Parker Valby Shatters Records and Cruises to Individual SEC Championship

The Gators women’s team placed fifth and the men’s team placed tenth at the SEC Championships.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Parker Valby entered the SEC Championships having raced once this season, a performance at the Arturo Barrios Invite that won her the SEC Women’s Runner of the Week. Her second race improved upon the first in every manner. Valby ran a 18:25.7, cementing her name in the record books by running the fastest 6k in Florida women’s history. This time shattered the previous record by 29.08 seconds. The redshirt sophomore also won the seventh women’s SEC Individual Championship in school history, the sixth individual to do so and the third since the SEC Championship transitioned to a 6k. This is the fastest 6k time in SEC Championship history, besting the previous record of 18:55.0 set by former Gator Jessica Pascoe in 2018.

As a team, the Florida women finished fifth collecting 147 points. Valby led the way followed by Jordan Shapiro and Vasileia Spyrou, as all three finished in the top 20. This is the women’s highest finish since 2018 when they placed second and Jessica Pascoe won the individual title. The men’s team placed tenth, with Cavan Wilson crossing the line first for the Gators.

Up next, the Gators take part in the NCAA South Regional in Huntsville, Alabama on November 11.

SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
Men’s
Team Finish

Florida – 10th of 14 (294 points)

Individual Finishes

Cavan Wilson- 50th, 24:44.51

Javi Vento- 64th, 25:12.16

Aiden Villasuso- 66th, 25:16.62

Orlando Cicilioni- 72th, 25:26.1

Ethan Geiger- 83rd, 25:49.84

Josh Stern- 87th, 26:03.32

Mac Wright- 89th, 26:14.83

Ryan Miller- 93rd, 26:29.06