Florida’s track and field standout [autotag]Parker Valby[/autotag] was announced as one of the 12 finalists for the 2024 edition of the Collegiate Women’s Sports Award on Sunday.
The Gators star is just the fifth in the Honda Award’s 48-year history to sweep both cross country and track and field Honda Awards in a single season.
The finalists for the Honda Cup will be narrowed down to three on Monday, June 24, at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports. Valby will be unable to attend the event in New York City as she competes in the U.S. Olympic Trials 5,000-meter run final in Eugene, Oregon, the same evening.
Selection process
After the conclusion of each of the 12 recognized sports seasons, the Honda Sport Award sends a ballot with four sports finalists to administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
Valby is the first Gator to claim the Honda Award for cross country. She is the second consecutive and third overall Gator to win the Honda Award for track and field, joining Florida’s Jasmine Moore (2023) and Yanis David (2019).
Valby’s 2023-24 Season
Valby’s 2023-24 performance is unmatched in women’s collegiate cross country/track history.
• First female distance runner in NCAA history to win five NCAA individual titles in a single season – all in at least meet record times
• Set collegiate 5,000m records set winning 2024 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor titles
• Meet records for NCAA 3,000m indoors and 10,000m outdoors – both with five-second winning margins
• Lowered collegiate 10,000m record by almost 28 seconds in April’s Clay Invitational
• Started 2023-24 national title streak by being first to win NCAA Cross Country in sub-19 minute time
• 2024 Bowerman Semifinalist
• USTFCCA 2023 Cross Country & 2024 Indoor and Outdoor National Athlete of the Year
• Won all 14 races competed in 2023-24 season
• Helped team to runner-up finishes at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor & Indoor meets
• 8-time USTFCCCA All-American (outdoor, indoor, Cross Country)
• 2024 SEC Women’s indoor and outdoor / 2023 Cross Country Runner of the Year
• 6-time SEC Champion (outdoor, indoor, Cross Country)
• 3-time SEC All-First Team
• Graduated cum laude with Sports Management degree in May. USTFCCCA All-Academic & SEC Academic Honor Roll
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