Layne announces 2022-23 Cross Country/Track & Field staff

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (August 5, 2022) – Longtime Milligan University cross country and track & field head coach Chris Layne announced the Buffs' cross country and track & field assistant coaching staff for the upcoming 2022-23 season.

Natalia Rivas-Foster returns for her ninth season on Milligan's coaching staff. She serves as the Buffs' recruiting coordinator and heads team operations for Milligan's nationally-ranked cross country and track & field programs. On meet days, Rivas-Foster also serves as the Buffs' primary photographer for track and cross country. Rivas-Foster is a two-time Milligan graduate and was a four-time national qualifier in cross country and finished 16th in the marathon at the NAIA National Championships in 2013. Younger siblings Pablo Rivas and Camila Rivas are both current student-athletes on the 2022-23 Milligan cross country and track teams.

Sebastian O'Neill returns for his second season as Milligan's top track assistant. He worked with the Buffs' sprinters, jumpers and hurdlers last season and will also coach Milligan's throwing group this year. O'Neill ran cross country for four seasons at Nicholls State and ran track as a graduate student at Louisiana Monroe. He started his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at ULM and spent several season at Louisburg College as an assistant coach before joining Milligan's staff in 2021-22.

Six-time NAIA national champion Emily Kearney enters her second season as an assistant for Milligan's women's cross country and distance track. Kearney captured four national championships as an undergrad student-athlete at SCAD Atlanta. She spent the 2021 outdoor track season with the Buffs and won NAIA national championships in the 5k and 10k with all-time NAIA championship records in both events. Younger siblings Ellen Mary Kearney and Arran Kearney are incoming members of Milligan's cross country and track squads for 2022-23.

Brad Jones is the newest edition to the Milligan coaching staff as he begins his first season as a volunteer assistant for Milligan men's cross country and track. Jones is a local business owner, recreational runner and was a former middle-distance standing at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

"Every head coach strives to have continuity among their coaching staff and we'll continue to have that with Coach Rivas-Foster, Coach Kearney and Coach O'Neill," said Layne. "Brad brings a real passion for the sport that I know will reflect positively on the men's side and with the strength and depth of our roster, we want to make sure everyone is well taken care of on a daily basis."

Milligan cross country won NAIA national championships in men's and women's cross country last fall. The Buffs begin their 2022 campaign at Appalachian State's Covered Bridge Open.