AAC Collects 4 Individual Titles, 15 NAIA All-American Honors

AAC Collects 4 Individual Titles, 15 NAIA All-American Honors
March 7, 2025

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) was well represented at the 2025 NAIA Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship Meet as the league collected four individual national championships and several NAIA All-American honors.

The meet was held at Alachua County Sports & Events Center at Celebration Pointe in Gainesville, Fla., on Feb. 27-March 1.

Milligan collected all four individual championships, with its men's team earning three and its women's team notching one.

On the men's side, Milligan won the 4x800 relay with a time of 7:29.31 that broke the facility and NAIA Championship record. Sylas Chambers, Luis Peralta, Carter Windham, and Bryn Woodall made up the title-winning team.

Woodall captured the individual championship in the mile, winning in an NAIA Championship record time of 4:01.74. This is his second indoor national championship, having won the 3000 in 2023.

Peralta won the 800 crown, winning in 1:49.44.

Ellen-Mary Kearney picked up the Milligan women's individual championship, winning the 3000 in 9:38.57.

Here are the other NAIA All-Americans from the AAC:

  • Women's 1000 - Dylan Garcia, Montreat (fourth, 2:54.49)
  • Women's Mile - Dylan Garcia, Montreat (second, 4:47.29)
  • Women's 3000 - Katie Clarke, SCAD Atlanta (fifth, 9:48.56)
  • Women's 5000 - Heather Murphy, Montreat (second, 16:33.25); Alyssa Bearzi, Milligan (seventh, 17:16.91)
  • Men's 5000 - Ethan Stamey, Montreat (third, 14:16.82)
  • Women's Distance Medley Relay - Montreat (Brooke Wiebe, