Florida distance star Parker Valby claimed victory in the 5000m final at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship after finishing as the runner-up in last year’s 5000m final.

Here’s what you need to know:

– She led the race from the gun to win in a time of 15:30.57. In the process, she broke the facility record of 15:46.82 set by Washington’s Megan Goethals in 2012.

– Utah Valley’s Everlyn Kemboi, the 10,000m champion from two days earlier, finished second in 15:39.57

– Utah’s Emily Venters rounded out the top three with a time of 15:42.40. Venters also competed in the 10,000m final, where she was runner-up to Kemboi.

– NCAA cross country champion and NCAA indoor 3000m and 5000m champion Katelyn Tuohy did not start the race after finishing seventh in the 1500m in 4:11.40. Tuohy ran the collegiate record of 15:03.12 at Sound Running’s Track Fest last month and came into the weekend as the defending champion.

How it happened:

Valby began pushing the pace from early on in the race with only Kemboi, Venters, and a few other women tagging along. By the halfway point, Valby gapped the field and continued to extend her lead as the race progressed. Although neither Kemboi nor Venters was challenging her for the title, Valby pushed the pace even more with 1000m to go and closed with a 71.87 penultimate lap and a 70.53 final lap to secure the title. She closed her final mile with a 4:52 and finished nine seconds ahead of the runner-up.

What she said afterward:

Parker Valby: “I just trusted and kept faith that it would all work out and that everything happens for a reason…I’ve come way too far to only come this far, so it’s too late to give up now. I just trusted my coaches. I cross train most days of the week and just do workouts and it’s worked out”