Gators Crowned 2023 SEC Women’s Cross Country Champions

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 7 Florida Gators Women’s Cross Country team was crowned the 2023 SEC Cross Country Champions after their first place finish at the conference meet in Columbia, South Carolina.
 

𝐒𝐄𝐂 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 🏆#GoGators 🐊 pic.twitter.com/YkAqzSaxt2

— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) October 27, 2023

 
The women won with a total of 49 points, finishing ahead of Arkansas (59), Tennessee (80), Alabama (84) and fifth place Ole Miss (107). All five of the athletes scoring for the women placed in the top-20, with three finishing in the top-10.
 
This marked the program’s seventh SEC Cross Country title and first since 2012. The Gators also took home Championships in 1984, 1996, 1997, 2009 and 2010.
 

Hardware is coming HOME! 🏆#GoGators 🐊 pic.twitter.com/1YwgHwmYxr

— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) October 27, 2023

 
Women’s Cross Country claims Florida Athletics first SEC title of the 2023-2024 calendar year. Florida has picked up at least one SEC team title for 46 consecutive seasons – the league’s longest current streak.
 
WOMEN’S SEC CHAMPIONS
 
The Gators were led by Paker Valby who battled with the leaders for the first two-thirds of the race but was able to separate from the pack in the final 2000m, eventually ending in a first place finish. Valby was crowned the SEC Women’s Individual Cross Country Champion for the second consecutive year. Her margin of victory was an outstanding 33.8 seconds, recording a time of 18:37.5.
 

Parker wins BACK-TO-BACK!

💻https://t.co/DHXxVvdiyZ pic.twitter.com/QsoKZnn9Qu

— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) October 27, 2023

 
Flomena Asekol may have ran the most impressive race of her collegiate career. The transfer from the University of Alabama, finished fourth behind two members of her former college, crossing the finish line in 19:31.9. Asekol slowly overtook her opponents throughout the race as at the 800m mark she stood in 13^th, by approximately the 2000m mark she had made her way to 8^th, and reached her 4^th place spot by the final 1000m.
 
Making her Florida Gators, season and SEC debut, Amelia Mazza-Downie placed 8^th overall finishing with a time of 19:56.7. Mazza-Downie settled into her spot halfway through the race as her and fellow University of New Mexico transfer Elise Thorner held possession of the 11^th and 12^th positions on the leaderboard.
 
Thorner…