Indoor Track sweeps team titles at AAC Championships

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (February 16, 2024) – The Milligan University men's and women's indoor track and field teams swept team titles at the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Championships for the second-straight year at the JDL Fast Track on Friday.

Milligan claims its third-straight men's indoor track title and its second-consecutive women's conference crown. The Buffs are the first program to sweep indoor conference championships in back-to-back seasons and the first team to sweep cross country and indoor conference championships in consecutive years.

"Two great team wins," said head coach Chris Layne. "The women's race was always going to be close and we really hit some adversity on the men's side, so to come up with these wins just speaks volumes to the type of student-athletes that are in this program. Everyone fought the entire time and had a team-first mentality and that's how you pull these off when your backs against the wall - extremely proud of our kids and our staff."

Sophomore Ellen-Mary Kearney was honored as the AAC Women's Track Athlete of the Year after winning three individual conference championships and setting one meet record. Graduate Will Stockley was selected as the AAC Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year with two titles and one runner-up finish. Layne and his staff took home AAC Men's and Women's Coaching Staff of the Year honors.

Keith Fletcher began the day with an AAC title in the 60-meter hurdles. He matched his personal-best time of 8.12 seconds to hit the NAIA "A" standard and earn edge out Dario Laing of CIU, who ranks sixth in the nation in the event. Reese Pesterfield finished sixth in the 60 hurdles in 9.53.

"Can't say enough about how our sprints, hurdles, jumps and throws crew performed," said Layne. "They were the difference makers this year, and then what I saw from our distance squad tells me we're right where we want to be."

The Buffs swept the top three spots in the women's 3k. Caitlin Dominy took the meet title and hit the NAIA "A" standard in 10:05.03. Ashlyn Haas placed second with a time of 10:24.84, which converts to a national qualifying time. Patricia Barrera was third in 10:32.71. Natalie Fellers (sixth, 10:48.6), Anna Jones (seventh, 10:49.97) and Hannah Brown (eighth, 10:56.59) also scored in the event.

Ellen-Mary Kearney met the NAIA automatic qualifying standard and set the AAC championship meet record in the 800 in 2:16.20. McKenzie Fitzgerald crossed third in 2:24.07.

Kearney and Dominy finished 1-2 in the women's mile. Kearney won in 5:01.22 followed by Dominy in 5:01.68 as both posted NAIA "A" standards. Barrera placed fourth (5:27.82), Brown was sixth (5:30.60) and Fitzgerald finished eighth (5:35.16).

Romario Taylor and Fletcher finished first and second in the 200 meter dash. Taylor won the conference title in 22.17 and Fletcher followed in 22.44. Taylor's time was an NAIA national qualifying mark.

Roman Hodgson, Arran Kearney, Sylas Chambers and Carter Windham won the men's 4x800-meter relay by nearly 14 seconds in 8:02.24.

After running in the men's 4x800, Windham claimed the AAC crown in the men's 600 in 1:24.88 and Arran Kearney finished second in the 800 in 2:00.36. Hodgson finished eighth in the 800 in 2:06.13.

Will Stockley captured the AAC title in the men's mile (4:18.22) with Aaron Jones following as the runner-up in 4:19.32. Both Stockley and Jones achieved national standards. Bryson Lewis finished sixth in 4:28.94.

Milligan went second-through-fifth in the men's 3k with four national qualifiers. Stockley (second, 8:19.81), Bryn Woodall (third, 8:23.59) and Jones (fourth, 8:31.23) hit the NAIA "A" standard. Lewis notched a national qualifying time of 8:40.68 to finish fifth.

Megan Christian was the runner-up in the women's 600 in 1:43.09. Hope Krell finished fourth in 1:44.86.

Both of Milligan's 4x400-meter relays finished second at the AAC Championships. Christian, Kearney, Krell and Cameron Walker placed second in the women's 4x400 in 4:13.89. Ja'Quan Williams, Evan Hayes, Jeremy Eveans and Skylan Stephens finished in 3:26.20.

Mary Custodio tied for second in the pole vault after clearing 2.57 meters. Hannah Manns scored in the long jump by taking eighth at 4.58 meters. Jeremy Evans took sixth in the men's long jump at 6.48 meters. Reese Pesterfield finished seventh in the men's pole vault (3.30 meters).

Hunter Crook finished sixth in the 60-meter dash in 7.10.

Marinda Walls, Sophie Jeffers, Grace Krell and Rachel Dulaney finished fifth in the 4x800 relay in 11:09.26.

"The depth in this conference gets better and better every year," said Layne. "You have to beat a national champion or a no. 1 ranked athlete in the NAIA, just to win a conference event."