Buffs add 4x national champion Kearney for 2020-21

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (June 30, 2020) – One of the most accomplished runners in the nation over the last four years will finish her career at Milligan University, as head coach Chris Layne announced Tuesday the addition of Emily Kearney. Kearney is a 2020 graduate of Appalachian Athletic Conference member SCAD Atlanta and plans to finish her collegiate running eligibility pursing Milligan's Master of Arts in humanities.

Kearney, a native of Wirral, England, is a four-time NAIA national champion, four-time national runner-up, 10-time All-American and 15-time AAC champion in cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field. She owns national titles in the 2019 and 2020 indoor 3000 meters and 5000 meters, rounding out her career most recently with a pair of titles at this year's indoor national championships. This capped an undergraduate career in which she earned AAC Cross Country Runner of the Year each of the last three years and went undefeated in the AAC in 15 of 16 individual events.

On the track, Kearney holds a 3k personal best 9:15.29 and a 5k personal best 16:17.89. Her 5k personal best in cross country is 16:37.7.

"Obviously, over the last few years, I've had the opportunity to watch Emily develop into an elite-level athlete," Layne said. "She will be the first to tell you she has unfinished business, and I'm very excited she's chosen Milligan as the place she will complete her collegiate career. Emily is also very accomplished in the classroom, and I know this is going to make her a great ambassador for our program and the institution."

In addition to her work on the track, Kearney has earned recognition for her work in the classroom as a six-time AAC Academic All-Conference honoree, winning the award all six times she qualified for it.

"I am absolutely delighted to have the chance to close out my collegiate eligibility at Milligan, and to work with a coaching staff and a group of athletes that I have admired and respected for years," Kearney said. "I am hugely grateful to Coach Layne for extending this opportunity to me, and I look forward to working to become the best possible version of myself, both on and off the track."

Kearney rounds out a recruiting class that already features Australian standout Alyssa Bearzi and several others who will add depth to the team. Kearney also will look to strengthen a Milligan program that finished eighth at last year's cross country national championship and 20th at last year's indoor national championship.