Parker Valby

Last updated
Parker Valby
Personal information
Born Pennsylvania [1]
Home town Connecticut
Tampa, Florida
Sport
Sport Athletics
Event5000m
College team University of Florida
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)3000m: 8:41.50 (The Track at New Balance, 2024)
5000m: 14:52.79 (The Track at New Balance, 2024)
10000m: 30:50.43 (Azusa, 2024)
Medal record

Parker Valby is an American track and field and cross-country athlete. [2] She is a four-time NCAA champion and the current NCAA record holder for the indoor 5000m and outdoor 10000m.

Contents

Early life

From Tampa, Florida, she attended East Lake High School. [3] She was a competitive swimmer before first running cross-country in 2016. When asked to try track and field as well, she was initially reluctant and it meant having to give up lacrosse. [4] She became the Florida state champion and the Florida state all-time record holder whilst still a junior. [5] [6] However, she was unable to compete during her senior year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [7]

Collegiate career

Valby competes for the University of Florida. Her sophomore year she finished runner-up to Katelyn Tuohy in the 5000m at the NCAA Track and Field Championships by running a personal best of 15:20:10. This second-place performance helped Florida win the team title. [8] [9]

The following fall, Valby once again finished runner-up to Tuohy but this time at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Oklahoma. [10] That spring, she won the 5000m at the 2023 NCAA Track and Field Championships helping Florida finish as team runner-up. [11]

Valby started out her redshirt junior season strong by winning the Wisconsin Nuttycombe invite over rival Katelyn Tuohy in a course time of 19:17.2. [12]

In November 2023, she won the NCAA Cross Country Championship in Charlottesville, Virginia. She ran a new NCAA record time of 18:55.2 for the 6 km course to win by 10 seconds ahead of Doris Lemngole of the University of Alabama. [13]

On December 2, 2023, Valby set a new NCAA record for the indoor 5000m while competing at Boston University. Her time of 14:56.11 eclipsed the mark of 15:12.22 set by Emily Sisson in 2015. [14]

At the 2024 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, Valby broke her own collegiate record in the 5000m and picked up another NCAA title, running 14:52.79 in Boston. [15] She negative split the race, running 7:33 for first half and 7:19 for her second. She had a comfortable margin of victory ahead of 2nd placer Taylor Roe who finished in 15:15. [16] The next day she also won the 3000m indoor national championship in a personal record of 8:41.50. [17]

In April 2024, she ran a time of 30:50.43 for the 10,000 metres at the Brian Clay Invitational in Azusa, California. It was a new American collegiate record, previously held by Lisa Uhl. [18]

YearSEC Cross CountryNCAA South Regional Cross CountryNCAA Cross CountrySEC Indoor TrackNCAA Indoor TrackSEC Outdoor TrackNCAA Outdoor Track
2021–224th2nd27th--2nd - 5000m2nd - 5000m
2022–231st1st2nd--1st - 5000m1st - 5000m
2023–241st1st1st1st - 3000m; 1st DMR1st - 5000m; 1st - 3000m

Sponsorship

In June 2023, Valby signed an endorsement agreement with sportswear brand Nike. [19] In doing so, she became the first female college track and field athlete to have a name, image, and likeness agreement with the company. [20]

Honors and awards

Achievements

NCAA titles

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References

  1. Parker Valby After SMASHING the NCAA 5k Record in 14:56!!! The Stride Report
  2. "Parker Valby". World Athletics. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  3. "Parker Valby". Florida Gators. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  4. Putnam, Bob (31 October 2018). "Once a reluctant runner, East Lake's Parker Valby now leads the pack". Tampabay.com. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  5. "Parker Valby Went from Inexperienced Runner to State Champ". baynews9.com. October 16, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  6. Grasley, Todd. "Parker Valby Runs State Record Girls 3,200m - Florida State Meet Recap 2019". Runnerspace.com. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  7. Lyden, Adair (April 26, 2020). "Open Letter From HS Coach To FL 3200m State Record Holder". fl.milesplit.com. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  8. Zatlin, Garrett (March 2, 2023). "Parker Valby to Medically Scratch Out of NCAA Championships, per FloTrack". The Stride Report.
  9. "Parker Valby Claims 5000m Victory At The NCAA Championship". Citiusmag.com. June 11, 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  10. Mack, Gordon (November 19, 2022). "Florida's Parker Valby Breaks Down Her Race Against Katelyn Tuohy". flottack.org. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  11. Johnson, Robert; Gault, Jonathan (June 11, 2023). "NCAA Women's Recap: Parker Valby (5000), Michaela Rose (800) & Olivia Markezich (Steeple) Earn First NCAA Titles". Lets Run. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  12. "Parker Valby Takes Down Katelyn Tuohy At Nuttycombe as NAU Women Dominate". LetsRun. October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  13. "Florida's Parker Valby Takes First NCAA Cross Country Title". 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  14. Colyear-Danville Women — Valby Takes CR Sub-15:00, Track & Field News, Roy Conrad, December 4, 2023.
  15. Dutch, Taylor (March 8, 2024). "Parker Valby Breaks Her Own Collegiate Record and Wins the NCAA 5,000 Meters". Runners World. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  16. "Parker Valby Breaks NCAA Record (14:52.79) To Destroy the Field and Win NCAA Title #3". Lets Run. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  17. Johnson, Robert; Gault, Jonathan (March 10, 2024). "2024 NCAA Indoors Women: Maia Ramsden & Parker Valby Dominate as Juliette Whittaker Stuns Michaela Rose". Lets Run. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  18. Morton, Arik (April 12, 2024). "Parker Valby Shatters 10,000 Meter Collegiate Record". Florida Gators. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  19. Johnson, Robert (June 27, 2023). "Q & A With Parker Valby On Her Historic NIL Deal With Nike". Lets Run. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  20. Singh, Vaibhav (28 June 2023). "NCAA 5000m Champion Parker Valby Becomes the First Female Track and Field Athlete to Sign an NIL Deal With Nike". Essentially Sports. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  21. Florida’s Parker Valby Named Class of 2024 Honda Sport Award Winner for Cross Country, Honda Sports Award, December 8, 2023.
  22. Coaches Tab Parker Valby as 2023 Lance Harter Women’s National Athlete of the Year, Florida Gators, Arik Morton, November 27, 2023.