Alabama

Zimnokh, Jones shine as Alabama men’s tennis records two shutout victories against Kennesaw State and Tennessee Tech

Published

2 years ago

February 4, 2024

Zimnokh, Jones shine as Alabama men’s tennis records two shutout victories against Kennesaw State and Tennessee Tech

Alabama tennis player Andrii Zimnokh competed in the matches on Feb. 3 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Alabama men’s tennis swept the day Saturday after taking down Kennesaw State and Tennessee Tech to grab its fourth and fifth consecutive wins.

In the first match against Kennesaw State, Alabama shut down the Owls in a 7-0 victory.

Junior Filip Planinsek and freshman Andrii Zimnokh outlasted Kennesaw State’s Mikolaj Lis and Hugo Salmeron in a hard-fought doubles match, winning 7-5. The match went back and forth until Planinsek and Zimnokh took the last two points to seal the win.

“We started a little bit slow and with not enough energy, but we were able to get our energy level up, and I think that made the difference,” Zimnokh said.

Planinsek and Zimnokh came into the match the No. 25 doubles players in the nation as the duo secured its third consecutive doubles victory.

Sophomore Roan Jones and graduate student Matic Dimic shined in their doubles match against Kennesaw State. The two took down Agustin Miramontes and Anthony Weingarten 6-1.

In the third doubles match, juniors Enzo Aguiard and Zach Foster faced off against Kennesaw State’s Harvey Conway and Raul Garcia. The match was ruled unfinished after Alabama took the first two doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead in the matchup overall.

In singles, Zimnokh cruised his way to victory, defeating Salmeron in two sets (6-0, 6-0).

Dimic followed suit, securing Alabama’s third point of the matchup, also winning in two sets against Lis (6-4, 6-4).

Jones sealed the match for the Crimson Tide, defeating Weingarten in two sets (6-3, 6-3) to secure Alabama’s fourth point and its fourth straight victory overall to move the Crimson Tide’s record to 4-2 on the spring season.

Jones credited his level of energy and belief to his success in singles play.

“I think staying energetic and believing believing in myself and the guys to play a lot better this season,” Jones said.

Sophomore Yair Sarouk defeated Kennesaw State’s Sam Baldwin in a tie-breaking third set, winning 10-7 (6-0, 4-6, 1-0). Foster additionally won in a tiebreaking set 10-6 over Conway (6-3, 3-6, 1-0).

In the final singles face-off of the match, Aguiard wrapped up Alabama’s shutout victory after winning a tiebreaking third set 10-3 against Garcia (2-6, 7-5, 1-0).

In the second match against Tennessee Tech, Alabama once again swept the scoreboard, taking all 7 points for another shutout victory.

However, the stark difference was the doubles pairings. In this match, Planinsek was paired with Dimic, Jones was paired with Zach Foster, and Zimnokh was paired with Sarouk.

“Those guys had played with each other before in the fall, and in Filip’s case, he and Matic have played with each other before back home in Slovenia,” head coach George Husack said.

In the doubles, Sarouk and Zimnokh took down Tennessee Tech’s Darek Kuczynski and Lukas Krause 6-2. The doubles match win gave Zimnokh his fourth consecutive win in doubles.

Jones and Foster beat Tennessee Tech’s Davids Spaks and Murilo Burckhardt 6-3. Jones notched his sixth consecutive victory in doubles this season, with the first five of the six playing alongside Dimic.

“We have started to understand each other’s games a little better, and we have a good chemistry together now,” Jones said about playing with Dimic.

In singles, Zimnokh posted his second clean sweep of the day, defeating Burckhardt in two sets (6-0, 6-0).

Zimnokh moved to a 6-1 record in singles after his two wins Saturday.

“I think I was playing on a really high level today and I was able to stay focused through both of the matches,” Zimnokh said.

Sarouk sealed the victory for the Crimson Tide after he beat Krause in singles in two sets (6-2, 6-3). The game-winning point clinched Alabama’s fifth consecutive victory on the season as the team moved to a 5-2 record.

Husack attributed the Crimson Tide’s winning streak to getting back into the rhythm of the season.

“Guys are getting a little bit more seasoned, and we are getting a little more healthy,” Husack said.

Up next, the Crimson Tide will head to Chicago on Friday as it takes on Northwestern on Friday at 6 p.m. CT. The team will then end its weekend up north when it goes to Madison, Wisconsin, in a matchup against Wisconsin on Sunday at noon CT.

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Alabama

Alabama names first state AI officer to coordinate agency efforts

Published

1 hour ago

April 30, 2026

Press Room

Alabama names first state AI officer to coordinate agency efforts

Alabama AI officer Aaron Wright began work Monday April 27 as the state’s first Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, a newly created position housed within the Alabama Office of Information Technology.

Wright, who has more than 25 years of experience in health care and state government technology, most recently served as AOIT’s director of application development. He also led the Data Management and Ownership working group within the governor’s Generative AI Task Force.

Wright said in a statement that AI adoption across state agencies has already been underway through informal coordination, and the new role is designed to build on that foundation.

“AI is no longer a future technology; it is here now,” Wright said. “It has become integrated into existing tool sets, and people are using AI tools and platforms throughout their day to enhance and streamline their work.”

He described the position as collaborative rather than regulatory.

