GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida Gators cross country teams set their sights on postseason glory as they kick off their quest at the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championships.
The Gators begin their postseason in Columbia, South Carolina as the men’s and women’s teams will take part in Friday’s 2023 Southeastern Conference Cross Country Championships.
Read more: When is the 2023 SEC Cross Country Championships, and how to watch live?
Twelve of the 14 SEC teams are set to compete in the men’s race, while all 14 conference members will do battle on the women’s side.
Just a year ago, the Florida Gators men and women recorded tenth and fifth place finishes at the 2022 SEC Cross Country Championships.
Additionally, Parker Valby was crowned the SEC Cross Country individual champion in 2022 as she recorded the fastest 6k in Florida women’s history, breaking the record by an outstanding 29.08 seconds, and tallied the fastest 6k time in SEC Championship history.
As for the 2023 competition, the men’s race will be the first of the two as they take part in an 8k race starting at 10:08 a.m. ET. Shortly after, the women will take to a 6k course as the gun is set to sound at 10:50 a.m. ET.
LAST TIME OUT
Last time the Gators took to the course, the women’s program earned a fifth-place finish at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational.
Competing in a 6k race, the team collected 262 points led by Parker Valby who finished first overall. Valby was followed by strong performances by her teammates as three other Gators recorded top-forty finishes: Flomena Asekol (16), Elise Thorner (30) and Allison Wilson (38). The final Gator to score was Lucinda Rourke.
While the women completed an impressive performance, the men remained in Gainesville to continue preparation for the SEC Championships.
ALL SEC QUALIFICATIONS
Cross Country All-SEC Teams will be determined by the placement of the athletes in the SEC Cross Country Championship. The All-SEC First Team will consist of the top seven finishers of each gender.
The All-SEC Second Team will consist of the next seven finishers of each gender. Finally, the SEC All-Freshman Team will consist of the top seven freshman finishers of each gender.
