Valerie Thames

Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Milwaukee, Wisc.
High School:
Milwaukee Riverside University

MIZZOU PERSONAL RECORDS
Indoor Track & Field
400m Dash – 53.80 // SEC Championships (2/26)
600m Run – 1:41.40 // Illinois-Iowa Border Battle (1/9)
60m Hurdles – 8.45 // Missouri Collegiate Challenge (1/27/17)
Outdoor Track & Field
400m Dash - 58.05 // Tom Botts Invitational (05/01/2015)
100m Hurdles - 13.18 (13.25q) // SEC Championships (5/12/16)
400m Hurdles - 57.72 (57.16) // SEC Championships (5/12/16)

NOTEWORTHY

2016 NCAA Second Team All-American (100m Hurdles – 16^th)
2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifier (400m Hurdles)
2017 NCAA West Preliminary qualifier (100m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles, 4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay)
2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifier (100m Hurdles)
2016 NCAA West Preliminary qualifier (100m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles, 4x400m Relay)
Mizzou School Record Holder in the Indoor 60m Hurdles (8.45)
Mizzou School Record Holder in the Indoor 4x400m Relay (3:34.42)
Mizzou School Record Holder in the Outdoor 100m Hurdles (13.18)
Mizzou School Record Holder in the Outdoor 400m Hurdles (57.16)
Mizzou School Record Holder in the Outdoor 4x400m Relay (3:34.10)
No. 2 All-Time in the Indoor 400m Dash (53.80)

TFRRS Page

2016-17
Season Bests
60m Hurdles (ITF) – 8.45 // Missouri Collegiate Challenge (1/27)
400m Dash (ITF) – 55.12 // SEC Indoor Championships (2/24)
100m Hurdles (OTF) – 13.37 (W: 0.3) // SEC Outdoor Championships (5/12) | 13.28 (W: 2.6) // NCAA West Preliminary (5/26)
400m Hurdles (OTF) – 58.06 // SEC Outdoor Championships (5/11)

Indoor Track – Opened the indoor season with a 10^th-place finish in the 50m hurdles at the Commodore Invitational (Jan. 14), crossing the finish line at 8.76 … Finished first in the 60m hurdles and 4x400m relay at the Missouri Invitational (Jan. 20), running a then-personal record time of 8.60 in the 60m hurdles and running the anchor leg on the relay team that set the meet record at 3:47.64 … Set the meet, school and a personal record in the 60m hurdles at the Missouri Collegiate Challenge (Feb. 17), crossing the finish line at 8.45 … Ran in the 400m dash, 60m hurdles and 4x400m relay at the SEC Indoor Championships (Feb. 24-25), finishing 15^th in the 60m hurdles at 8.46 and sixth in the 4x400m relay, running the anchor leg on the team that posted the second-best time in program history at 3:37.49.

Outdoor Track – Began the outdoor season by making the finals in both the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles at the Texas Relays (March 31-April 1), finishing seventh in the 400m hurdles at 1:00.63 (58.83 in the preliminary heat) and eighth in the 100m hurdles at 13.61 (13.46 in the preliminary heat) … Posted top-3 finishes in both the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles at the Crimson Tide Invite (April 8), finishing second in the 400m hurdles at 59.37 and third in the 100m hurdles at 13.54 … Finished runner-up in the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles at the Tom Botts Invitational (April 15), crossing the finish line at 13.50 and 1:00.97, respectively … Ran the anchor leg on the 4x400m relay team that finished first at the Tom Botts Invitational (April 15) with a time of 3:42.46 … Ran the anchor leg on the 4x400m relay team that won the John McDonnell Invitational (April 22) with a time of 3:40.08 … Finished fourth in the 100m hurdles at the Drake Relays (April 28-29) with a wind-aided time of 13.50 (13.87 in the preliminary heat) … Scored in three events at the SEC Outdoor Championships (May 11-13). Finishing seventh in the 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay, including the second-best 4x400m relay time in program history at 3:37.00 … Finished 12^th in the 400m hurdles at the NCAA West Preliminary Round (May 25-26) with a time of 59.09 (58.95 in the preliminary heat) to qualify for the NCAA meet … Placed 22^nd in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:01.60 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships (June 8).

