EXCELLENCE IS EARNED.
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As a highly competitive club team, we offer student athletes an elite training program, the chance to compete at a high level, and the pride of representing the University of Alabama on the water. Whether you're an experienced rower or new to the sport, there's a place for you on this championship-driven team.
Interested in rowing with the Tide? Fill out the recruitment form located on our website. Link in bio. #RollTide | #RowTide
Last up is our fearless and glorious leader, President Supreme General Comrade Ty Murphy.
As Ty always says, “If you ain’t tuckin, you ain’t maintaining the positive image of the club in the state of Alabama and wherever else we may be traveling.” Ty is always tuckin, nose strip on, ready to stroke. Nobody has given more to this team than Ty has. Serving as president for the past two years, Ty has truly built this team to be what it is today. He’s willing to take on any challenge, from mentoring novices to coordinating the team’s outifts. He shows leadership on and off the water, also serving as Co-Leader of the Mcollbros. For everyone reading, don’t forget to attack in Clan War. During his tenure with the team, Ty has medaled twice at SIRA in the lightweight four, raced at Head of The Charles, and shaped the future of Alabama Crew.
While Ty Murphy is graduating, Tyson Murpher will always live on in our hearts, even if his rowing career was brief.
El Presidente, we will miss you. Good luck in med school. Can’t wait for those donations to start hitting the bank account! – Brayden Myers.
Few men can pull off a mustache and cowboy hat. Max is no exception. Seriously, what do people see in him? Nah, who are we kidding? We all see that spark inside of Max, that glint in his eyes, that pain in his back. Max uses his spark to light the fire in our boats. He truly is a leader on and off the water, always encouraging rowers to push themselves to the limit. Max has also served the team as Vice President of Recruitment, and our current novice class is a testament to his success.
If there’s anything I’ve learned in the past two years from Max, it’s that you don’t hassle the Hoff. That doesn’t mean that the Hoff doesn’t hassle though, and believe me, he does. As a student, tutor, and researcher (devoting special attention how nutrional practices impact erg scores), Max’s work ethic shines through in all aspects of his life.
We wish Max luck in the next chapter of his life as he attends George Washington University to pursue his Master’s in psychology.
Our next senior is coxswain and team secretary, Gracie Sunde.
You can always tell when Gracie gets to practice because of the positive energy and fun stories she brings to the boathouse every morning. Not only is Gracie an excellent coxswain, she’s also a talented athlete herself. From winning the coxswain 2k, and even beating one of the rowers, to (almost) running a marathon, Gracie never backs down from a challenge and always gives it everything she has. She’s also our favorite international Strava influencer, keeping us updated on her runs from the cornfields of Nebraska to her study abroad trip in Spain. Lucky for us, Gracie is a safer driver of our boats than she is of our vans, but at least she keeps the vibes up with her unhealthy Taylor Swift obsession when she’s riding those curbs. Gracie’s accomplishments as a coxswain include 2 medals in the lightweight 4 at SIRA, a killer performance to take silver at Hooch in the 1V8, and successfully navigating Charles (she even passed Harvard*). We will miss the positivity Gracie brings to Alabama Crew next year and wish her the best of luck at medical school at the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
*Business school
When thinking of our next senior, the first thing that comes to mind is “I want your heart, I want to eat his children…”. While many associate this quote with Mike Tyson, it is perhaps best at describing our own “Iron Mike”, Michael Patton. But as the king of the boathouse, Michael Patton fights in a different cage, leading our repair efforts, and somehow keeping the Olton on life support for the next generation of novices. While his contributions to the boathouse are great, perhaps even greater are his contributions on the water, where he brings a technical finesse and power that have kept him in our best boats, determined by a singular seat race per year.
A mentor to both our novice and varsity members alike, Michael has served as an experienced leader to his teammates both in and out of the boat, in everything from shindigs to trailer management. While we’re saddened to see him take his operational talent out of Tuscaloosa, we’re beyond excited to hear about all of your future successes as an athlete and a person. Thank you for everything.
Our next senior to highlight is one of our coxswains, Abi Stewart.
You may recognize Abi from her viral ASMR TikToks. But on Alabama Crew, she’s known for always bringing the energy and her great sense of humor, whether it’s when she’s wrangling the 3V or playing her Big Booty Mixes as a van driver. She also knows how to have a good time outside of rowing, never missing a wine Wednesday or being the center of a dance circle. Abi always stays busy whether it’s in cycling classes, her intense chill zones vs study space research, or hanging out with her cats. One of Abi’s greatest sacrifices for the team has been keeping up the tradition of coxswain-Patton relationships on Alabama Crew. Abi has contributed so much to this team as a coxswain, including going undefeated her novice year and bringing home gold in the novice 4 at SIRA. We will miss Abi and wish her the best of luck in Florida next year and in her future career as an interior designer.
Today is a very special day because it marks Aidan’s 1,000th practice with Alabama Crew!
From rowing to coaching to coxing, Aidan truly does it all. No man has more dedication to the team. Balancing working night shifts at the hospital with being a premed student and coaching is no small task, but Aidan fights on nonetheless. His contributions to the team are unmatched, from raising the wolf pack to diligently serving as our media chair (Eric has big shoes to fill). He genuinely does it all.
Despite his heavy workload, though, Aidan is no stranger to having a good time. Believe me, he gets DOWN. You haven’t partied until you’ve partied with the Alpha. And don’t let his appearance deceive you. He HOOPS. With the same spirit as Shaq. Yeah, that’s right, he really does it all. And his coxing. OH MY GOD. I have never heard a man make chicken sounds with such gusto. Totally a jaw dropping performance. He honestly does it all.
