UF T&F: Gators Punch Seven Tickets to NCAA Outdoor Championships on Final Day of East Preliminaries

The Gators will boast eight athletes and twelve entries at the National Championship.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Gators Women’s Track & Field program concluded punching their tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday. The Gators women now total eight athletes and twelve entries in the National Championship.

Six athletes secured seven spots during the final day of women’s preliminary action. The six gators include: Flomena Asekol (1500m, 5000m), Claire Bryant (High Jump), Grace Stark (100m H), Elise Thorner (3000m S), Parker Valby (5000m) and Alida van Daalen (Discus).

Outlined below is how these athletes secured their spots in Eugene.

Women’s Discus Throw
Competing in her second event of NCAA East Preliminaries, van Daalen locked up a spot in another event at the National Championship in dominant fashion. The sophomore recorded two throws of over 65m (65.23m/214’0” & 65.25m/214’1”) during the series, earning her the top finish at the 2024 NCAA East Preliminaries. The mark of 65.25m/214’1” makes van Daalen the No. 3 all-time collegiate performer and the 2024 collegiate leader. The Netherlands native has now qualified for the National Championship in both the Shot Put and Discus Throw for two consecutive seasons.

Women’s High Jump
Bryant was the second Gator to secure a second bid to the National Championship. Participating in the High Jump, the senior’s mark of 1.84m/6’0.5” is a personal record, ties the NCAA East Preliminaries record and earned Bryant a seventh-place finish. Just as van Daalen, this marks the second consecutive year that Bryant will compete in two events at the NCAA Outdoors (Long Jump and High Jump).

Women’s 1500m

Asekol set her second personal record of the weekend while competing in the quarterfinal round of the 1500m. Competing in the first of two heats, Asekol took the lead in the final 200m to secure the top spot in her heat and second fastest time in the field (4:07.10) allowing her to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the event for the third straight year.

Women’s 3000m Steeplechase
The Gators notched another auto-qualifying performance when Thorner crossed the finish line in the 3000m Steeplechase. The senior will appear at NCAA Outdoors in the steeplechase for the third straight year. Thorner earned the automatic bid by placing first in the third heat and recording a time of 9:55.99 during Saturday afternoon’s action.

Women’s 100m H
Stark broke Masai Russell’s facility record en route to punching her ticket to Eugene, Oregon. Stark recorded a 100m H time of 12.55 which earned her the top qualifying spot and marks the third time this season Stark has run a time in the of 12.56 or faster. She will compete in the event at Nationals for the second year in a row and the third time in her collegiate career.

Women’s 5000m
Both Parker Valby and Flomena Asekol advanced to the NCAA Championships in the 5000m after recording first and fifth place finishes, respectively, in the first of two heats at NCAA Preliminaries. Valby’s time of 15:19.76 was 23 seconds faster than the second-place finisher in the heat. Asekol recorded a personal record time in the competition crossing the finish line in 15:43.16. Her time now stands at No. 3 on the UF All-Time Top 10 List.

RESULTS
Saturday, May 25 – Track

Events

Place. Athlete – Time | Notes

1500m (Quarterfinals)

2. Flomena Asekol – 4:07.10 | PR, Advanced to NCAA Championships

3000m S (Quarterfinals)

5. Elise Thorner – 9:55.99 | Advanced to NCAA Championships

100m H (Quarterfinals)

1. Grace Stark – 12.55 | Advacned to NCAA Championships

5000m (Semifinals)

2. Parker Valby – 15:19.76 | Advanced to NCAA Championships
10. Flomena Asekol – 15:43.16 | Advanced to NCAA Championships

Saturday, May 25 – Field