AZUSA, CALIFORNIA, April 11 — Having swept up all targets before her, whether records or NCAA titles, over the past 10 months, Parker Valby had all eyes on her on evening 1 of the Bryan Clay Invitational as she stepped up to race her first 10,000. The Florida junior rewarded expectations, lapping the entire field, and some of its members twice, as she powered to a 30:50.43 clocking.
Her time chopped 27.64 from the Collegiate Record, 31:18.07, set by Iowa State’s Lisa Uhl in ’10.
The race, run before a large crowd of distance fans under the lights was an all-Valby affair from gun to finish, though she had two pacers for the first 1600 and the assistance of British marathoner Calli Thackery through 5000 (15:30.1).
That Valby had the CR on her mind was apparent from the get-go as she laid down sub-31:00 tempo splits lap after lap: 75.2, 74.6, 74.1 and 75.4 to reach 1600 in 4:59.3. That she might have aspirations set for well below 31:00 seemed obvious based on her next 4 laps too: 73.5, 74.3, 74.8, 74.2 good for 3200 in 9:56.1.
Valby’s atypical training approach including hours and hours of cross-training per week, one had to surmise, as she clipped off laps showing she had built formidable endurance for running twice as long as the 5000, in which she lowered the CR to 14:52.79 at the NCAA Indoor a month earlier.
When Thackery hopped off at halfway, the 71.8 split Valby laid down to finish lap 13 suggested she had strength to burn over the final 12 circuits. That thirteenth lap was the one on which she hit lapped traffic and the first of 23 runners she would pass on the outside.
Her next four laps went in 72.6, 73.3, 72.9 and 73.4 before over the next 6 go-rounds she “settled” back into 74s and 75s, though with no evidence her tank was running dry. As the clock showed 24:30, Valby passed eventual runner-up Jenna Hutchins of BYU.
The soon-to-be 10K CR holder, wearing a black Gator uniform, ran to 9200m (2 to go) in 28:26.6 and then lifted the rhythm again. She split 73.8 for lap 24 and on the final circuit drove her arms with formful determination to finish with a 70.0.
Once across the line, Valby cut into the infield and took a seat on the grass, but only briefly before popping back to her feet to walk off the lactate as the rest of the field ran home.
The steeple, also held on Thursday, saw BYU’s Lexi Halladay-Lowry, redshirting the outdoor season, win in 9:26.55, slicing nearly 5 seconds off her PR to finish ahead of Gracie Hyde of Adams State (9:28.17). Florida’s Elise Thorner took 3rd in 9:28.49, moving to No. 8 among collegians.
“Coming into this race, we had an idea of what I was going to run, but to do it is something else,” said Halladay-Lowry.
The next two days produced other highlights in the distances. LSU’s Michaela Rose won her specialty in a wire-to-wire performance, slicing 0.61 from her best and producing the No. 2 collegiate 800 time ever at 1:58.37. She won handily over Anna Camp-Bennett (2:01.14). NCAA Indoor champ Juliette Whittaker of Stanford ran in another section, placing 2nd in 2:01.57 to Dani Jones’s 2:01.49.
“I’m healthy, and season opener, that’s a PR,” said Rose. “I’m just so grateful.”
In the 5000, Alabama junior Hilda Olemomoi, who finished 3rd in the NCAA Indoor, became No. 5 collegian ever with her 15:06.42 win over Abbey Cooper (15:11.15) and Amanda Vestri (15:13.38).
Saying “This is a great way to get the ball rolling,” Jones returned to win Saturday’s 1500 in 4:07.19 over Oregon’s Klaudia Kazimierska (4:08.43). “I feel really ready and really, really positive.” Back in 8th ran last year’s USATF 5/10K champ Elise Cranny in her seasonal debut at 4:09.65. She had run 2:02.90 for 800 the day before in her season debut.
Running nearly as fast in the previous section, Camp-Bennett won in 4:07.33. Behind her two collegians, Melissa Riggins of Georgetown and Chloe Foerster of Washington, both moved to =7 among U.S. collegians all time with their 4:07.96, Riggins getting the nod.
