabama golfer this year. Harter, competing as an individual, won the first medal of her career. Before Harter, former All-American Jenny Suh was the last UA golfer to win an individual title. Suh won a medal last February at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic.

Camilla Lennarth and Kathleen Ekey rounded out the top three in Lexington with solid performances. Lennarth finished one stroke behind Harter, while Ekey put together a 216, her best effort as a Tide player.

Alabama returns to the course Oct. 12, when the Tide travels to Knoxville to compete in the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship.

Volleyball hits road

The UA volleyball team heads on the road again this week to take on the 20th-ranked LSU Tigers today before heading to Oxford, Miss., to face Ole Miss on Sunday.

Alabama is 8-7 overall and 5-1 in the SEC after splitting matches at home last weekend. The Crimson Tide defeated South Carolina before falling to No. 6 Florida.

“It is important that our team gets better in the practice gym this week before we head to LSU and Ole Miss,” UA coach Judy Green said. “Our team is coming off a hard-fought weekend of SEC competition and this upcoming weekend will be even more challenging. Our focus is on us and improving what we do best.”

The series between the Tide and the Tigers is knotted at 22 after 31 years of competition. Last season the two teams each picked up a win on their home court. Alabama’s win against LSU was a landmark victory, as the Tide defeated its first-ever top 10 opponent in the 10th-ranked Tigers.

Bernier honored

UA freshman goalkeeper Justine Bernier picked up two national honors this week in addition to being named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

Bernier was honored by Soccer America as goalkeeper for National Team of the Week. The publication picks the top 11 soccer players from around the country each week.

She was also one of 16 players honored by Soccer Buzz Magazine on their weekly Elite Team of the Week. The publication chose Bernier as one of three goalkeepers throughout the country.

The Toronto, Ontario, Canada, native is currently leading the SEC in saves with 77 and saves per game with an average of 7.70, which also ranks as the 16th best in the nation.

In her first week of SEC competition this past weekend she recorded 26 saves against Vanderbilt and Kentucky. She tallied 13 saves in a double overtime tie against the Commodores including two saves in overtime to preserve the tie.

She led the Tide past Kentucky for the first time since 1998 with her 13 saves Sunday afternoon.

Men’s cross country eighth in nation

The UA men’s cross country team jumped nine spots from No.17 last week to No. 8 in the latest United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll. It is believed to be the highest in season ranking for the Tide in recent memory.

For the first time in school history Alabama is ranked ahead of Arkansas in the polls. The Hogs have won 33 consecutive conference titles, including 16 straight since joining the SEC.

Alabama remains as the No. 1 team in the South Regional for the third consecutive week.

The Tide had a very impressive showing against the top teams in the country at the Bill Dellinger Invitational on the campus of the University of Oregon.

The then-No. 17 Tide turned in a third place finish behind host team No. 3 Oregon and No. 1 Wisconsin. Alabama finished ahead of No. 6 UTEP (finished sixth), No. 11 Portland (finished fourth), No. 21 UCLA (finished fifth), No. 22 Cal Poly (finished eighth) and No. 30 Washington (finished seventh).

Bor finished third in the race with a time of 23:36 over the 8k course. He was in the hunt for the individual title but was out sprinted in the last 100 meters to finish third.

The Tide will take this weekend off before competing at the NCAA Pre-Nationals race Oct. 13, in Terre Haute, Ind. That event will take place on the same course and the NCAA Championship in November.

Tuten hired as

rowing assistant

Tuscaloosa native Derek Tuten has been named assistant coach of the UA rowing team, head coach Larry Davis announced recently.

Tuten joins Davis, assistant coach Marina Traub and graduate assistant coach Megan McKee on the Tide coaching staff. Prior to joining the Alabama staff, Tuten served as head coach of the Alabama Crew Club, leading the men to a win at the Head of the South and a finalist spot at the S.I.R.A. Championships.

A 1997 graduate of Central High School, Tuten coached the Alabama Crew Club for two years as an assistant under Davis before taking over the reins last year. During that period the club was a consistent medalist, including earning gold at the S.I.R.A. Championships.

The Alabama Rowing team begins its second varsity season Oct. 13 at the Head of the Chattanooga Regatta.

David Wasson’s Crimson Tide Notebook appears Fridays. Reach him at david.wasson@tuscaloosanews.com or at 205-722-0229.