Ryan Willie, Jasmine Moore, and Alida van Daalen all received SEC Outdoor honors
BIRMINGHAM, AL. – Three Gators were named recipients of top SEC Outdoor Track and Field Awards by the Southeastern Conference (SEC) on Wednesday. Ryan Willie won Men’s Runner of the Year, Jasmine Moore won Women’s Field Athlete of the Year, and Alida van Daalen won Women’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year.
Junior Ryan Willie has performed incredibly this season, competing in 11 race this season, finishing top-3 nine times and winning the event six times. At the NCAA East Preliminaries, Willie finished first in the 400, (45.70), 4×100 (38.82), 4×400 (3:05.70) advancing to the NCAA Championship in all three events. He was named First Team All-SEC and medaled in three events at the SEC Outdoor Championship winning gold in the 400m (44.27), gold in the 4×400 (2:57.76), and silver in the 4×100 (37.93). Willie’s SEC Championship 400m time was the fastest time in the nation this year, fourth fastest in the world this year, second fastest in school history, and the eleventh fastest in collegiate history. His performance in the 4×400 was equally as impressive, running a 400m split of 43.3, helping set a new collegiate record in the event and running the eighth fastest 4×400 relay time in world history. These and other performances throughout the year earned him SEC Outdoor Men’s Runner of the Year honors.
Jasmine Moore, a senior, continues her unparalleled horizontal jumps. Moore’s performances at the NCAA East Preliminaries advanced her to the National Championship in both the long and triple jump. She won gold in the long jump (6.88m/22’7″) and triple jump (14.14m/46’4.75″) at the SEC Outdoor Championships and was named to the All-SEC First Team. Her mark in the long jump is a new personal best, breaking the school record that was previously held by Yanis David. Moore has won gold in both the long and triple jump at every SEC meet since becoming a Gator. She has also won the triple jump at each of the last 6 SEC Championship events, 3 straight indoor titles and 3 straight outdoor titles. Moore’s incredible 2023 season earned her SEC Outdoor Women’s Field Athlete of the Year honors.
Alida van Daalen continues her record setting freshman campaign, qualifying for the NCAA Championship in both the shot put and discus. Van Daalen earned First Team All-SEC honors, winning gold shot put (18.07m/59’3.5″) and silver in the discus (59.02m/193’8″) at the SEC Outdoor Championships. Her discus mark extended the school record she set earlier in the season. At the Tom Jones Memorial, van Daalen’s mark of 18.14m/59’6.25″ in the shot put gave her the fourth best throw in school history in the event. The SEC rewarded her performances this season with the Outdoor Women’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year.
All three Gator award winners will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championship next Wednesday through Saturday, June 7-10, looking to add to their already impressive indoor seasons.
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