Woodall and Layne receive USTFCCCA South Region honors

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (November 8, 2023) – Milligan junior Bryn Woodall and head cross country coach Chris Layne collected top regional honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Wednesday.

Woodall was tabbed as the USTFCCCA South Region Athlete of the Year while Layne was named the USTFCCCA South Region Coach of the Year for the fifth-straight season.

Woodall repeated as the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Runner of the Year as he captured the conference title for the second-straight season with an 8k time of 24:03. Woodall was joined on the All-AAC First Team by Will Stockley (second, 24:11) and Aaron Jones (fifth, 24:28).

Wood set the Buffs' cross country 8k record the outing before the conference championships with a 23:49 to win the NAIA Appalachian Challenge at Sequoyah Park on Oct. 20. He was a top-15 finisher in all five of his appearances this season and was tabbed as the NAIA National Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week on Oct. 25.

Layne coach Milligan to its fifth-straight AAC championship. The Buffs had six top-10 finishers to win the meet with a team score of 25. Milligan has been ranked in the top three in each edition of the NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 and carry a No. 2 national ranking into the NAIA National Championships. The Buffs have achieved top-three national finishes in each of the last three seasons, including the university's first-ever NAIA national title in 2021.

The 2023 NAIA National Championships are scheduled for Nov. 17 at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Championship Course in Vancouver, Wash.