Aaron Jones named USTFCCCA Scholar-Athlete of the Year; Track & Field named All-Academic Teams with 16 All-Academic student-athletes
NEW ORLEANS, La. (July 13, 2023) – The Milligan University men’s and women’s team & field teams were honored by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as All-Academic Teams with 16 student-athletes collecting All-Academic honors and junior Aaron Jones earning NAIA Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Scholar Track Athlete of the Year.
NEW ORLEANS, La. (July 13, 2023) – The Milligan University men's and women's team & field teams were honored by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as All-Academic Teams with 16 student-athletes collecting All-Academic honors and junior Aaron Jones earning NAIA Men's Indoor Track & Field National Scholar Track Athlete of the Year.
To receive All-Academic Team status, a team must own a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or greater at the end of the 2022-23 academic year. The criteria for an All-Academic Athlete from the USTFCCCA, one must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher and achieve an automatic or provisional qualifying mark in an individual or relay event during the 2022-23 indoor or outdoor track seasons.
Milligan's women's team boasted a 3.59 GPA while the men posted a 3.34 GPA. The Buffs boasted the No. 13 women's GPA and No. 9 men's GPA in the NAIA in 2022-23.
Jones also collected USTFCCCA NAIA Men's Cross Country National Scholar Athlete of the Year honors in November after a top-five finish at the NAIA National Championships. Jones went on to win the NAIA national championship in the indoor 5k and finish third in the outdoor 10k. Jones has earned All-America honors at each of the last six NAIA National Championship events.
Jones, Caitlin Dominy, Will Stockley, Jake Crow and Evan Henson were all honored as Academic All-Americans by the College Sports Communicators earlier this summer and added USTFCCCA All-Academic laurels.
The Buffs were national runners-up in men's and women's cross country and posted top-10 team finishes at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in 2022-23. Milligan claimed three individual national titles and 18 All-America honors. Both teams appeared in the USTFCCCA NAIA Program of the Year standings for the 2022-23 year with the men finishing seventh and the women checking in at No. 15.
USTFCCCA Men's All-Academic Athletes
Sylas Chambers
Jake Crow
Evan Henson
Aaron Jones
Arran Kearney
Dawson Reed
Pablo Rivas
Will Stockley
Alex Windham
Carter Windham
USTFCCCA Women's All-Academic Athletes
Gracie Allen
Megan Christian
Caitlin Dominy
Rebecca Glover
Ellen Mary Kearney
Kaelyn Slaughter