Parker Valby wins 10,000 meters to help Florida take team lead at NCAA outdoor championships

Updated Jun. 7, 2024 12:55 a.m. ET

Associated Press

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Florida junior Parker Valby won the 10,000 meters in a meet-record time and the Gators took the women's team lead Thursday in the NCAA outdoor track and field championships.

Valby finished in 31 minutes, 46.09 seconds for her fifth NCAA title. She pulled away on the third lap.

Florida has 26 points after six of the 21 events. Nebraska was second with 22, followed by Oregon with 15.

In the men's decathlon, Texas’ Leo Neugebauer shattered his own NCAA record with 8,961 points to defend his title. Neugebauer broke the decathlon world record in the discus at 189-4 and he matched his personal best of 17-1 in the pole vault. Neugebauer headed into the final event with 8,309 points — the second-most ever after nine.

Chloe Timberg, a three-time Big Ten champion for Rutgers, set an NCAA championship meet and school record in the women's pole vault by clearing 15-5 1/2.

Jaida Ross dominated the shot put, reaching 64 feet, 2 1/2 inches, to become the first woman in Oregon’s program history to win the event at the NCAA championship.

Elisabet Runarsdottir won the hammer throw at 231-2 to become the first women’s champion in 28 years for Texas State. Runarsdottir and Lara Roberts were the first Texas State athletes in school history to qualify for the nationals in the same event. Roberts finished 14th.

Rhema Otabor of Nebraska took her second straight javelin title, throwing 210-7. Ackelia Smith of Texas defended her long jump title at 22-3 1/2.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports