EUGENE, Ore. – The Gators Women's Track & Field team was propelled to their second consecutive Women's NCAA Outdoor Runner-Up finish by individual championships won by Grace Stark and Parker Valby.
This marks the 3rd time under Head Coach Mike Holloway that the Florida women's team has been crowned a runner-up at the NCAA Championships (1 Indoor, 2 Outdoor), all of which have occurred in the past two seasons.
Stark, who had an outstanding 2024 Outdoor season, ended the campaign with a historic final race. Competing in the 100m H, Stark crossed the finish line first as she captured her second NCAA Individual Championship and first outdoor individual title. Her time of 12.47 is tied for the third fastest in NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships history, the tenth-fastest time in collegiate history and a new University of Florida school record. Additionally, Stark became the first Florida Gator to be crowned a 100m H Champion since 1992.
COMPLETED THE COMEBACK 🥲#GoGators 🐊 pic.twitter.com/xJqKOHGEWL
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) June 8, 2024
In her signature event, the 5000m, Valby claimed her sixth NCAA Individual Championship, fifth of the 2023-2024 academic year and second of the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships. And she did so in collegiate record fashion. The previous collegiate record stood at 15:03.12 before Valby finished Saturday's race in 14:52.18. This is the third collegiate record Valby has captured during the 2024 Indoor and Outdoor seasons (Indoor 5000m, Outdoor 5000m, Outdoor 10,000m). Possibly the most impressive feat is that Valby is the first female distance runner in NCAA HISTORY to win five NCAA Individual Titles in a single academic year.
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) June 8, 2024DISTANCE DOUBLE x2 🐐
🔸 Outdoor 5k COLLEGIATE RECORD
🔸 6⃣ NCAA Individual Titles
🔸 4⃣ in 2024#GoGators 🐊 pic.twitter.com/UooA2nxhIy
ADDITIONAL FINALS RESULTS – SATURDAY
Van Daalen, competing in her second event of the NCAA Outdoor Championships, placed third in the Discus Throw recording a mark of 62.44m/204'10" earning the Gators six points. The sophom*ore had an outstanding year competing in Discus as she was crowned the SEC Champion, set the school record on four separate occasions and is now a First Team All-American in the event for the second consecutive year.
Asekol secured four points behind a time of 4:08.91 in the 1500m and marked the first NCAA First Team All-American honor of her career. Asekol shined in the 1500m during the 2024 season as she stands at No. 2 on the UF All-Time Top 10 List in the event and was the SEC Outdoor Champion.
Thorner became the first Gator to score points in 3000m Steeplechase since Genevieve LaCaze (2012) as she finished sixth with a time of 9:37.30. This marks the third straight year that Thorner has been named a First Team All-American in the event. The sixth-place finish awarded the Gators three points. Thorner concluded a season which saw her capture the 3000m S school record and a SEC Silver Medal in the event.
HOW IT HAPPENED – THURSDAY
The Gators opened the scoring during Thursday's competition as the quartet of Parker Valby, Claire Bryant, Anthaya Charlton and Alida van Daalen tallied a total of 26 points giving the Gators the led through the first day of action.
Two months after making her collegiate debut in the event, Valby was crowned the 10,000m National Champion, crossed the finish line in a meet-record time of 31:46.09 and secured ten points for Florida. She became the first Florida Gator in program history to be an individual champion in the event as she earned her fifth career NCAA Individual Title.
Bryant, who has qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championship in all four years of her collegiate career, recorded a season-best jump of 6.74m/22'1.5" in a series that featured four jumps over 6.50m. Her second-place finish resulted in eight points. With this finish, Bryant became the first American-born collegiate Long Jumper to podium in all eight NCAA Championships during her collegiate career.
Charlton, competing in the Long Jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the first time, notched five points courtesy of a fourth-place finish (6.59m/21'7.5").
Van Daalen added three points thanks to a sixth-place finish in the Shot Put as the sophom*ore recorded a best throw of 17.52m/57'5.75".
POINT BREAKDOWN
100m H, Grace Stark | 10 Points
1500m, Flomena Asekol | 4 Points
3000m S, Elise Thorner | 3 Points
5000m, Parker Valby | 10 Points
10,000m, Parker Valby | 10 Points
Long Jump, Claire Bryant | 8 Points
Long Jump, Anthaya Charlton | 5 Points
Shot Put, Alida van Daalen | 3 Points
Discus, Alida van Daalen | 6 Points
TEAM SCOREBOARD
| Place | Team | Points |
| 1 | Arkansas | 63 |
| 2 | Florida | 59 |
| 3 | Texas | 41 |
| 4 | Oregon | 40.5 |
| 5 | Ole Miss | 38 |
RESULTS
| Saturday, June 8 – Track (Women) | |
| Events / Time (ET) | Place. Athlete – Time | Notes |
| 1500m (Final) | 5. Flomena Asekol – 4:08.91 |
| 3000m S (Final) | 6. Elise Thorner – 9:37.30 |
| 100m Hurdles (Final) | 1. Grace Stark – 12.47 | NCAA Champion, PR, School Record |
| 5000m (Final) | 1. Parker Valby – 14:52.18 | NCAA Champion, Collegiate Record |
| Saturday, June 8 – Field (Women) | |
| Events / Time (ET) | Place. Athlete – Mark | Notes |
| High Jump (Final) | 19. Claire Bryant – 1.77m/5'9.75" |
| Discus Throw (Final) | 3. Alida van Daalen – 62.44m/204'10" |
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