Swimming concludes 2022-23 with top-five national rankings

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (March 10, 2023) – Both Milligan University swimming teams finished as the No. 5 team in the nation at the NAIA National Championships last week. It matches the highest-ever program finish in team history as the Buffs repeated as fifth-place men's and women's finishers at the national championship meet.

Both squads spend the entire season ranked in the top-10 of the Swimcloud NAIA Championships rankings, with both teams peaking at No. 1 early in the season. The Buffs' men and women both finished fifth at the NAIA National Championships, but each program increased its scoring total at the meet.

The Buffs had a program record 28 total All-America honors as Milligan collected All-America status in all 10 relays with 12 individual women's All-America honors and 16 men's All-America awards. The Buffs set 21 school records at the NAIA National Championships.

Freshman Riley Renaud became the first women's swimming national champion in school history. She won the 1,650-yard freestyle in dramatic fashion. Renaud, the three seed entering the event, edged Keiser's Rachel Bradley in a race that was separated by thousandths of a second down the stretch with a school record time of 17:21.03.

Freshmen Peter Gilbert and Caleb Fry were each three-time individual All-Americans. Gilbert claimed All-America honors in the 500 free, 1650 free and 400-yard individual medley. Fry was an All-American in the 100-yard breaststroke, 200 breast and 50 free. Gabby MacPherson, Renaud, Kaylee Williams and Stephen Gilbert were all two-time individual All-Americans.

At the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Championships, Milligan swept the team titles for the second-straight season. Milligan's men took home their third-straight conference crown while the women claimed their second AAC title. The Buffs won 31 of the 36 AAC individual and relay titles and both teams set AAC meet records for total points and championships won. The Buffs set 13 conference championship meet records and became the first program to sweep the AAC championships in consecutive seasons.

Peter Gilbert and Renaud were tapped as the AAC Swimmers of the Year and AAC Freshmen of the Year. Head coach Spencer Scarth claimed AAC Coach of the Year honors on the men's and women's sides. The Buffs had a record 24 student-athletes announced as national qualifiers as Milligan contested every event at the 2022-23 NAIA National Championships.

In 2022-23, Milligan set 27 teams records. Milligan's women set 10 individual and five relay records while the men set eight individual records and four new relay standards.