Gators in NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship

The final meet of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship starts Wednesday night. This four-day championship spans from June 5th to June 8th. The Gators are sending 20 individuals to compete in this event in Eugene, Oregon.

https://twitter.com/NCAATrackField/status/1797400966855295255

At the NCAA East Preliminaries, Florida had 8 women and 12 men qualify to advance to the NCAA Championships.

The Florida Gators have earned 14 National Championships (7 Indoor/7 Outdoor) in the programs history. The Men’s head coach, Mike Holloway, has led the program to 13 of those titles. Two of the titles came in 2022 and 2023. The team is looking to go back to back to capture their 15th National Title and end on top for the third year in a row.

Gator Stars

Parvej Khan was named the SEC Freshman Runner of the Year and has been a great asset to the Gators. This freshman was the first Florida Gator to win the 1500m at the SEC Outdoor Championship since 1983. He qualified for the Championship by placing fifth in the 1500m at the Preliminaries.

Another star for the Gators, Parker Valby, was named SEC Women’s Runner of the Year. This redshirt junior has broken multiple records in her career and was the 13th woman in American history to have broken 31 minutes in the 10,000m. She competed in the 5000m and 10,000m and qualified for this years Championship in both, as well as making the Bowerman Watchlist.

Gators in Eugene

Gator success is familiar in Oregon, as in 2022 they took home the championship titles for both the men’s and women’s teams. The No.3 men’s team and No.5 women’s team have a decent chance to place and get points for Florida. With one Bowerman Watchlist athlete and several that have set records this season, they are hopeful for another title under Holloway’s guidance.

https://twitter.com/GatorsTF/status/1798177604023054590

All four days of the competition will be televised on ESPN. The first event of the weekend kicks off Wednesday night at 5:00pm.