Milligan Athletics ranks fourth in NAIA LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup fall standings
CLEVELAND (December 21, 2023) – After three top-five national finishes and one NAIA national title in the fall, Milligan University was the No. 4 institution in the in the fall standings of the NAIA LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup.
CLEVELAND (December 21, 2023) – After three top-five national finishes and one NAIA national title in the fall, Milligan University was the No. 4 institution in the in the fall standings of the NAIA LEARFIELD Directors' Cup.
Points for the LEARFIELD College Directors' Cup are based on each institution's finish at the NAIA National Championships for each respective sport. Men's cross country, women's cross country and men's soccer earned points with top-five national championship placement and totaled 270.00 points.
Milligan claimed its third NAIA team title in school history in men's cross country in 2023. The Buffs won the second-closest national championship meet in NAIA history as Milligan edged St. Mary (Kan.) by five points. Bryn Woodall, Aaron Jones and Will Stockley each collected All-America status with top-10 individual finishes. Freshman Bryson Lewis also earned All-America honors in 30th.
The Milligan men's soccer team reached the 2023 NAIA National Championship Game and finished as the national runner-up to MidAmerica Nazarene. The Buffs took down three top-10 teams on their way to the title game and made history as Milligan's first head-to-head team to reach the national semifinals and title game. Graduate forward Inaki Moreno became the first player in program history to collect NAIA First Team All-America honors
The Buffs' women's cross country team notched its third-straight trophy finish as Milligan finished fourth at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships. The Buffs had three All-American finishers with Caitlin Dominy (14th), Hannah Brown (20th) and Ellen-Mary Kearney (21st) posting top-40 placements.
Milligan was one of two NAIA insitutions with three top-five national finishers along with No. 1-ranekd Indiana Wesleyan.
The Buffs had the top billing among eight Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) institutions that appeared in the fall standings. Motnreat (28th), and Tennessee Wesleyan (61st) joined Milligan in the top 75.
The NAIA LEARFIELD Directors' Cup winter standings will be released on March 28.