Women’s cross country off and running Friday

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (Sept. 17, 2020) – Led by a trio of runners that helped the Buffaloes earn a No. 8 finish at last year's national championship, the Milligan University women's cross country team returns to action for the fall season this Friday. The season had a delayed start, but the Buffs still have four meets on the regular-season schedule, including a home race on Friday, Oct. 2.

Milligan enters the 2020 season having won the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championship 14 times in the last 17 years, as well as qualified for the national championship each of the last 17 years.

With preseason all but wrapped up, Head Coach Chris Layne notes the Buffs are looking good.

"The majority of our returnees are in a really good spot," Layne says. "They're veterans and you can count on them to have put in the summer work. We're also excited about a few of our freshmen women – Gracie Allen, Brooke McEwen and Kaelyn Slaughter."

Allen, McEwen and Slaughter should nicely complement returners Bekah Owen, Avery DeWolf and Gabrielle Mardis, all juniors who have played a major role in the team's recent success.

Roster specifics

Owen, DeWolf and Mardis all return after finishing in the top 10 at last year's AAC Championship and in the top 155 at last year's NAIA Championship. DeWolf and Owen, in fact, finished 32nd and 34th, narrowly missing NAIA All-American.

"Avery DeWolf has come back at another level and Bekah Owen seems to be really fit," Layne says. "I'm also encouraged by where Caitlin Dominy is at this point. We knew she had the potential and it looks like she is turning the corner after getting that first year under her belt."

Dominy finished last year's freshman campaign having run a season low 19:11 before grabbing a spot in the top 30 at the AAC meet.

Season outlook

Milligan opens the season with a trip to Montreat in nearby Asheville, North Carolina, for the first of four meets on the regular-season schedule. The next two Fridays will pit the Buffs again Bryan (Sept. 25) and Tennessee Wesleyan and Bryan (Oct. 2), the latter taking place along the banks of Buffalo Creek.

The Buffs wrap up their fall slate with the AAC Championships on Saturday, Nov. 14. In fact, all four races on the schedule will feature AAC competition, a big positive in terms of quality of competition.

"The AAC is quickly becoming one of the strongest conferences in the country," Layne says. "With our women and SCAD Atlanta's women, you have two of the top eight teams at last year's national championship. Then we return a deep squad on the men's side and Montreat is in a similar situation. Two men's teams that were top 10 at the indoor national championships with a lot of those points coming from the distances."

Due to COVID-19 related changes in the NAIA's championship schedule, the NAIA Cross Country National Championships are currently scheduled for Friday, April 9, 2021. On the uncertainty of the season and adjustments to the championship schedule, Layne says it is all about controlling what his teams can control.

"We really have to take this one day at a time," he says. "Execute each day to the best of our ability and then let things play out how they will. We're just excited to get back to what we love, and I know they're going to be extremely excited to pull the jersey over their heard and line up in a race environment."