30 Tide Athletes Set For Graduations

The University of Alabama gets a lot of favorable notice for excellent graduation rates of athletes. That success continues Saturday when The University has its winter commencement. More than 30 Crimson Tide athletes are scheduled to receive degrees in Saturday's exercise.

Alabama football has been noted in recent years for being among the top college football teams having graduates in BCS bowl games. That will be the case again on Jan. 7 when the Crimson Tide meets Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship Game at Miami Gardens, Fla.

There will be 11 winter graduates for Bama against the Fighting Irish.

The list includes: Kenny Bell, Christopher Bonds, Quinton Dial, All-America D.J. Fluker, All-America Barrett Jones, Kevin Norwood, All-America Chance Warmack, Ranzell Watkins, All-Southeastern Conference Jesse Williams, Kellen Williams, and Nick Williams.

Six former members of the football squad will also graduate this semester, including: Mark Holt, Kendall Kelly, James Lowery, Corey McCarron, Morgan Oglive, and William Strickland.

All-America Ashley Sledge of the gymnastics team will graduate Saturday, along with two-time NCAA Champion Geralen Stack-Eaton. Ben Eblen and Moussa Gueye of the men’s basketball team will also graduate on Saturday. All-SEC softball player Kendall Dawson will also take home a degree, along with baseball’s Jimmy Nelson.

Oliver Basse and Andrew Reeves of the swimming and diving team will graduate Saturday. Cross country and track and field graduates include Camilla Armstead, Elsbeth Denton, Nicholas Hayes, Kyle Hester, Brittany Hines, Carison Kemei and Jordan Myers.