CLAY WOMEN’S RESULTS
400: 1. Nell Graham (NDSt) 52.57.
800: I–1. *Michaela Rose (LSU) 1:58.37 (2, 2 C);
2. Anna Camp-Bennett (adidas) 2:01.14; 3. McKenna Keegan (MelbTC) 2:01.54; 4. Katherine Mitchell (NBalB) 2:02.05; 5. Elise Cranny (Nike) 2:02.90; 6. Kaela Edwards (adidas) 2:02.96.
II–1. Dani Jones (NBal) 2:01.49; 2. **Juliette Whittaker (Stan) 2:01.57; 3. *Gabija Galvydytė’ (OkSt-Lit) 2:01.89; 4. Meghan Hunter (unat) 2:02.13; 5. *Wilma Nielsen’ (Wa-Swe) 2:02.55; 6. **Molly Sughroue (TS) 2:02.64.
III–1. *Julia Nielsen’ (Brad-Swe) 2:02.10; 2. Michaela Meyer (Nike) 2:02.38; 3. Skylyn Webb (Sauc) 2:02.39; 4. Mallory Lindaman (unat) 2:02.65.
1500: XI–1. Camp-Bennet 4:07.33;
2. *Melissa Riggins (Gtn) 4:07.96 (=7, x AmC); 3. **Chloe Foerster (Wa) 4:07.96 (=7, x AmC);
4. Heather MacLean (NBal) 4:08.64; 5. Galvydytė’ 4:10.53; 6. Ella Donaghu (NikeUAC) 4:10.84; 7. Lorena Rangel Batres’ (LSU-Mex) 4:11.63; 8. Whittni Morgan (adidas) 4:11.66.
XII–1. Dani Jones (NBal) 4:07.19; 2. **Klaudia Kazimierska’ (Or-Pol) 4:08.43; 3. *Margot Appleton (Va) 4:08.60; 4. **Billah Jepkirui’ (OkSt-OkSt) 4:08.93; 5. Gracie Hyde (Adams) 4:08.95; 6. Webb 4:09.13; 7. **Maddy Elmore (Or) 4:09.36; 8. Cranny 4:09.65; 9. Ellie Leather (UArmMRB) 4:11.42; 10. Flomena Asekol’ (Fl-Ken) 4:11.55; 11. Sughroue 4:11.57; 12. Courtney Wayment (On) 4:11.76.
St: 1. Lexy Halladay-Lowry (unat) 9:26.55; 2. Gracie Hyde (Adams) 9:28.17;
3. Elise Thorner’ (Fl-GB) 9:28.49 (8, 10 C);
4. Angelina Ellis (UArmDS) 9:30.71; 5. Simone Ponte Ferraz’ (Bra) 9:31.59; 6. Greta Karinauskaitė’ (CalBap-Lit) 9:37.31; 7. **Taylor Lovell (BYU) 9:51.57;
8. Emma Tavella (BC) 9:53.51; 9. Colett Rampf Cribbs (Army) 9:56.85; 10. Lona Latema’ (Ks-Ken) 9:58.52.
II–1. Stewart-Barnett’ 9:48.22; 2. Kiana Gibson’ (Can) 9:51.28; 3. Judi Jones (unat) 9:58.23; 4. ***Katie Clute (Or) 9:59.06.
III–1. ***Zoie Dundon (Mn) 9:57.44.
