Indoor Track sweeps AAC Championships

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (February 17, 2023) – The Milligan University men's and women's indoor track & field teams both won Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) team championships on the final day of the AAC Championships at the JDL Fast Track.

Milligan repeats as men's indoor track champions while the women earn their second title in program history, previously winning in 2020. The Buffs claimed 10 AAC event men's championships and seven women's titles en route to sweeping the team championships. Over the course of the meet Milligan set 32 personal best marks, set the all-time meet record for men's team points (219), the first team to sweep AAC indoor titles and sweep cross country and indoor titles in the same year.

"A complete performance on both sides," said head coach Chris Layne. "It takes a special group of student-athletes to line up and be flawless like this group. We didn't have one athlete pull out of an event the entire championship and as a matter of fact, they were raising their hands asking to run the 4x4 if we needed it. From our team ops staff to our coaches, to our student-athletes, just an incredibly rewarding two days."

Freshman Ellen Mary Kearney was honored as the AAC Women's Freshman of the Year after she won a trio of AAC Championships. Sophomore Bryn Woodall was tabbed as the AAC Men's Track Athlete of the Year after winning three conference titles and senior Caitlin Dominy was named AAC Women's Track Athlete of the Year with one title and two individual runner-ups. Layne and his staff took home AAC Men's and Women's Coach Staff of the Year honors. In total, Milligan combined to win 17 conference titles and set three AAC Championship meet records.

"Well deserved for Ellen Mary, Caitlin and Bryn and our entire staff," said Layne. "You could've argued for two or three of our crew on either side, but no question this bunch stood out."

Kearney took home AAC titles in the 800 and the mile on Friday. She won the 800 in a meet record time of 2:17.57. Caitlin Dominy finished as the runner-up in the mile in 5:07.62 and Alyssa Bearzi placed fourth in 5:15.01. Kaelyn Slaughter (7th, 2:26.98) and Sophia Jeffers (8th, 2:28.08) scored in the 800. Kearney's time hit national standards in both events and Dominy joined her with a pre-conversion qualifying time in the mile.

Woodall repeated as the men's 3k champion in 8:25.66. and took the title in the mile in 4:18.53. Aaron Jones was the runner-up in the 3k (8:31.51), followed by Pablo Rivas in fifth (8:36.26), Evan Henson in sixth (8:36.67) and Arran Kearney in seventh (8:40.87). Woodall, Jones, Rivas and Henson all hit the NAIA "A" standard in the 3k. Will Stockley was the runner-up in the mile in 4:20.63 and Jones was fourth in 4:22.75. Rivas added a seventh-place showing in the mile (4:31.88).

Dominy won the women's 3k in 10:09.83 and Bearzi was the runner-up in 10:18.19. Both of Milligan's top two finishers secured NAIA automatic qualifying standards. The Buffs racked up 28 total points in the 3k as six Buffs finished in the top eight as Anna Jones (11:07.61), Ashlyn Haas (11:11.28), Natalie Fellers (11:11.98) and Patricia Barrera (11:15.12) finished fourth-through-eighth.

Keith Fletcher ran a personal best and national qualifying time of 8.27 in the men's 60-meter hurdle final to bring home the first AAC championship of his career. Fletcher went on to earn a third-place finish in the men's 200 (22.69). Kamdyn Lee finished fifth in the 200 in 23.02.

Sylas Chambers repeated as the AAC's 800-meter champion and also took gold in the 600. He edged out a pair of Montreat Cavaliers with a winning time of 1:55.28 in the 800. He crossed in 1:24.28 to win the 600. Stockley joined Chambers with an NAIA "A" standard and finished fourth in the 800 in 1:55.93 and Thomas Johnson was seventh in 2:01.02. Aaron Vaughn was the runner-up in the 600 in 1:24.72 while Ja'Quan Williams (1:26.57) and Carter Windham (1:27.45) finished fourth and fifth.

Halie Hawkins won her second pole vault conference title with a winning mark of 3.02 meters.

Kiley Wood, Rebecca Glover, Isabelle Johnson and Jeffers clocked in at 10:07.84 to win the Buffs' first AAC title on Friday in the 4x800-meter relay. Megan Christian, Kearney, Dominy and Glover ran to a third-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay in 4:12.03.

Milligan's men captured the 4x800 conference title as Johnson, Samir Koko, Keaton Hincher and Mikel Valladares crossed the finish line in 8:06.53. The Buffs also claimed the conference championship in the 4x400 relay as Williams, Vaughn, Stockley and Skylan Stephens posted a winning time of 3:29.96.

Carson Conatser and Conner Mowell combined to pick up seven points in the high jump as both jumpers cleared 1.80 meters to finish fifth and sixth, respectively.

The Buffs' indoor track season concludes at the NAIA National Championships in Brookings, S.D. March 2-4.