Swimming earns six All-America honors and sets five team records on day two of NAIA Championships

COLUMBUS, Ga. (March 2, 2023) – The Milligan University swimming teams set five school records and earned All-American laurels in four individual events and two relays on the second day of the NAIA National Championships at the Columbus Aquatic Center on Thursday evening.

Through two days of competition the Buffs sit fourth in the men's standings with 135 points and fifth in the women's standings with 118 points.

Riley Renaud and Gabby MacPherson claimed All-America honors as both went under Milligan's previous program record in the 500-yard freestyle in the championship final. Renaud finished fifth in 5:03.57 to collect her first individual All-American award. MacPherson followed in sixth in 5:04.91 to collect her sixth individual All-American finish. Renaud's time of 5:02.74 was the top preliminary time and stands as Milligan's new record in the event.

Caleb Fry raced to a school record and All-American honors in the 50 free with a third-place finish in 20.28.

Peter Gilbert claimed All-American status in the men's 500 free with a 4:35.02 effort. Jacob Miller secured a spot in the consolation final and posted a time of 4:37.19 to finish 12th.

Liz Mahan, Mary Grace Bitting, MacPherson and Samantha van Vuure earned All-America laurels in the 200-yard free relay. The Buffs clocked in at 1:36.68 to finish fourth.

Fry, Cole Brusher, Andre Bazzana and Stephen Gilbert earned a third-place finish with a school record time of 1:22.85 in the 200 free relay.

Stephen Gilbert posted the top time in the consolation final of the men's 200-yard individual medley (1:50.03) to finish ninth. Bitting notched a 14th-place showing in the women's 200 IM consolation finals in 2:09.03. Bitting's prelim effort of 2:08.61 marks Milligan's school record in the event.

The NAIA National Championships continue tomorrow with five individual events and one relay. The prelims start at 9:00 a.m. with finals at 5:00 p.m.