UF XC: Florida Prepared to Take Part in NCAA Cross Country Championships

The Gators are among 31 teams competing for the 2023 national title.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After what has already been a historic season for the Florida women’s cross country team, the Gators have chance to ink their name in the history books as the are set to compete in the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Florida earned its NCAA Championships berth as one of two auto-qualifying teams emerging from the 2023 NCAA South Regional. Junior Parker Valby<https://floridagators.com/sports/cross-country/roster/parker-valby/16308> won her second consecutive NCAA South Regional individual title in 2023. She was runner-up in the 2022 NCAA Championships as an individual.

Additionally, Florida swept the 2023 Southeastern Conference team and individual (Valby) cross country titles. Six SEC women’s team advancing to the NCAA Championships leads all conferences in 2023.

The team will compete in the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2018 when they placed 16th. The Gators hope to chase the program’s highest national team placement of seventh, accomplished in 2009 and at the final AIAW Championships.

The race will consist of 31 teams, all but one of which are ranked in the latest USTFCCCA NCAA Division I National Coaches’ Poll.

The women’s 6k race starts at 10:20 a.m. ET at the Panorama Farms<https://www.panoramafarms.com/panorama-running>.

HOW THE TEAM CLINCHED THEIR SPOT

Florida’s team consisting of Flomena Asekol<https://floridagators.com/sports/cross-country/roster/flomena-asekol/16386>, Sayla Donnelley<https://floridagators.com/sports/cross-country/roster/sayla-donnelley/16387>, Lucinda Rourke<https://floridagators.com/sports/cross-country/roster/lucinda-rourke/16301>, Elise Thorner<https://floridagators.com/sports/cross-country/roster/elise-thorner/16390>, Parker Valby<https://floridagators.com/sports/cross-country/roster/parker-valby/16308>, Allison Wilson<https://floridagators.com/sports/cross-country/roster/allison-wilson/16392> and Liina Winborn<https://floridagators.com/sports/cross-country/roster/liina-winborn/16312> recorded a second-place finish at the NCAA South Regional<https://floridagators.com/news/2023/11/10/womens-cross-country-punches-ticket-to-ncaa-championships.aspx>. The quartet of Valby, Asekol, Wilson and Thorner earned All-Region honors with their top 25 individual finishes.

No. 11 Tennessee won the NCAA South Region with 61 points, followed by Florida (79). The next three teams – No. 23 Ole Miss (95), No. 20 Alabama (98) and No. 25 Lipscomb (107) – also advanced to the 2023 NCAA Championships with at-large berths.

POTENTIAL GATOR PARTICIPANTS
Gators participating in the NCAA South Regional are subject to change.

PARTICIPATING TEAMS
The women’s 6k championship features 31 teams.

Auto-Qualifiers: Arkansas, Boston College, BYU, Florida, Furman Georgetown, Iowa State, NC State, Northern Arizona, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, Stanford, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Wisconsin.

At-Large: Alabama, California Baptist, Colorado, Colorado State, Harvard, Lipscomb, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Providence, Utah, Utah Valley, Virginia and Washington.

NCAA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS INFORMATION & DETAILS
Location Charlottesville, Virginia
Date/Times Saturday, November 18
Meet Schedule Women’s Championship – 10:20 a.m. ET
Distances Women’s Championship: 6k
Stats 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships Live Results<https://live.pttiming.com/xc-ptt.html?mid=5806>
Broadcast (ESPNU) 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships Broadcast<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/1e956cb9-a562-4b97-865c-c0e033b12a11>

FLORIDA WOMEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
Year Team Team Points Top Gator
2022 2. Parker Valby<https://floridagators.com/sports/cross-country/roster/parker-valby/16308>
2021 27. Parker Valby<https://floridagators.com/sports/cross-country/roster/parker-valby/16308>
2019 86. Jessica Pascoe
2018 16th 455 32. Jessica Pascoe
2013 33. Agata Strausa
2012 23rd 518 54. Florence Ngetich
2011 42. Genevieve LaCaze
2010 29th 635 105. Charlotte Browning
2009 7th<http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_cross_country_champs_records/2010/d1wcc.pdf> 260 15. Rebecca Lowe
2008 17th 454 75. Genevieve Lacaze
2007 11th 391 60. Jacy Kruzel
2006 26th 536 71. Jacy Kruzel
1999 31st 676 57. Kristine Jost
1998 22nd 531 93. Hazel Clark
1997 16th 386 36. Jennifer McGranahan
1995 18th<http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_cross_country_champs_records/2010/d1wcc.pdf> 398 12. Becki Wells
1994 20th 486 55. Patrice Kuntz
1993 86. Marny Westphal
1992 43. Coralena Velsen
1991 20. Coralena Velsen
1990 76. Coralena Velsen
1984 2. Shelly Steely
1983 36. Beth Farmer
1982 11. Beth Farmer
1981* 7th<https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/1981-aiaw.pdf> 195 9. Shelly Steely
1980* 46. Shelly Steely
*AIAW Championships