Parker Valby Wins The Bowerman In 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. – Like there was ever a doubt.

Just a little more than six months after she stepped off the track at Hayward Field after setting her fourth collegiate record of the year, Parker Valby took her rightful place among winners of The Bowerman. Valby was feted on Thursday night at the conclusion of the 2024 USTFCCCA Convention, which was held at the Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, Florida.

The former Florida phenom topped a record-breaking group of finalists that also included Maia Ramsden and Jaida Ross. Ramsden went undefeated against collegiate competition in the mid-distance events and notched several all-time top-10 marks in both the mile and 1500 meters, while Ross became the seventh American woman to eclipse 20 meters in the shot put.

Valby, who hails from Tampa, Florida, won a pair of NCAA doubles – the 3000-5000 indoors and the 5000-10,000 outdoors, all in meet records. In both cases, the 5000-meter marks also served as a new collegiate record (indoors breaking her own from earlier in the season). Valby added a CR of 30:50.43 in the 10,000 in her debut at the distance.

She was undefeated in all eight of her finals, each with a performance ranking among the all-time top-10 as she now owns Nos. 3 and 6 in the indoor 3000 (best of 8:41.50), Nos. 1 and 2 in the indoor 5000 (best of 14:52.79), Nos. 1 and 5 in the outdoor 5000 (best of 14:52.18) and Nos. 1 and 7 in the 10,000. Valby’s smallest margin of victory in those finals was 5.21 seconds.

This is the fifth time in the past six years that a female athlete from the SEC has won The Bowerman. Valby joins 2022 winner Abby Steiner, 2021 winner Athing Mu, 2019 winner Sha’Carri Richardson and 2018 winner Keturah Orji in that regard.