2015-16
Season Bests
400m (ITF) – 53.80 // SEC Championships (2/26)
600m (ITF) – 1:41.40 // Illinois-Iowa Border Battle (1/9)
60m Hurdles (ITF) – 8.62 // Missouri Invitational (1/15)
100m Hurdles (OTF) – 13.18 (13.25q) // SEC Championships (5/12)
400m Hurdles (OTF) – 57.72 (57.16) // SEC Championships (5/12)

Indoor Track - Began the season by finishing fourth in the 60m hurdles at the Border Battle, crossing the finish line with a time of 8.64 … Recorded the fifth-fastest 60m hurdles time in school history in the prelims of the Missouri Invitational, finishing with a time of 8.62 … Ran the 400m dash at the SEC Indoor Championships, finishing 14^th at 53.80, the second-fastest time in school history

Outdoor Track - Started the outdoor season off with a bang, finishing third in the 400m hurdles and fifth in the 100m hurdles at the Arkansas Spring Invitational, setting all-time top-10 marks in both events … Finished third in the 400m hurdles at the Georgia Spec Town Invitational with a time of 59.98 … Set the 100m hurdles school record at the John McDonnell Invitational with a time of 13.29 … Scored in both the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles while setting both school records at the SEC Championships, finishing fifth in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.18 and sixth in the 400m hurdles at 57.72 (set school record in prelims at 57.16) … Qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary in both the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles, placing ninth in the 100m hurdles to clinch a spot in Eugene … Finished 16^th in the 100m hurdles finals at the NCAA Championships with a time of 13.23 to earn Second-Team All-America status

2014-15
Season's Bests
400m (OTF) - 58.05 // Tom Botts Invite (05/01)
100m Hurdles (OTF) - 14.10 // Tom Botts Invite (05/01)
400m Hurdles (OTF) - 1:05.95 // Penn Relays (04/23)

Indoor Track - Redshirted the indoor season.

Outdoor Track - Valerie kicked off her Mizzou career with two record book performances, first as an individual for the 100m hurdles, then again as a member of the record-breaking 4x400m squad...Her season began, though, at the Texas Relays where she opened in the 100m (15.12) and 400m (1:07.73) hurdles...She brought her 100m hurdles time down to 14.36 during the John McDonnell Invitational, where she finished ninth overall in the event and 11th in the 400m hurdles...She donned the black and gold as a member of the 4x200m and 4x400m relay teams at the Penn Relays...She also competed as an individual, clocking through in 14.51 for the 100m hurdles and earning a season's-best 1:05.95 for the 400m hurdles...She closed her regular season at home with the Tom Botts Invitational, where she was fourth in the 100m hurdles with a season's-best 14.10 and fifth for her lone 400m dash of the season (58.05)...Valerie's final meet of the season was the SEC Championships, where she timed through in 3:40.68 with the 4x400m team, good for 11th in the field and a new Mizzou School Record...As an individual, she finished in 22nd for the 100m hurdles (14.45).

SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
Bests
400m (ITF) - 56.74 // SWAC Championships (02/23/2014)
60m Hurdles (ITF) - 8.65 // SWAC Championships (02/23/2014)
200m (OTF) - 25.12 // Pelican Relays (04/04/2014)
400m (OTF) - 56.50 // Lion Invitational (04/17/2014)
100m Hurdles (OTF) - 13.81 // Lion Invitational (04/17/2014)
400m Hurdles (OTF) - 58.91 // Georgia Tech Invitational (05/16/2014)

Valerie Competed for Southern University during the 2013-14 school year...She was fifth at the SWAC Indoor Championships for the 400m dash (56.74) and sixth in the 60m hurdles (8.81)...Valerie was the 2014 SWAC Champion for the 400m hurdles (1:00.60), and was second in both the 100m hurdles (13.74w) and 4x400m (3:42.90).

HIGH SCHOOL
Bests
100m Hurdles - 14.53 // 300m Hurdles - 43.04 // 55m Hurdles - 8.44

Valerie competed for Milwaukee Riverside University...She was the 2013 WIAA State Champion in the 300m hurdles...She also placed third at the 2011-12 Championships for the event...In the 100m hurdles, she was third at the 2012-13 WIAA Championships, and fourth in 2011.