Meet the Qualifiers: Florida Women’s Track and Field
Tuesday, June 7, 2022 | Track and Field
EUGENE, Ore. – The final stage of the NCAA Track and Field season has been set.
The NCAA Outdoor Championships will be the culmination of a near three-month outdoor season with the top athletes in the country set to blaze the track at Hayward Field.
Florida enters the weekend No. 2 on the women's side with 16 entries set to represent the Gators.
The Gators won the NCAA Indoor Championship in March and will look to grab their first NCAA Outdoor Championship on the women's side in program history.
Meet the entries from Florida for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
400 Meters | Semifinals: 6/9 (7:00 PM PST) | Final: 6/11 (3:32 PM PST)
Preview: Florida sent two athletes through in the 400 meters from the NCAA East Prelims. Talitha Diggs was the top qualifier out of the East while Taylor Manson was also an automatic qualifier.
Both of these athletes were finalists a season ago in the 400 meters. Diggs was also the NCAA Indoor Champion in the event in March.
The field for the 400 meters will be chalk full of talented runners that the Gators have seen all season long.
Diggs will be projected to make the final based on times from this season but Manson provides potential to make the final as well.
Points here will go a long way in the team title race. This event is bound to see some fast times across the board.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Talitha Diggs (4th)
- Taylor Manson (12th)
800 Meters | Semifinals: 6/9 (7:14 PM PST) | Final: 6/11 (3:44 PM PST)
Preview: Florida's duo in the 800 meters has been outstanding all season long.
Imogen Barrett won the SEC Outdoor Championship in the event after being third at the SEC Indoor Championships.
Gabrielle Wilkinson continues to round into excellent form. She raced to a bronze medal at the SEC Outdoor Championships and also qualified with ease to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
This duo has the potential to bring home big points in the 800 meters towards the team race. Wilkinson has run 2:02.73 this year while Barrett has gone 2:01.42.
If both athletes can get through to the finals, this could me a momentum-building event on Saturday night for the Gators.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Imogen Barrett (5th)
- Gabrielle Wilkinson (14th)
5000 Meters | Final: 6/11 (4:25 PM PST)
Preview: Parker Valby has continued her burst onto the scene after recovering from an injury that sidelined her for a majority of the season.
In her first race of the year, she won silver in the 5000 meters and broke the school record. She followed that up by running as the second-best qualifier in the NCAA East Prelims.
The 5000 meters is the final individual event on Saturday night giving Valby the chance to score crucial team points before the 4x400 relay.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Parker Valby (2nd)
400 Hurdles | Semifinals: 6/9 (7:30 PM PST) | Final: 6/11 (3:57 PM PST)
Preview: Anna Hall's busy weekend will begin with the prelims of the 400-meter hurdles. She is seeded second and is joined by Vanessa Watson as the Florida representatives.
Hall was the silver medalist at the SEC Outdoor Championships with Watson finishing fifth. The finals of this event is set to take place 16 minutes before the final event of the Heptathlon, Hall's other individual event.
She will be tasked with providing big points in both events. If she and Watson can both make the finals of the 400-meter hurdles, Florida will be the benefactor of some huge team points.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Anna Hall (2nd)
- Vanessa Watson (22nd)
4x400 Relay| Semifinals: 6/9 (8:48 PM PST) | Final: 6/11 (4:51 PM PST)
Preview: The final event of the championships is always one of the fan-favorites.
Florida was fifth at the SEC Outdoor Championships in this event and qualified through to Oregon with the second-fastest time out of the NCAA East Prelims.
The team of Anna Hall, Sterling Lester, Taylor Manson and Talitha Diggs ran Florida's qualifying mark but Cait Tate and Doneisha Anderson will also be in the pool of runners to make up the team.
Getting to the finals will be the first step for the Gators but there is a strong chance the team title could be decided in this race.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Florida (5th)
Long Jump | Finals: 6/9 (7:00 PM PST)
Preview: One of Florida's best events this season, the Gators will need big-time production from Jasmine Moore and Claire Bryant on Thursday evening.
This is one of the first point-scoring opportunities for Florida and it will come against a deep and talented field. Moore has won every postseason competition to date this year including Long Jump titles at the NCAA Indoor Championships and both SEC meets.
