UF XC: Gators Crowned 2023 SEC Women’s Cross Country Champions

Gators Crowned 2023 SEC Women’s Cross Country Champions
Parker Valby was named SEC Women’s Individual Champion for the second year in a row.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 7 Florida Gators Women’s Cross Country team was crowned the 2023 SEC Cross Country Champions after their first place finish at the conference meet in Columbia, South Carolina.

The women won with a total of 49 points, finishing ahead of Arkansas (59), Tennessee (80), Alabama (84) and fifth place Ole Miss (107). All five of the athletes scoring for the wthomen placed in the top-20, with three finishing in the top-10.

This marked the program’s seventh SEC Cross Country title and first since 2012. The Gators also took home Championships in 1984, 1996, 1997, 2009 and 2010.

Women’s Cross Country claims Florida Athletics first SEC title of the 2023-2024 calendar year. Florida has picked up at least one SEC team title for 46 consecutive seasons – the league’s longest current streak.

WOMEN’S SEC CHAMPIONS

The Gators were led by Paker Valby who battled with the leaders for the first two-thirds of the race but was able to separate from the pack in the final 2000m, eventually ending in a first place finish. Valby was crowned the SEC Women’s Individual Cross Country Champion for the second consecutive year. Her margin of victory was an outstanding 33.8 seconds, recording a time of 18:37.5.

Flomena Asekol may have ran the most impressive race of her collegiate career. The transfer from the University of Alabama, finished fourth behind two members of her former college, crossing the finish line in 19:31.9. Asekol slowly overtook her opponents throughout the race as at the 800m mark she stood in 13th, by approximately the 2000m mark she had made her way to 8th, and reached her 4th place spot by the final 100m.

Making her Florida Gators, season and SEC debut, Amelia Mazza-Downie placed 8th overall finishing with a time of 19:56.7. Mazza-Downie settled into her spot halfway through the race as her and fellow University of New Mexico transfer Elise Thorner held possession of the 11th and 12th positions on the leaderboard.

Thorner ended the contest in 17th, crossing the finish line as the fourth Gator to score and completing the race in 20:13.8. Allison Wilson was not far behind. Wilson was able to knock off opposing runners one by one as she made her way from 24th at the 1800m mark to 19th at the finish line.

MEN FINISH 7th

After finishing 10th in 2022, the Florida Gators Men’s program recorded a 7th place finish. The team recorded victories over Kentucky, Missouri and Georgia. The runners that scored for the men in the 8k Championship include Ethan Geiger, Parvej Khan, Joe Wester, Adam Magoulas and Aiden Villasuso.

RESULTS

Women’s Team Finishes
Team

Place

Points

Florida

1st

Arkansas

2nd

Tennessee

3rd

Alabama

4th

Ole Miss

5th

107

Texas A&M

6th

181

Vanderbilt

7th

258

South Carolina

8th

262

Missouri

9th

265

LSU

10th

278

Auburn

11th

283

Kentucky

12th

292

Mississippi State

13th

329

Georgia

14th

371

Individual Finishes – Women’s 6k Championship
1) Parker Valby – 18:37.5
4) Flomena Asekol – 19:31.9
8) Amelia Mazza-Downie – 19:56.7
17) Elise Thorner – 20:13.8
19) Allison Wilson – 20:18.5
32) Liina Winborn – 20:56.6
40) Lucinda Rourke – 21:11.4
55) Vasileia Spyrou – 21:34.5
69) Olivia Jones – 21:44.0
77) Jordan Shapiro – 21:53.4
DNF) Sayla Donnelley
DNF) Rylee Pustilnik

Men’s Team Finishes
Team