Parker Valby breaks own indoor NCAA 5000m mark at 2024 indoors
Multiple teams and athletes saw their regular season come to an end last week and didn’t disappoint. There were 20 NCAA-leading marks set over Valentine’s Day weekend, good for almost 60 percent of all events across men’s and women’s track and field. Here’s what you may have missed and what it could been as the postseason approaches..
The records
Four NCAA records were set across Valentine’s Day weekend.
Men’s Distance Medley Relay
- Washington set a world record in the DMR this weekend with a 9:14.10 finish. Ronan McMahon-Staggs, Bodi Ligons, Kyle Reinheimer, Nathan Green ran unofficial splits of 2:50.52 (1200m), 46.86 (400m), 1:46.57 (800m) and 3:50.15 (1600m), respectively.
Women’s Distance Medley Relay
- BYU ran an all-conditions indoor-best in the DMR in 10:37.58. Carmen Alder ran 3:16 to open (1200m), Meghan Hunter ran 52 seconds (400m), Tessa Buswell ran 2:04 (800m) and Riley Chamberlain closed in 4:24 (1600m).
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Women’s Mile
- Oregon’s Silan Ayyildiz set a mile record in 4:32.46 at the BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational in what was a crazy week for the mile. Other all-time top finishes included NC State’s Grace Hartman (No. 3), Georgetown’s Melissa Riggins (No. 5) and Virginia’s Margot Appleton (No. 6).
Women’s Pole Vault
- The women’s pole vault NCAA record entering the weekend was 4.75 meters and it stood for 10 years. That’s until Washington’s Amanda Moll cleared 4.76 meters on her first attempt, 4.81 meters on her first attempt and 4.88 meters on her second attempt to reset the all-time charts.
What does it all mean?
- We’ve seen 11 records set already this indoor season without any championships on the line. To put that in perspective, just 13 records were set during all of 2024 and it matches the 11 collegiate records set in 2023 when 27 total indoor records were set. This could be a crazy year as far as records go.
The all-timers
Here’s a look at the athletes who had a top-10 all-time finish in their events.
Men’s 200m
- Auburn’s Makanakaishe Charamba ran 20.16 in the 200 meters at the Tiger Paw Invitational, the seventh-fastest time all-time.
Women’s 200m
- South Carolina’s JaMeesia Ford ran the seventh-fastest 200 meters in 22.34 seconds at the Tiger Paw Invitational. Outside of the top-10 fastest finishes, UTEP’s Niesha Burgher finished in 22.39 over the weekend to become the sixth-best performer with 16th fastest-finish all-time.
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Men’s 800m
- Georgetown’s Tinoda Matsatsa already set the 1000 meter NCAA record and he neared the 800 meter record at BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational with the fourth-fastest finish ever in 1:45.21.
Men’s 1000m
- If Villanova’s Daniel Watcke ran the 2:17.77 time he did in the 1000 meters at the BU Valentine Invitational in any other year, it would’ve been a collegiate record. However, it’s the third-fastest 1000 meters this year AND all-time.
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Women’s 3000m
- We saw a new top five of the women’s 3000 meters after the past weekend. BYU’s Lexy Halladay-Lowry ran the fourth-fastest time all-conditions in 8:40.60 at the Husky Classic, with her teammate Riley Chamberlain and NAU’s Elise Stearns following in sub-8:42 finishes.
- Alabama’s Doris Lemngole also joined the indoor record book at the BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational thanks to an 8:41.83 finish that puts her at No. 5 on the indoor charts.
Women’s Shot Put
- Houston’s KeAlya Dove landed a 19.46-meter shot put at the Howie Ryan Invitational, the third-best throw all-time. It was the first time over 19 meters in Dove’s career with her prior indoor best being 18.24 meters.
What does it all mean?
- The number of NCAA athletes climbing the all-time charts continues to increase. Keep in mind that the Valentine’s Day performance came after 26 non-record-breaking all-time top-10 marks were set in January. As stakes increase, we could be in for a historic postseason.
MORE: Recapping December in NCAA indoor track and field
Other NCAA-leading marks and notable performances
- Men’s 60 meters — Auburn’s Kanyinsola Ajayi (6.51s) and Israel Okon (6.52s)
- Women’s 60 meters — LSU’s Tima Godbless (7.08s) and Brianna Lyston (7.13s)
- Men’s 60 hurdles — Texas Tech’s Malachi Snow (7.46s) and USC’s Johnny Brackins Jr. (7.48s)
- Women’s 60 hurdles — Clemson’s Oneka Wilson (7.95s)
- Men’s 400 meters — Baylor’s Nathaniel Ezekiel (44.92s)
- Women’s 400 meters — Georgia’s Aliyah Butler (50.85s) and Arkansas’ Isabella Whittaker (50.87s)
- Women’s 800 meters — Stanford’s Juliette Whittaker (1:59.44) and Arkansas’ Sanu Jallow (1:59.77)
- Men’s High Jump — Arkansas’ Scottie Vines (2.29m)
- Women’s Triple Jump — Texas A&M’s Winny Bii (14.01m)
- Men’s Shot Put — Ole Miss’ Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan (21.11m)
- Men’s 4x400 relay — Texas A&M (3:02.21)
