Jones earns national runner of the week

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (Oct. 21, 2020) – Following Monday's announcement as Appalachian Athletic Conference runner of the week, Milligan University freshman Aaron Jones on Wednesday was named the NAIA runner of the week. Jones led the No. 13 Buffs to a victory at the AAC Preview, winning the 8k race in 25:30.

Jones' win helped keep the Buffs undefeated this season through five events, and it came against some of the nation's toughest competition. In the 52-man field were several national prominent runners, including indoor national champion Moses Dirane from No. 23 Montreat, and teammates Tim Thacker, a national runner-up, and Jake Crow, a national finalist. At 25:30, Jones won the AAC Preview by 22 seconds and posted a time that was 10 seconds faster than anyone else who competed across the NAIA over the last seven days.

This marked Jones' first AAC weekly award and first NAIA weekly award of his young career. He was the third Buff this season to win at the conference level, following Evan Henson (Sept. 28) and Tim Thacker (Oct. 5). Jones became the first Buff to win the national award for cross country since Hannah Segrave won the award on Oct. 28, 2015.

Jones and the Buffs will next compete at the AAC Championships, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, in Asheville, North Carolina. The Buffs have won the AAC Championship three of the last five years.