Stark and Valby Crowned NCAA Individual Champions, Florida Women’s Track & Field Earns Runner-Up Finish

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 3^rd 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.
 

DISTANCE DOUBLE x2 🐐

🔸 Outdoor 5k COLLEGIATE RECORD

🔸 6⃣ NCAA Individual Titles

🔸 4⃣ in 2024#GoGators 🐊 pic.twitter.com/UooA2nxhIy

— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) June 8, 2024

 
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 sophomore 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…