Valby runs 30:50.43 in her debut in the event, eclipsing 31:18.07 effort achieved in 2010 by Iowa State graduate Lisa (Koll) Uhl, elevating to No. 11 in U.S. history; North Carolina’s Alex Phillip wins men’s 10,000 in 27:51.26, Benard Keter prevails in men’s 3,000 steeplechase in 8:24.86, with BYU’s Lexy Halladay-Lowry securing women’s victory in 9:26.55 ahead of NCAA Division 2 record holder Gracie Hyde in 9:28.17

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Chuck Utash

AZUSA, Calif. – Parker Valby isn’t one to seek the spotlight when it comes to discussing her achievements, but the Florida redshirt junior continues to command the bright lights with her prolific performances, and Thursday night at Azusa Pacific University’s Cougar Stadium was the latest venue where the 21-year-old standout shined on center stage.

Valby made a memorable impact in her first career 10,000-meter race, shattering the 2010 collegiate record by running 30 minutes, 50.43 seconds at the Bryan Clay Invitational in the fastest invitational section, also elevating to the No. 11 competitor in U.S. history.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

It took less than six degrees of Cyclone separation to link the 31:18.07 effort produced 14 years ago at the Stanford Invitational by Lisa (Koll) Uhl and the Cougar Stadium all-time mark achieved Thursday by Valby.

Following Uhl’s career at Iowa State concluded in 2010, Samantha Bluske transferred from Illinois State to continue her collegiate career the following year in Ames, where Will Palmer was an assistant coach.

Palmer went on to coach at Western Kentucky, Georgetown and Alabama, marrying Bluske in 2018, before the husband and wife arrived during the summer in Gainesville to coach the cross country program and mentor distance athletes on the track for the Gators.

Under the guidance of the Palmer pair, Valby won the NCAA Division 1 cross country title in November in Virginia and captured indoor championships March 9-10 in Boston in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters, producing collegiate all-time marks in both events.

Although Valby missed the Olympic standard of 30:40.0, she prevailed against an impressive field by more than two minutes, including Brigham Young sophomore Jenna Hutchins, who clocked 32:52.01 in her 10,000 debut.

West Texas A&M standout Florence Uwajeneza became only the second competitor in NCAA Division 2 history to achieve multiple sub-33 efforts in her career, taking third in 32:52.54, with Texas junior Eva Jess finishing fourth in a personal-best 32:54.06 and Greek athlete Daphnee Lavassas lowering her own Miami (Florida) program record with a lifetime-best 33:00.60, just ahead of Kenyan performer Brenda Tuwei of Alabama (33:00.66).

North Carolina graduate student-athlete Alex Phillip, winner of multiple NCAA Division 3 titles at John Carroll, prevailed in the fastest section of the men’s invitational 10,000 in a personal-best 27:51.26, holding off Kenyan competitor and Texas Tech freshman Ernest Cheruiyot in 27:52.13.

Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, a Canadian athlete representing New Balance, took third in 27:54.66 and reigning NCAA Division 2 cross country champion William Amponsah of West Texas A&M, a Ghanaian standout, elevated to the No. 2 competitor in division history by finishing fourth in 28:00.09.

Oklahoma State’s Alex Maier placed fifth in 28:17.15, with Aaron Las Heras of Northern Arizona securing sixth in 28:19.43.

Afewerki Zeru, a former Division 2 All-American at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, won the second section of the men’s 10,000 in 28:36.84, just ahead of French athlete and West Texas A&M junior Harry Louradour in 28:37.09.

Oklahoma State teammates Taylor Roe (33:17.10) and Molly Born (33:17.15) took the top two spots in the second section of the women’s 10,000, with Dani Barrett of UC Davis finishing third in a personal-best 33:26.01.

Benard Keter, representing the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, triumphed in the fastest section of the men’s invitational 3,000-meter steeplechase in 8:24.86, with John Gay from the Vancouver Thunderbirds clocking 8:25.20.

Eastern Kentucky graduate student-athlete Abdelhakim Abouzouhir, representing Morocco, took third in a personal-best 8:25.37, holding off Kenyan competitor Victor Kibiego of Texas A&M in fourth in 8:25.48.

Montana State’s Rob McManus placed fifth in 8:29.58, with teammate Levi Taylor seventh in 8:30.43.

Lexy Halladay-Lowry, a senior at Brigham Young redshirting the outdoor season, emerged victorious in the fastest section of the women’s invitational 3,000 steeplechase in a lifetime-best 9:26.55.

Gracie Hyde, a graduate student-athlete at Adams State, smashed the Division 2 all-dates record by placing second in a personal-best 9:28.17. Eilish Flanagan, an Irish competitor at Adams State, ran 9:40.68 in 2021 at the Oregon Twilight meet at Hayward Field, then clocked 9:34.86 at the Tokyo Olympics later that year.

Elise Thorner, a British athlete at Florida, took third by lowering her personal-best effort to 9:28.49, with Butler graduate and Under Armour Dark Sky Distance first-year competitor Angelina Ellis placing fourth in a lifetime-best 9:30.71 in her pro steeplechase debut.

Cheyenne Nesbitt of Saginaw Valley State, the reigning USATF Indoor pentathlon champion, led the elite section of the women’s heptathlon following the first day with 3,595 points, followed by Azusa Pacific’s Nicole Warwick second overall with 3,444 points.

UC Irvine’s Josh Farmer led the top section of the men’s decathlon at the midway point with 4,181 points, just ahead of Swiss professional athlete Finley Gaio with 4,167 points and Mississippi State’s Peyton Bair at 4,161 points.