Season Preview: 2021-22 Women’s Indoor Track & Field

MILLIGAN UNIVERSITY, Tenn. (January 13, 2022) – The Milligan University women's indoor track & field team is primed for another successful season in 2022. The Buffs return to competition for the sfirst time in the calendar year at the ETSU Track & Field Invitational this coming weekend.

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2020-21 Season Review: The Buffs finished 10th at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships and posted national runner-up finishes and All-America honors in two individual events and one relay

At the NAIA National Championships in South Dakota, Milligan sent two relays and four individuals. Senior Avery DeWolf Burton took second in the 3k, Bekah Owen was the runner-up in the 5k and the Buffs' DMR unit of Gabrielle Mardis, junior Kiley Wood, sophomore Gracie Allen and Burton earned silver as well.

"To place both programs in the top ten at indoor nationals was pretty special," said head coach Chris Layne. "Obviously, we relied heavily on our quality and our student-athletes delivered on the day - that's not always easy to do. The NAIA is so good at the championship level and we certainly won't take those performances for granted moving forward."

The Buffs finished second at the AAC Indoor Championships with a team score of 185, just 10 points behind AAC Champion Columbia (S.C.) and 95 points ahead of third-place CIU. Milligan racked up six individual conference championship and two relay titles.

Burton captured three individual conference titles, ran on the Buffs' conference-winning Distance Medley Relay and was named the Most Valuable Track Athlete at AAC Indoor Championship Meet.

Key Returners: Fresh of the Buffs' first-ever NAIA cross country national championship, Milligan brings back several key contributors with All-American pedigrees and national experience.

Burton captured AAC titles in the 1k (3:07.44), mile (5:05.33) and 3k (10:06.12) in 2020-21. She turned in the No. 5 time nationally in the 3k (9:57.91) at VMI and owned a top 10 mark in the mile and 5k. At the NAIA National Championships, Burton was the national runner-up in the 3k in 10:01.01.

"When it comes to running economy, Avery is one of the more talented women we've seen in our program, and on top of that, she has been very intentional about her development, said Layne. "When you combine those two things, the end result is a young lady that has taken calculated steps every year she's been here and that has really been fun to witness."

Sophomore Alyssa Bearzi burst onto the NAIA national stage by capturing the individual national title in cross country in November. She began her Milligan career in last winter's indoor track & field season and recorded top-16 times nationally in the 3k (10:14.59) and 5k (17:53.49). At the AAC Indoor Championships, Bearzi was the runner-up in the 5k and took fifth in a loaded 3k field. An injury limited her performance at the NAIA National Championships and for the outdoor track & field season.

"Alyssa is really coming into her own," said Layne. "You're not one of the top athletes in Australia by mistake, but she needed a little time to adjust, realize her potential, and find a rhythm with life, school, and athletics. Every athlete has their strengths and weaknesses and she has started to attack the details even more so than she did before. She's confident, trusting of our system and I definitely see her continuing to take steps."

Allen finished second in the 800 (2:23.46) and at the AAC Indoor Championships. Allen recorded top-50 marks nationally in the 800 and 1k. In the first meet of the 2021-22 season, Allen logged a qualifying time and national top-10 mark in the 3k (10:24.57) and added another national top-10 in the mile (5:19.04).

Junior Caitlin Dominy was the runner-up in the 1k (3:09.52) and took seventh in the mile (5:27.29) at the AAC Indoor Championships. Wood placed second in the 600 (1:42.60) and was fifth in the 400 (1:01.96) at the AAC Indoor Championships.

Sophomore Megan Christian finished fourth in the 600 (1:44.83), was sixth in the 400 (1:02.81) at the AAC Championships, and junior Rebecca Glover finished fourth in the 800 (2:27.95) and seventh in the 1k (3:24.17). Sophomore Kaelyn Slaughter logged a fifth-place showing in the 1k (3:18.24) and was sixth in the 800 (2:33.52).

At the AAC Indoor Championships, Milligan's DMR grouping of Burton, Mardis, Allen and Wood won the conference title and set the AAC championship record of 12:22.65. Dominy, Valentina Kenyeres, Allen and Slaughter captured the AAC championship in the 4x800 relay in 9:50.06 and Allen, Christian, Wood and Kenyeres finished second in the 4x400 relay in 4:14.07.

"I always look back at the end of the year and say 'I wish we would've done even more with our relays,'" said Layne. "It's such a great way to bring our athletes together, create that team environment within an individual sport, and I know our team enjoys that element. I know I enjoy the puzzle of putting these together while trying to balance individual performances along with getting some of our crew to nationals when they might not be ready to do it individually."

Milligan qualified for the NAIA National Championships in the 4x800 and DMR. Milligan took second in the nation in the DMR at nationals with a 12:18.15 effort from Madris, Wood, Owen and Burton. Milligan's 4x800 quartet of Kenyeres, Slaughter, Glover and Dominy finished 13th in 9:43.93.

Junior Ali Burns earned a pair of top-eight finishes at the AAC Indoor Championships last February. She was fourth in the 5k (19:04.71) and was eighth in the 3k (10:50.31). Sophomore Camila Rivas finished ninth in 5k and was 13th in 3k.

Junior Halie Hawkins highlighted Milligan's field contributors as she collected an AAC title in the pole vault by clearing a school record 3.20 meters. She surpassed her own record in her debut outing in 2021-22 with a mark of 3.21 meters.

"Halie has a lot of pride in being at Milligan and she has had to be really flexible with the resources available to her, but having said that, each year she finds a way to take a step and do more than she did the year before," said Layne. "She's definitely gotten out of the gate really well this season so I'm excited to see this play out both indoors and outdoors."

Senior Jemimah Ndune returns with an indoor personal-best long jump of 4.59 meters last season at CIU.

Senior Ellie Ayers posted season bests of 9.38 meters in the shot put and 9.81 meters in the weight throw in her debut for the Buffs last year.

Newcomers: Milligan adds nine newcomers to the mix for the 2021-22 indoor track & field season.

JaDejsha Arnold (Throws), Knoxville, TN/Carter HS
Rachel Dulaney (Distances), Jonesborough, TN/David Crockett HS
Natalie Fellers (Distances), Limestone, TN/Daniel Boone HS
Anna Jones (Distances), Murfreesboro, TN/Central Magnet
Grace Krell (Distances), Telford, TN/David Crockett HS
Iliana Martinez (Throws), Erwin, TN/Unicoi Co. HS
Annie Kate McDermott (Distances), Cookeville, TN/Cookeville HS
Joy Reks (Throws), Noblesville, TN/Noblesville HS
Marinda Walls (Distances), Gray, TN/Daniel Boone HS

Looking at the Schedule: Milligan opened its 2021-22 indoor track & field season the first weekend in December at the Appalachian State Invitational and Visit Winston-Salem College Kick-off the at JDL Fast Track.

The Buffs have five regular season meets scheduled in January and February prior to the 2021-22 AAC Indoor Track & Field Championships on Feb. 17-18 at the JDL Fast Track.

The 42nd annual NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships are set for March 3-5 at Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D.

"We set a pretty standard schedule indoors and there is enough flexibility that we can make changes along the way," said Layne. "Everything we do serves a purpose and for each student-athlete that purpose might be a little different. Covid has certainly challenged us and our schedule and I'm really proud of how our crew have responded the last few years."

Last Word: "To really frame things up is to really say the focus has to remain on develop each of our kids individually and then where we come together from a team perspective is where we'll be," said Layne. "We've always taken this philosophy. Last year we weren't necessarily talking team, team, team, it was more about if each individual is able to maximize who they are, then we'll be happy if we're 3rd or 23rd."