Valby was named Women’s Runner of the Year and Holloway was labeled Men’s Coach of the Year.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After being named South Region Women’s Runner of the Year and Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year during the indoor season, Parker Valby and Head Coach Mike Holloway are now being honored for their outstanding accomplishments during the outdoor season.
Valby was once again dubbed South Region Women’s Runner of the Year while Coach Holloway claims the title of South Region Men’s Coach of the Year.
Across both Track & Field and Cross Country, Valby has been presented with four South Region Women’s Runner of the Year Awards: 2022 Cross Country, 2023 Cross Country, 2024 Indoor Track & Field and 2024 Outdoor Track & Field.
In 2024 Coach Holloway has swept the South Region Men’s Coach of the Year awards while also adding a South Region Women’s Coach of the Year accolade during the indoor season.
PARKER VALBY – SOUTH REGION WOMEN’S RUNNER OF THE YEAR
As dominant as her indoor season was, Valby may have had a more impressive outdoor season. The Florida native began the season competing at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California where she made her collegiate debut in the 10,000m. In said debut, Valby snapped a collegiate record that had stood for 14 years. She shattered the previous record (31:18.07) by 28 seconds as she crossed the finish line in 30:50.43. In doing so, she joined an elite group of women as she became the 13th woman in American history to break the 31-minute barrier. Several weeks later, Valby returned to her home track set to compete in the 5000m at SEC Outdoor Championships. Running a time of 15:07.86, Valby was crowned the back-to-back SEC Outdoor 5000m Champion. The redshirt junior ended her campaign at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships where she claimed her fifth and sixth NCAA Individual Championship while participating in the 10,000m and 5000m. In the 10,000m, Valby became the first Gator in school history to win the NCAA Championship in the event and did so in meet-record fashion finishing the race in 31:46.09. Two days later, Valby stepped onto the track to defend her 5000m title. She did so in dominant fashion as she claimed her third collegiate record, posting a time of 14:52.18, on route to her first-place finish. The time also stood as a meet, facility, program and personal record.
MIKE HOLLOWAY – SOUTH REGION MEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR
In his 22nd year as the Head Coach of the Men’s Track & Field team, Mike Holloway led the Gators to the program’s third consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championship, seventh Men’s Outdoor National Champion and the Track & Field program’s 15th overall. During the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the Florida Gators totaled 17 All-American honors, the most by any team in the nation, 13 of which were in sprints/relays, the discipline Coach Holloways works most closely with. Two of his athletes finished top-three in individual events at the NCAA Championships. Robert Gregory recorded a season-best time on route to a second-place finish in the 200m and Jevaughn Powell tallied a huge personal best to earn third place in the 400m.
USTFCCCA NCAA DIV. I OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD SOUTH REGION AWARDS
Men’s Runner of the Year
Christopher Morales Williams, Georgia
Men’s Field Athlete of the Year
Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan, Ole Miss
Women’s Runner of the Year
Parker Valby, Florida
Women’s Field Athlete of the Year
Elena Kulichenko, Georgia
Men’s Head Coach of the Year
Mike Holloway, Florida
Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year
Ken Harnden, Auburn
Women’s Head Coach of the Year
Connie Price-Smith, Ole Miss
Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year
Holland Sherrer, Ole Miss
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