Valby was named South Region Women’s Track Athlete of the Year while Holloway was labeled Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year and Palmer was slated as Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Following the NCAA Indoor Championships in which the Florida Gators took home third and second place team finishes, the USTFCCCA is recognizing Parker Valby, Head Coach Mike Holloway and Assistant Coach Will Palmer with yearly South Region awards.
Valby was named South Region Women’s Track Athlete of the Year, Holloway claimed both the Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year awards and Palmer was slated as Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year.
PARKER VALBY WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
The Tampa, Florida native began and ended her 2023-2024 indoor season in the same place: Boston, Mass. She began the season competing at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener where while competing in the women’s 5000m, Valby broke the collegiate record in the event with a time of 14:56.11. Three months later, Valby snapped her own collegiate record in the event as she competed in the 5000m at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Her time of 14:52.79 at the national championships was not only a new collegiate record but was also a meet record, facility record, school record and personal record and defeating her competition by an outstanding 23 seconds. However, she was not finished. A day later Valby set out to complete the “distance double” as she was entered in the 3000m. She once again set records on route to her second NCAA Individual Championship of the weekend as she set a meet record and personal record time of 8:41.50. This time stood as the third fastest women’s 3000m time ever recorded in collegiate competition.
MIKE HOLLOWAY MEN’S AND WOMEN’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 a third-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships with 39 points and securing 14 All-American honors. The Gators qualified nine athletes in 10 events to the NCAA Indoor Championships along with a relay team. Additionally, Holloway led the Gators to a runner-up finish at the SEC Indoor Championships, winning two events.
Coach Mike Holloway also had a successful season leading the Women’s Track & Field to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The Gators tallied 50 points led by two championships by Parker Valby (3000m, 5000m) and two runner-up finishes by Grace Stark (60m H) and Claire Bryant (Long Jump). The Gators qualified five athletes in seven events to the NCAA Championships along with a relay team. Furthermore, Holloway coached the Gators to a runner-up finish at the SEC Indoor Championships, winning five events.
WILL PALMER WOMEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
Coach Will Palmer, is his second year as an assistant coach with the Florida Gators, coached Parker Valby to two national titles in the 3000m and 5000m at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships. As described above, Palmer was not only able to coach Valby to the individual championship but set records in the process. Additionally, Palmer was able to coach Flomena Asekol to a school record mile time of 4:26.47 during the season which qualified Asekol for the NCAA Championships where she eventually placed 8th in the mile. Asekol’s time of 4:26.47 is the fourth fastest women’s mile time in collegiate history.
USTFCCCA 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
Jalani Davis, Ole Miss
Men’s Head Coach of the Year
Mike Holloway, Florida
Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year
Rob Jarvis, Miami (Fla.)
Women’s Head Coach of the Year
Mike Holloway, Florida
Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year
Will Palmer, Florida
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