We’re seriously, really, truly, genuinely, totally going to miss Aidan with all of our hearts. Wishing you all the best at med school.
While you may mistake him for another tree on the quad, Josh has brought more to the team than just his height. The scourge of footplates, the jolly ginger giant, big reed, Josh served the team as our previous novice representative, where he maximized group cohesion through mass pillow theft, hosting the best shindigs, and conducting a rousing performance of “Row, Row, Row your boat” in canon. In boats, he serves as a constant powerhouse, void steady state, bringing the power to many of our most successful boats, winning multiple medals through his illustrious career.
While Josh may give off the impression of being someone who can’t tell his blade from his handle, Josh is always careful where he puts his oar up, dedicating himself to academic pursuits including history and Latin in his spare time.
We wish Josh the best of luck in his next adventure as an officer in the U.S. Army. Josh big, pull hard.
Today we will highlight Chance’s favorite rower, Reese Gabrielson!
Coming to us after four years of rowing with Atomic in Knoxville, Reese brings a technically sound foundation to any boat he’s in. Reese is defined by a patchwork of eccentricities, from his leopard print trou to his sock shrouded water bottle. Despite far reaching international connections, he always holds a special place in his heart for our novice class. Reese is always willing to lift up his teammates, whether it be with positive encouragement or a warm embrace. While he’s a treat to have on the water, Reese isn’t limited to the waves on the Black Warrior. He also appears on the radio waves discussing everything from cinema to Platonic philosophy.
We wish Reese well as he continues his educational journey pursuing a Master’s degree in philosophy!
Today’s featured senior is Stryker Wylly.
Stryker knows how to back it up, whether it be the launch trailer, the stroke rate, or with his moves on the dance floor. From wall to wall and stroke to bow, Stryker is always there for the team as a rower and our social chair. Every Saturday in the fall, you can find Stryker donning his cargo shorts and polo to man the grill. Stryker is always the guy to talk to, whether you need technique advice, help refereeing a game, or a shoulder to cry on. He can somehow make a four hour drive to a regatta seem enjoyable, and the six hour drive back even better. While Stryker doesn’t partake in the rigging very often, he brings a technical knowledge that is unparalleled. It’s evident that Stryker truly loves the sport, and we will miss the passion and smartassery he brings every day.
Enjoy a lifetime of riding the wave!
Today’s senior is none other than Miller McCarthy.
Coming to us after a backbreaking career of high school football, Miller has become a staple of our team. Despite his back being broken, his spirit is not, and he brings an iconic energy to each and every practice. Miller is well known for providing invaluable feedback to novices, and we all owe some of our technical development to his guidance. When you see his blue Challenger pull up to practice, every novice knows they’re in for a special time. From saving Sam from the Buccee’s parking lot to corralling novices at regattas, you can always count on Miller to be the number one van mom. He’s given his all to the team, and for that, we cannot thank him enough.
While we’ll miss Miller dearly, thankfully he won’t be too far away while he prepares for PA school in Birmingham. Hopefully he comes to visit us every once in a while!!
Next up in our senior spotlight is our transfer from the Men’s Swim Team, Noah Evans. Just because Noah left swimming though, doesn’t mean he left the water.
Noah’s favorite boat is a single (because it doesn’t have a coxswain??). But just because he enjoys a calm row across our pristine river doesn’t mean he can’t get down. During every erg test, you can hear Noah yelling his heart out, doing his best to encourage the rest of the team. Noah truly cares about the rowers on Alabama Crew, and it shows in that he’s always more than willing to give technique advice. This generosity isn’t bound by the gunwhales of a boat, though, as Noah is happy to offer help in all aspects of life, including teaching swimming and coxing lessons.
Thank you Noah for your tremendous impact on the team.
As the season comes to an end, we’d like to thank our seniors who have rebuilt this team after COVID and made it everything it is today.
First up is our oldest rower, Jake “The Hammer” Holcomb. Jake’s rowing successes span from winning as a novice at SIRA to competing at Head of The Charles in Boston. While he is an accomplished rower, even more notable is his impact on the team. From valiantly taking a stand against the bumblebees with a super soaker to disassembling our boat on the water before Charles, Jake is always taking initiative. During his second and third year with the team, Jake served as the Vice President, managing fundraising, recruitment, and social events. While Jake debated furthering his education at Ringling Clown College, he decided to bring his fundraising skills to BMW.
Thank you for everything, Jake! You will be missed.
You heard that right - Alabama Crew is going to Head of the Charles, and we need YOUR help to make it there!!!!
Use the link on our story to donate, Venmo our treasurer @ grayson_b1836, or scan this QR code - all funds go straight to helping the team make it to the LARGEST 3 DAY REGATTA IN THE WORLD!
Medals and pups!! Great day at the Music City Head Race in Nashville! Psyched to show the novice what regattas are all about (and earn themselves some hardware!) Results below!
Men’s Collegiate 4+: 🥈, 🥉
Men’s Collegiate Lightweight 4+: 4th
Men’s Collegiate 8+: 5th
Men’s Collegiate Novice 8+: 🥈
Men’s Collegiate Novice 4+: 🥇, 🥉
🚨ALABAMA CREW MERCH DROP🚨
Scan the QR code or go to the link in our bio to access our store!
Huge thanks to BSN Sports for helping us with making a shop for Alabama Crew gear!! Please consider buying some items to support our team (we get a portion of the proceeds!!!!). All orders must be placed by September 22nd!
Back to school means our Rent-a-Rower fundraising program is in full swing! If you need help with moving, yard work, painting, or any other job in the Tuscaloosa area, please consider renting a rower to support our team!
Check out our website in our bio or email jrholcomb2@crimson.ua.edu for more info
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