Bryant and Moore are both among the projected point-scorers and the Gators will look to this event as the kick-start to a big weekend.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Jasmine Moore (3rd)
- Claire Bryant (12th)
Heptathlon| Finals: 6/10 and 6/11 (All Day)
Preview: One of the toughest competitions in the field, the Gators will field two entries into the two-day, seven-event Heptathlon.
Anna Hall is the favorite in this event while Sterling Lester will be in contention to score.
This event will take place over the course of the final two days of the competition with the final event, the 800 meters, as one of the last races on the track.
Hall and Lester have been spectacular in the 100-meter hurdles, 200 meters and 800 meters portion of the event. Long Jump is another event to provide big points for the duo.
The Gators could be in line for huge points in this event with Hall in contention to bring home Florida's first NCAA title in the Heptathlon.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Anna Hall (1st)
- Sterling Lester (12th)
Triple Jump| Finals: 6/11 (2:50 PM PST)
Preview: Another one of Florida's top events this year, Florida has been outstanding in the Triple Jump all year.
Jasmine Moore, Natricia Hooper and Alissa Braxton will make up the Florida contingent in the Triple Jump.
Moore and Hooper have gone 1-2 at all three postseason competitions this year and could provide huge team points to Florida if they're able to do the same this weekend.
The Triple Jump field is very talented. Many of the top teams in the nation will field atleast one athlete in the event.
This event will take place on the final day of the competition as Florida begins to put serious points on the board in the team race.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Jasmine Moore (4th)
- Natricia Hooper (7th)
- Alissa Braxton (18th)
Shot Put| Finals: 6/9 (7:40 PM PST)
Preview: Thea Jensen put up a huge performance in the Shot Put at the NCAA East Prelims to qualify through to her first national meet.
Her throw of 16.97m/55-8.25 broke the Danish National Record and qualified her through to Oregon.
She comes into the weekend outside of the projected scorers but has the potential to be in the heat of the competition come Thursday evening.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Thea Jensen (17th)
The NCAA Outdoor Championships will be the culmination of a near three-month outdoor season with the top athletes in the country set to blaze the track at Hayward Field.
Florida enters the weekend No. 2 on the women's side with 16 entries set to represent the Gators.
The Gators won the NCAA Indoor Championship in March and will look to grab their first NCAA Outdoor Championship on the women's side in program history.
Meet the entries from Florida for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
400 Meters | Semifinals: 6/9 (7:00 PM PST) | Final: 6/11 (3:32 PM PST)
Preview: Florida sent two athletes through in the 400 meters from the NCAA East Prelims. Talitha Diggs was the top qualifier out of the East while Taylor Manson was also an automatic qualifier.
Both of these athletes were finalists a season ago in the 400 meters. Diggs was also the NCAA Indoor Champion in the event in March.
The field for the 400 meters will be chalk full of talented runners that the Gators have seen all season long.
Diggs will be projected to make the final based on times from this season but Manson provides potential to make the final as well.
Points here will go a long way in the team title race. This event is bound to see some fast times across the board.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Talitha Diggs (4th)
- Taylor Manson (12th)
800 Meters | Semifinals: 6/9 (7:14 PM PST) | Final: 6/11 (3:44 PM PST)
Preview: Florida's duo in the 800 meters has been outstanding all season long.
Imogen Barrett won the SEC Outdoor Championship in the event after being third at the SEC Indoor Championships.
Gabrielle Wilkinson continues to round into excellent form. She raced to a bronze medal at the SEC Outdoor Championships and also qualified with ease to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
This duo has the potential to bring home big points in the 800 meters towards the team race. Wilkinson has run 2:02.73 this year while Barrett has gone 2:01.42.
If both athletes can get through to the finals, this could me a momentum-building event on Saturday night for the Gators.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Imogen Barrett (5th)
- Gabrielle Wilkinson (14th)
5000 Meters | Final: 6/11 (4:25 PM PST)
Preview: Parker Valby has continued her burst onto the scene after recovering from an injury that sidelined her for a majority of the season.