“The CAIO position is not intended to be a gatekeeper or a blocker of innovation for Alabama’s agencies,” Wright said, calling it “an advocate, a facilitator, and, when needed, a voice of caution” as agencies adopt AI tools.

Secretary of Information Technology Daniel Urquhart said Wright’s background “positions Alabama to thoughtfully and effectively harness artificial intelligence in ways that can improve outcomes for our agencies and the people we serve.”

Wright said his first priority is creating a shared environment for agencies to compare notes on AI adoption, and that early projects include an AI chatbot for the OIT website.

“Residents should see government services that are simpler, faster and more reliable,” Wright said, including “shorter wait times, more intuitive digital experiences, and better access to information when and where they need it.”

Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].

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Alabama

Summer Alabama forecast. See what AccuWeather predicts for heat, storms

Published

13 hours ago

April 30, 2026

Press Room

Summer Alabama forecast. See what AccuWeather predicts for heat, storms

Alabama faces a summer of intense heat, high humidity, and occasional strong storms, with El Niño influencing shifts across the Southeast weather pattern.

While conditions will vary across the state, AccuWeather forecasters expect heat to dominate statewide. At the same time, storm and flooding risks will be concentrated in specific parts of Alabama as the season progresses.

Here’s what Alabama residents can expect for summer 2026.

Heat and Humidity to dominate Alabama summer 2026

Heat is expected to be the defining feature of the season, with much of Alabama likely to see near- or above-normal temperatures.

Even when highs are typical for late June or July, humidity will push “feels-like” temperatures significantly higher, especially in central and southern Alabama.

That means:

More frequent 90-degree days.
Oppressive humidity across the state.
Warm overnight lows that offer little relief.

As a result, energy demand is also expected to rise as residents rely heavily on air conditioning during extended hot stretches.

Alabama summer storms 2026

Unlike some summers with almost daily thunderstorms, 2026 is expected to feature more distinct periods of storm activity, rather than storms developing continuously throughout the season. These storm-active windows will vary by region in the state.

Storm timing breaks down like this:

Upper to central Alabama: Peak thunderstorm activity in June and July.
Southern Alabama: July into August becomes the more active window.

Derecho Risk focused in northern Alabama

One of the more significant severe weather concerns this summer is the potential for derecho events across northern Alabama.

AccuWeather forecasters are highlighting a moderate risk zone in the upper part of the state, where fast-moving lines of thunderstorms could organize during peak summer instability.

These systems are rare but capable of producing widespread damage when they form.

Will there be drought relief in Alabama?

Flooding risks this summer are not widespread, but they are highly localized in two areas that will need close attention during heavy events.

The main flood-prone zones are the upper western and lower eastern corners of the state. Elsewhere, flooding risk stays within the norm for summer storms.

Bottom line: Don’t expect too much relief this summer.

Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter in Alabama for USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect Team. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@usatodayco.com.

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Alabama

How to Watch No. 3 Alabama Softball vs. No. 21 South Carolina

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2026

Press Room

How to Watch No. 3 Alabama Softball vs. No. 21 South Carolina

Alabama has a quick turnaround to flush its first SEC series loss of the season at Tennessee as the No. 3 Crimson Tide prepares to face No. 21 South Carolina in the regular-season finale at Rhoads Stadium for a three-game series beginning on Thursday.

All three games between Alabama and South Carolina will be streaming only on SEC Network+.

Last year, the Gamecocks took two of three games from the Tide in the regular season series in Columbia under first year head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard, and then beat Alabama in the SEC tournament.

This year, Alabama (44-6, 16-5 SEC) is still fighting for a chance at the regular season conference title two games behind Oklahoma with three games to go. At a minimum, the Tide wants to secure a double-bye in the SEC tournament and as high a seed in the NCAA tournament as possible.

“We need to do our job this year, at home especially, going into the SEC tournament and possible seedings for the NCAA,” Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said. “This is a big weekend for both of us. I know she’d probably say the same thing. But this is huge for us.”

The Gamecocks are coming off back-to-back conference series wins over Missouri and Texas A&M while Alabama is coming in off its first conference series loss. Here’s everything you need to know about this weekend’s series.

How to watch: Alabama vs. South Carolina

Who: No. 21 South Carolina (30-22, 7-14 SEC) at No. 3 Alabama (44-6, 16-5 SEC)

When: Thursday, April 30 – 6 p.m. CT
Friday, May 1 – 6 p.m. CT
Saturday, May 2- 1 p.m. CT

Where: Rhoads Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

TV: SEC Network+

Radio: The Crimson Tide Sports Network on Catfish 100.1 FM in Tuscaloosa (or online) with Tom Canterbury on the call.

Series history: Alabama leads, 33-10
In Tuscaloosa: 19-2 | In Columbia: 14-7 | At Neutral Sites: 0-1

Last meeting: South Carolina eliminated Alabama from the SEC tournament in Athens, Georgia last season with a 6-2 victory over the Crimson Tide. Alabama scored two runs in the first inning, including a leadoff home run by Audrey Vandagriff, before the Gamecocks reeled off six unanswered.

Last time out, Alabama: The Crimson Tide lost to Tennessee, 4-1, in the series finale on Monday. Alabama was on the verge of being shut out for the second straight game before a pinch hit home run by Mari Hubbard in the seventh inning.

Last time out, South Carolina: The Gamecocks run ruled South Carolina State, 9-1, in six innings on Tuesday night for their final non-conference game in the regular season.