Swimming opens AAC Championships with nine conference titles

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (February 8, 2024) – The Milligan University swim teams set four meet records and won nine of 10 championships contested on the first day of the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Championships at the Kingsport Aquatic Center on Thursday evening.

The Buffs opened the meet with conference titles and AAC championship records in the 200-yard medley relay. Tyler Cates, Kaylee Williams, Gabby MacPherson and Hanne te Velthuis eclipsed the previous meet record by 1.66 seconds with a time of 1:47.16. Paxton Smith, Caleb Fry, Sergio Tudor and Stephen Gilbert took gold with a meet-record time of 1:31.30.

Te Velthuis set Milligan's program and AAC Championship meet records in the 50-yard freestyle as she claimed the conference title in 23.74. Gabby MacPherson finished as the runner-up in 24.52. Liz Manhan, Suzy Aguiree and Tyler Cates finished fifth through seventh in the championship final.

Riley Renaud successfully defended her conference title in the women's 500 free in 5:04.55. Kaelin Forscutt was fifth in 5:45.70 and Abigial Jackson was eighth in 5:59.56.

Jacob Miller captured his first individual AAC championship as she won the men's 500 free in 4:38.92. Peter Gilbert followed in second in 4:39.06. Cole Brusher was fourth in 4:43.15 and Michael Cellucci touched fifth in 4:53.45.

The Buffs swept the top three spots and had five of the top six finishers in the men's 200-yard individual medley. Stephen Gilbert repeated as the AAC champion in 1:50.64. Andre Bazzana was second (1:54.07) and Ben Hawkins placed third in 1:55.73. Freshmen Simon Popelka (fifth, 1:57.42) and Nate Halloran (sixth, 1:57.73) also appeared in the championship final.

Smith and Fry finished first and second in the 50 free. Smith took home the conference title in 20.92 and Fry followed in 20.96. Jayden Bearden finished sixth in 21.79.

Mary Grace Bitting (fourth, 2:011.20), Samantha van Vuure (fifth, 2:14.46), Kaylee Williams (seventh, 2:20.37) and Mikayla Best (8th, 2:22.41) appeared in the championship finals in the 200 IM.

The Buffs closed Thursday with a pair of conference titles in the 800 free relay. Milligan's women's unit of Liz Mahan, Bitting, MacPherson and te Velthuis won in 7:46.68. Jayden Bearden, Miller, Bazana and Stephen Gilbert set the AAC meet record in the men's 800 free relay in 6:52.49.

The AAC Championships continue tomorrow with prelims at 9:00 a.m. at the Kingsport Aquatic Center.