Jacory Patterson, Talitha Diggs, Jasmine Moore, and Alida Van Daalen all received SEC Indoor honors
BIRMINGHAM, AL. – Four Gators were named recipients of top SEC Indoor Track and Field Awards by the Southeastern Conference (SEC) on Wednesday. Jacory Patterson won Co-Men’s Runner of the Year, Talitha Diggs won Women’s Runner of the Year, Jasmine Moore won Women’s Field Athlete of the Year, and Alida Van Daalen won Women’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year.
Senior Jacory Patterson performed exceptionally at the SEC Indoor Championships, earning gold in the 200m (20.29) and silver in the 400m (45.05). His 200m time was the second fastest in school history and third fastest in the world this year. Patterson’s performance in the 400m was equally as impressive with a time of 45.05, the third fastest in school history and the second fastest in the world this year. He was named First Team-All SEC, for his performances in the 200m and 400m, and awarded the Cliff Harper Trophy for most points scored by an athlete at the SEC Indoor Championship. Patterson also excelled in relays this season, helping the team run the third-fastest 4×400 time in school history at the Tyson Invitational (3:02.18). He shares the honor of SEC Indoor Co-Men’s Runner of the Year with Elija Godwin of Georgia.
Talitha Diggs has put together a historic 2023 indoor season in her junior. Her performance at the SEC Indoor Championships in the 400m (50.15), setting the American record, secured her First Team All-SEC honors. She has broken three school records this year in the 200m (36.12), 400m (50.15), and 4×400 (3:27.58) events. Diggs won gold in the 400m at SEC Indoors, setting the American, collegiate, facility, meet in school records in the event. It was also the eighth fastest time in world history in the indoor 400m. This outstanding season earned her the SEC Indoor Women’s Runner of the Year.
Jasmine Moore, a senior, continues to dominate women’s horizontal jumps. She won gold in both the women’s long jump (6.91m/22’8″) and triple jump (14.09m/46’2.75″) at the SEC Indoor Championships. Her mark in the long jump is a new personal best, improving upon her own school record by almost 7 inches. This mark is also the second-farthest jump in collegiate history. Moore has won gold in both the long and triple jump at every SEC meet since becoming a Gator. She has also won the triple jump at each of the last 5 SEC Championship events, 3 straight indoor titles and 2 straight outdoor titles. With such strong performances, Moore earned the SEC Indoor Women’s Field Athlete of the Year honors.
Freshman Alida Van Daalen has not been a Gator long but has quickly made her mark in the records books. She participated in three meets this year, throwing a top-10 school mark in each competition. Van Daalen’s mark of 18.66m/61’2.75″ won gold in women’s shot put at the SEC Indoor Championships. This distance broke the 13-year-old school record, is the third farthest distance in the nation this year (first in the SEC), and ninth farthest in the world. The SEC rewarded her performance with the Indoor Women’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year.
All four Gator award winners will compete at the NCAA Indoor Championship this Friday and Saturday, March 10 and 11, looking to add to their already impressive indoor seasons.
FOLLOW THE GATORS
SOCIAL: Twitter<https://twitter.com/GatorsTF> | Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/pages/University-of-Florida-Track-Field-and-Cross-Country/272013273259?ref=bookmarks> | YouTube<https://www.youtube.com/user/uftrack> | Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/gatorstf/?hl=en>
