Five from Milligan Cross Country and Track named Academic All-District

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (July 15, 2021) – Awards from a historic 2020-21 season for the Milligan University cross country and track & field programs continue to roll in as five student-athletes were named to the 2020-21 Academic All-District® Track/Cross County First Team for NAIA District 2 by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Representing Milligan's women on the All-District Team were Emily Kearney, Avery DeWolf, Bekah Owen and Gabrielle Mardis, while Tim Thacker collected Academic All-District honors on the men's side.

The CoSIDA Academic All-District program recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in athletic competition and in the classroom. NAIA District 2 includes schools from Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Kearney, a graduate student from Wirral, United Kingdom, maintained a 4.0 grade point average while pursuing a Master of Arts in Humanities and completing one of the most prolific outdoor track and field seasons in NAIA history.

With one semester of eligibility remaining after her decorated undergrad career at SCAD Atlanta was cut short due to Covid-19, Kearney donned the Buffs' uniform for the spring of 2021.

She captured NAIA national championships in the 5k and 10k, was named the Most Outstanding Performer at NAIAs and was named the USTFCCCA NAIA Women's Track Athlete of the Year and Appalachian Athletic Conference Runner of the Year.

Undefeated in 10 individual races in 2021, Kearney set NAIA all-time records in the 5k (15:39.65) and 10k (33:09.65).

A Manhattan, Kansas native, DeWolf is a rising senior and communications major. She has maintained a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA while collecting three NAIA All-America awards in track and cross country.

During the cross country season, DeWolf was the AAC Runner of the Year, AAC Champion and finished sixth at the NAIA Championships to earn All-American status.

DeWolf collected two All-American honors during the indoor track season as the national runner up in the 3000m (10:01.01) and was part of Milligan's second place Distance Medley Relay (12:17.95). At AAC indoors, she won individual titles in the 1000m, mile and 3000m and was named the AAC's Most Outstanding Track Athlete. She finished second to Kearney in the 1500m and 5k at the AAC outdoor championships and was 12th in the 5k at NAIAs.

Mardis also heads into her senior year with a 4.0 cumulative GPA. A Child and Youth Development major from Johnson City, Mardis has three career NAIA All-American awards.

An All-AAC First Team cross country runner, Mardis finished third at the AAC Championships and was Milligan's third finisher at the NAIA Cross Country Championship. During the indoor track season, Mardis collected All-America status in the DMR and took 11th at NAIAs in the 3k. She won her second-straight 3000m steeplechase AAC championship during the outdoor season and finished 12th in the event at the NAIAs.

Owen is a rising senior Graphic Design major from Johnson City. She carries a 3.97 cumulative GPA and is a five-time NAIA All-American.

Owen captured All-American status in cross country with an 18th-place finish at nationals. She was All-AAC First Team after finishing as the AAC runner-up to DeWolf at the conference championship meet.

She was a two-time All-American at the 2020-21 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships by finishing as the national runner-up in the 5000m and DMR. She added All-America honors during the outdoor season with an eighth place showing in the 5k.

A national champion and eight-time All-American, Thacker graduated from Milligan University as one of the most decorated runners in program history. He earned a degree in electrical engineering with a 3.79 cumulative GPA.

Thacker became Milligan's 15th individual national champion at the 2021 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships, winning the mile (4:12.25) after finishing as the national runner-up each of the last two seasons. For the second-straight year, he was named USTFCCCA NAIA South Regional Male Track Athlete of the Year and AAC's Most Valuable Track Athlete.

During the outdoor season, Thacker earned All-America status in the 800 with a third place showing at NAIAs. In his final event for the Buffs, Thacker set the program's outdoor mile record (4:01.78) at the Music City Track Carnival.

Thacker helped the Buffs' cross country to its highest ever finish at the NAIA national championship meet. He earned All-America status as Milligan's fourth runner across the finish line after being named All-AAC First Team for finishing third at AACs.

First-team Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® ballot. NAIA Track/Cross Country Academic All-Americans® will be announced on August 9.