In her first race of the year, she won silver in the 5000 meters and broke the school record. She followed that up by running as the second-best qualifier in the NCAA East Prelims.
The 5000 meters is the final individual event on Saturday night giving Valby the chance to score crucial team points before the 4x400 relay.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Parker Valby (2nd)
400 Hurdles | Semifinals: 6/9 (7:30 PM PST) | Final: 6/11 (3:57 PM PST)
Preview: Anna Hall's busy weekend will begin with the prelims of the 400-meter hurdles. She is seeded second and is joined by Vanessa Watson as the Florida representatives.
Hall was the silver medalist at the SEC Outdoor Championships with Watson finishing fifth. The finals of this event is set to take place 16 minutes before the final event of the Heptathlon, Hall's other individual event.
She will be tasked with providing big points in both events. If she and Watson can both make the finals of the 400-meter hurdles, Florida will be the benefactor of some huge team points.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Anna Hall (2nd)
- Vanessa Watson (22nd)
4x400 Relay| Semifinals: 6/9 (8:48 PM PST) | Final: 6/11 (4:51 PM PST)
Preview: The final event of the championships is always one of the fan-favorites.
Florida was fifth at the SEC Outdoor Championships in this event and qualified through to Oregon with the second-fastest time out of the NCAA East Prelims.
The team of Anna Hall, Sterling Lester, Taylor Manson and Talitha Diggs ran Florida's qualifying mark but Cait Tate and Doneisha Anderson will also be in the pool of runners to make up the team.
Getting to the finals will be the first step for the Gators but there is a strong chance the team title could be decided in this race.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Florida (5th)
Long Jump | Finals: 6/9 (7:00 PM PST)
Preview: One of Florida's best events this season, the Gators will need big-time production from Jasmine Moore and Claire Bryant on Thursday evening.
This is one of the first point-scoring opportunities for Florida and it will come against a deep and talented field. Moore has won every postseason competition to date this year including Long Jump titles at the NCAA Indoor Championships and both SEC meets.
Bryant and Moore are both among the projected point-scorers and the Gators will look to this event as the kick-start to a big weekend.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Jasmine Moore (3rd)
- Claire Bryant (12th)
Heptathlon| Finals: 6/10 and 6/11 (All Day)
Preview: One of the toughest competitions in the field, the Gators will field two entries into the two-day, seven-event Heptathlon.
Anna Hall is the favorite in this event while Sterling Lester will be in contention to score.
This event will take place over the course of the final two days of the competition with the final event, the 800 meters, as one of the last races on the track.
Hall and Lester have been spectacular in the 100-meter hurdles, 200 meters and 800 meters portion of the event. Long Jump is another event to provide big points for the duo.
The Gators could be in line for huge points in this event with Hall in contention to bring home Florida's first NCAA title in the Heptathlon.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Anna Hall (1st)
- Sterling Lester (12th)
Triple Jump| Finals: 6/11 (2:50 PM PST)
Preview: Another one of Florida's top events this year, Florida has been outstanding in the Triple Jump all year.
Jasmine Moore, Natricia Hooper and Alissa Braxton will make up the Florida contingent in the Triple Jump.
Moore and Hooper have gone 1-2 at all three postseason competitions this year and could provide huge team points to Florida if they're able to do the same this weekend.
The Triple Jump field is very talented. Many of the top teams in the nation will field atleast one athlete in the event.
This event will take place on the final day of the competition as Florida begins to put serious points on the board in the team race.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Jasmine Moore (4th)
- Natricia Hooper (7th)
- Alissa Braxton (18th)
Shot Put| Finals: 6/9 (7:40 PM PST)
Preview: Thea Jensen put up a huge performance in the Shot Put at the NCAA East Prelims to qualify through to her first national meet.
Her throw of 16.97m/55-8.25 broke the Danish National Record and qualified her through to Oregon.
She comes into the weekend outside of the projected scorers but has the potential to be in the heat of the competition come Thursday evening.
Competing Athletes (Qualifying Seed):
- Thea Jensen (17th)
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Distance
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Jumps
/ Track and Field
Jumps
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Sprints
/ Track and Field
Multis
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Jumps
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Sprints/Multis
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Mid-Distance
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