Ellen Mary Kearney named AAC Runner of the Week

WALESKA, Ga. (September 18, 2023) – Milligan University sophomore Ellen Mary Kearney was honored as the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week on Monday.

Kearney ran the fastest 6k in the NAIA this season at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invite on Friday evening. Her time of 22:00.7 broke Milligan's school record at the distance, formerly held by four-time national champion Hannah Segrave.

Kearney finished seventh in an 87-runner field with five NCAA Division I teams competing at the meet.

The Buffs finished third of the seven teams at the meet, only behind NCAA Division I Virginia Tech and High Point. Milligan finished ahead of NCAA Division III No. 12 Lynchburg and Division I ETSU, Howard and Delaware. The Buffs' top five finishes made their way onto the program's top-10 leaderboard for 6k, the NAIA's new national championship distance.

The award is Kearney's second weekly conference award in as many outings in 2023. She was honored as the NAIA Runner of the Week after Milligan's opener at Appalachian State.

Milligan hosts the Eli Cramer Invitational on Friday.