Alida van Daalen is the fourth Gator to win South Region Female Athlete of the Year honors. // Photo by MJ Holloway
Alida van Daalen Named USTFCCCA South Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year
Thursday, June 18, 2026 | Track and Field
Her honor marks the fifth South Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year award for the Gators.
NEW ORLEANS – Alida van Daalen has added another accolade to her already storied career, as the Florida women's track & field standout was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association South Region Women's Field Athlete of the Year on Thursday.
The senior is fresh off her first, and the program's first, NCAA title in the women's discus throw. At the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships, van Daalen captured the title with a championship meet-record toss of 65.98m/216-6, finishing six meters (nearly 20 feet) ahead of the runner-up. Her margin of victory is the second-largest in championship history, trailing only the margin set at the inaugural NCAA Women's Outdoor Championships in 1982.
In addition to winning the discus title, van Daalen earned First Team All-American honors in the shot put, finishing third with a season-best toss of 18.12m/59-5.50. Paired with the discus, championship weekend pushed her career All-American honors to 12, a program record among Florida throwers. Over the course of her career, she scored 44 points at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, including a career-best 16 in 2026.
Van Daalen holds three of the top 10 discus throws in collegiate history, including a personal-best and school-record toss of 69.31m/227-4 from the 2026 NCAA East Preliminary. A three-time Southeastern Conference champion in the discus, she is the only Gator to earn four All-American honors in the event, and one of only four collegiate athletes to earn four First Team All-American accolades in the discus, joining Seilala Sua (UCLA, 1996-99), Aretha Hill (Washington, 1995-98) and Beck Breisch (Nebraska, 2002-05).
The Rotterdam, the Netherlands, native becomes the fourth Gator to win the USTFCCCA South Region Women's Female Athlete of the Year Award since its inception in 2007, joining Jasmine Moore, Yanis David and Mariam Kevkhishvili. Moore won the award twice for UF, in 2022 and 2023.
Florida USTFCCCA South Region Women's Field Athlete of the Year Awards
2026 - Alida van Daalen
2023 - Jasmine Moore
2022 - Jasmine Moore
2019 - Yanis David
2010 - Mariam Kevkhishvili
The senior is fresh off her first, and the program's first, NCAA title in the women's discus throw. At the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships, van Daalen captured the title with a championship meet-record toss of 65.98m/216-6, finishing six meters (nearly 20 feet) ahead of the runner-up. Her margin of victory is the second-largest in championship history, trailing only the margin set at the inaugural NCAA Women's Outdoor Championships in 1982.
In addition to winning the discus title, van Daalen earned First Team All-American honors in the shot put, finishing third with a season-best toss of 18.12m/59-5.50. Paired with the discus, championship weekend pushed her career All-American honors to 12, a program record among Florida throwers. Over the course of her career, she scored 44 points at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, including a career-best 16 in 2026.
Van Daalen holds three of the top 10 discus throws in collegiate history, including a personal-best and school-record toss of 69.31m/227-4 from the 2026 NCAA East Preliminary. A three-time Southeastern Conference champion in the discus, she is the only Gator to earn four All-American honors in the event, and one of only four collegiate athletes to earn four First Team All-American accolades in the discus, joining Seilala Sua (UCLA, 1996-99), Aretha Hill (Washington, 1995-98) and Beck Breisch (Nebraska, 2002-05).
The Rotterdam, the Netherlands, native becomes the fourth Gator to win the USTFCCCA South Region Women's Female Athlete of the Year Award since its inception in 2007, joining Jasmine Moore, Yanis David and Mariam Kevkhishvili. Moore won the award twice for UF, in 2022 and 2023.
Florida USTFCCCA South Region Women's Field Athlete of the Year Awards
2026 - Alida van Daalen
2023 - Jasmine Moore
2022 - Jasmine Moore
2019 - Yanis David
2010 - Mariam Kevkhishvili
Players Mentioned
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