Saturday, November 18
Charlottesville, VA
W: 6k @ 10:20 a.m.
Florida Gators
at
NCAA Championships
Florida Prepared to Take Part in NCAA Cross Country Championships
Friday, November 17, 2023 | Cross Country
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After what has already been a historic season for the Florida women's cross country team, the Gators have a chance to ink their name in the history books as they 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 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.
HOW THE TEAM CLINCHED THEIR SPOT
Florida's team consisting of Flomena Asekol, Sayla Donnelley, Lucinda Rourke, Elise Thorner, Parker Valby, Allison Wilson and Liina Winborn recorded a second-place finish at the NCAA South Regional. 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
FLORIDA WOMEN'S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
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Florida earned its NCAA Championships berth as one of two auto-qualifying teams emerging from the 2023 NCAA South Regional. Junior Parker Valby 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.
HOW THE TEAM CLINCHED THEIR SPOT
Florida's team consisting of Flomena Asekol, Sayla Donnelley, Lucinda Rourke, Elise Thorner, Parker Valby, Allison Wilson and Liina Winborn recorded a second-place finish at the NCAA South Regional. 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.
| Women |
| Flomena Asekol |
| Sayla Donnelley |
| Amelia Mazza-Downie |
| Lucinda Rourke |
| Elise Thorner |
| Parker Valby |
| Allison Wilson |
| Liina Winborn |
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 |
| Broadcast (ESPNU) | 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships Broadcast |
FLORIDA WOMEN'S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
| Year | Team | Team Points | Top Gator |
| 2022 | 2. Parker Valby | ||
| 2021 | 27. Parker Valby | ||
| 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 | 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 | 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 | 195 | 9. Shelly Steely |
| 1980* | 46. Shelly Steely | ||
| *AIAW Championships | |||
FOLLOW THE GATORS
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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