5000: 1. *Hilda Olemomoi’ (Al-Ken) 15:06.42 (5, 6 C);
2. Abbey Cooper (NBal) 15:11.15; 3. Amanda Vestri (ZapE) 15:13.38; 4. Simone Plourde’ (Can) 15:13.57; 5. Maggie Montoya (RootsRP) 15:15.52; 6. **Şilan Ayyıldız’ (Or-Tur) 15:15.84; 7. Alyson Churchill (unat) 15:17.20; 8. Bailey Hertenstein (Co) 15:18.80; 9. Emily Infeld (Nike) 15:20.54;
10. Julie Anne Staehli’ (Can) 15:24.85; 11. *Sydney Thorvaldson (Ar) 15:25.07; 12. ***Juliet Cherubet’ (TxT-Ken) 15:25.71; 13. WuGa He’ (Chn-Chn) 15:26.40;
14. Jenn Randall (OTC) 15:27.06
10,000: I–1. *Parker Valby (Fl) 30:50.43 CR (old CR 31:18.07 Lisa Uhl [IaSt] ’10) (11, x A) (75.2, 74.6 [2:29.8], 74.1 [3:43.9], 75.4 [4:59.3], 73.5 [6:12.8], 74.3 [7:27.1], 74.8 [8:41.9], 74.2 [9:56.1], (no 3600 split available) 2:28.6 [12:24.7], 74.5 [13:39.2], 74.5 [14:53.7], 71.8 [16:05.5], 72.6 [17:18.1], 73.3 [18:31.4], 72.9 [19:44.3], 73.4 [20:57.7], 74.5 [22:12.2], 74.6 [23:26.8], 75.2 [24:42.0], 75.3 [25:57.3], 74.8 [27:12.1], 74.5 [28:26.6], 73.8 [29:40.4], 70.0)
(34.2, 70.0, 2:23.8, 4:53.1, 6:08.4) (15:30.1/15:20.3);
2. **Jenna Hutchins (BYU) 32:52.01; 3. Florance Uwajeneza’ (WTxAM-Rwa) 32:52.54; 4. *Eva Jess (Tx) 32:54.06; 5. *Daphnee Lavassas’ (Mia-Gre) 33:00.60; 6. **Brenda Tuwei’ (Al-Ken) 33:00.66; 7. Morgan Jensen (unat) 33:02.69; 8. *Sameen Andar (UCI) 33:07.48; 9. ***Paityn Noe (Ar) 33:11.74; 10. Fatima Alanis’ (NC-Mex) 33:14.75; 11. *Kenzie Doyle (MaL) 33:21.23; 12. *Ava Dobson (NC) 33:21.58; 13. Purity Sanga’ (MTn-Ken) 33:23.07.
II–1. Taylor Roe (OkSt) 33:17.10; 2. *Molly Born (OkSt) 33:17.15; 3. **Dani Barrett (UCD) 33:26.01.
100H(-1.8): 1. Denisha Cartwright’ (Mank-Bah) 13.09; 2. *Micaela De Mello’ (WaSt-Bra) 13.35; 3. Danae Dyer (unat) 13.36.
400H: 1. Jessica Tappin’ (GB) 57.02; 2. *Gabby Drube (Wy) 58.52.
II–1. *Natalie Block (WiMil) 58.67.
4 x 100: 1. Pittsburg State 44.96.
Field Events
PV: 1. *Kyla Davis (PittSt) 13-10 (4.22).
LJ: 1. Aislinn McElhaney (Lips) 21-3½ (6.49).
DT: 1. Hallee Mohr (Hi) 182-2 (55.53); 2. Emma Ljungberg’ (Swe) 179-5 (54.69); 3. Daniella Persson’ (Swe) 172-6 (52.59).
JT: 1. ***Rejoice Agbewodie’ (CAz-Gha) 159-9 (48.69); 2. *Olivia Baumberger (SiouxF) 158-11 (48.44); 3. **Makayla Roy’ (NTx-Can) 157-4 (47.96).
Hept: I–1. Alix Still’ (Vand-GB) 5471.
II–1. **Sydney Johnson (UCLA) 5514; 3. **Blakelee Winn (PittSt) 5400.
III–1. Nicole Warwick (Azusa) 5927; 3. Cheyenne Nesbitt (SagV) 5816; 4. Kaitlin Smith (unat) 5713; 5. Anneke Moersdorf (OrSt) 5593; 6. Alysa Henry (Azusa) 5533; 7. **Shaina Zinter (Wi) 5499; 8. Haley Rizek (Tracksm) 5419.