Coached by Brian Rickert, far right, members of Milligan's Southern States Athletic Conference women's championship bowling team are (l-r) Laci MacQuisten, Taylor Davis, Emily Cheesman, Elizabeth Coutta and Brianna Rickert. Not pictured: assistant coach Amanda Murray. (Southern States Athletic Conference photo)
Coached by Brian Rickert, far right, members of Milligan's Southern States Athletic Conference women's championship bowling team are (l-r) Laci MacQuisten, Taylor Davis, Emily Cheesman, Elizabeth Coutta and Brianna Rickert. Not pictured: assistant coach Amanda Murray. (Southern States Athletic Conference photo)
The Milligan University women’s bowling team claimed the South States Athletic Conference championship in its first season of competition.
Milligan knocked off No. 1 SCAD Savannah and No. 17 SCAD Atlanta in bracket play to claim a conference crown.
In men’s bowling, the Buffs made a run to the elimination bracket final at SSAC Championships. After 16 games of qualifying, the Buffs earned the second seed in the tournament bracket and won a pair of games in the elimination bracket.
Milligan bowling will make its first-ever appearance at the United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Sections in Smyrna, Tenn., on March 11-12.
Swimming
The Milligan University swim teams are in Columbus, Ga. to compete in the NAIA National Championships.
The Buffs had a total of 24 national qualifiers (13 men, 11 women) and will contest all 36 national championship events. Milligan enters the national championship meet ranked No. 4 in NAIA men’s swimming and sixth in the nation in women’s swimming.
The Buffs have individuals seeded in the top eight in 19 events. Junior Stephen Gilbert looks to defend his national title in 400-yard individual medley. Last winter, he became Milligan’s first-ever swimming national champion and set the NAIA’s all-time 400 IM record in 3:51.08.
Last year Milligan finished fifth in the men’s and women’s team standings at the nationals with 22 total All-America honors and 14 school records. The Buffs began the national championship meet last night with the 200-yard medley relay and the 800-yard freestyle relay.
Track & Field
The Milligan University indoor track & field teams had 19 student-athletes qualify across eight individual events and two relays for the NAIA National Championships.
The Buffs are in Brookings, S.D. for the championship meet held March 2-4. Going into the NAIA National Championships, Milligan’s men were ranked No. 4 in the final USTFCCCA NAIA Indoor Track & Field Rating Index while the women were slotted sixth.
Milligan has student-athletes or relays seeded in the top five in nine different events at the national championships. Sophomore Bryn Woodall, the AAC Athlete of the Year and USTFCCCA South Region Athlete of the Year, owns the top overall seed in the men’s 3k (3:08.79c).
Will Stockley (mile), Caitlin Dominy (3k), Alyssa Bearzi (5k) and the Milligan women’s distance medley relay all carry No. 2 seeds in their respective events into the championships.
Last winter, Milligan had 11 student-athletes combine for seven All-America honors at the 2022 NAIAs. The Buffs notched a top-10 national finish in the men's team standings for the third-straight year.
