Parker Valby Named to Bowerman Preseason Watch List
Valby becomes the 10th woman from Florida to make the watch list.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida Track & Field athlete Parker Valby was named to The Bowerman Women’s Preseason Watch List as announced by the USTFCCCA on Tuesday afternoon.
With this recognition, Valby becomes the 10th woman from Florida to make the watch list and joins the only other Gator distance runner Cory McGee (2014) to be named to the list.
She is now the fifth Gator to have appeared on the preseason watch list over the past three seasons. Valby adds to the growing list of Talitha Diggs, Anna Hall, Jasmine Moore and Grace Stark who made appearances on the list in 2023 and 2022.
Valby has been nothing short of dominant, dating back to the 2023 SEC Outdoor Championships when she claimed a gold medal in the 5000m, setting a facility record of 15:25.03. Nearly a month later, Valby became the NCAA Individual Champion in the event, finishing in 15:30.57.
Then, as the 2023-24 Indoor Track & Field season began, Valby set the new NCAA Indoor Record in the 5000m as she ran a blazing time of 14:56.11. This mark was 16 seconds faster than the previous indoor collegiate record of 15:12.22 which was set by Emily Sisson in 2015. It also undercut the outdoor record (15:03.12) by seven seconds which was set by Katelyn Touhy in 2023.
Additionally, Valby became the first woman to ever run a sub 15-minute 5000m race during collegiate competition.
The redshirt junior looks to add to her resume during the 2024 indoor and outdoor seasons.
ABOUT THE BOWERMAN & WATCH LIST CONSTRUCTION
The Bowerman is bestowed to collegiate Track & Field’s top male and female athlete for the year. The Bowerman Advisory Board, and ultimately, The Bowerman Votes, are instructed to consider performances inclusively from the collegiate indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons only. Cross country results are not within this consideration.
Members of The Bowerman Advisory Board produce these watch lists by voting on their current top-10 among collegiate track & field athletes. The watch list represents the group’s consensus top 10 for that update. Those receiving votes are listed on at least one member’s top 10 but did not garner enough votes to be listed in the consensus top 10. There is a total of eight watch lists during the season.
The Bowerman 2024
Women’s Preseason Watch List
Alia Armstrong, LSU (Sprints/Hurdles)
Lamara Distin, Texas A&M (Jumps)
Axelina Johansson, Nebraska (Throws)
Olivia Markezich, Notre Dame (Distance)
Stephanie Ratcliffe, Georgia (Throws)
Michaela Rose, LSU (Mid-Distance)
Ackelia Smith, Texas (Jumps)
Parker Valby, Florida (Distance)
Addy Wiley, Huntington (Ind.) (Mid-Distance/Distance)
Roisin Willis, Stanford (Mid-Distance)
Receiving Votes: JaMessia Ford, South Carolina (Sprints); McKenzie Long, Ole Miss (Sprints); Hana Moll, Washington (Pole Vault); Maia Ramsden, Harvard (Mid-Distance/Distance); Juliette Whittaker, Stanford (Mid-Distance)
