Gators Crowned 2023 SEC Women’s Cross Country Champions

Friday, October 27

Columbia, SC

M: 10:08 AM / W: 10:50 AM

Florida Gators

SEC Championships

Gators Crowned 2023 SEC Women’s Cross Country Champions

Friday, October 27, 2023 | Cross Country

Photo Gallery

By: Arik Morton

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.

𝐒𝐄𝐂 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 🏆#GoGators 🐊 pic.twitter.com/YkAqzSaxt2
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) October 27, 2023

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 women 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.

Hardware is coming HOME! 🏆#GoGators 🐊 pic.twitter.com/1YwgHwmYxr
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) October 27, 2023

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.

Parker wins BACK-TO-BACK!

💻https://t.co/DHXxVvdiyZ pic.twitter.com/QsoKZnn9Qu
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) October 27, 2023

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 13^th, by approximately the 2000m mark she had made her way to 8^th, and reached her 4^th place spot by the final 1000m.

Making her Florida Gators, season and SEC debut, Amelia Mazza-Downie placed 8^th 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 11^th and 12^th positions on the leaderboard.

Thorner ended the contest in 17^th, 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 24^th at the 1800m mark to 19^th at the finish line.

MEN FINISH 7^th

After finishing 10^th in 2022, the Florida Gators Men's program recorded a 7^th 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	1^st	49
Arkansas	2^nd	59
Tennessee	3^rd	80
Alabama	4^th	84
Ole Miss	5^th	107
Texas A&M	6^th	181
Vanderbilt	7^th	258
South Carolina	8^th	262
Missouri	9^th	265
LSU	10^th	278
Auburn	11^th	283
Kentucky	12^th	292
Mississippi State	13^th	329
Georgia	14^th	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	Place	Points
Arkansas	1^st	38
Alabama	2^nd	57
Tennessee	3^rd	59
Texas A&M	4^th	140
Auburn	5^th	148
Ole MIss	6^th	169
Florida	7^th	194
Kentucky	8^th	197
Missouri	9^th	232
Georgia	10^th	250
LSU	11^th	370
Vanderbilt	12^th	375

Individual Finishes – Men's 8k Championship
26) Ethan Geiger – 24:05.0
34) Parvej Khan – 24:22.8
42) Joe Wester – 24:40.7
51) Adam Magoulas – 24:51.6
55) Aiden Villasuso – 24:58.7
64) Michael Fiore – 25:07.8
89) Javi Vento – 25:41.6
107) Matthew Stratton – 33:17.6

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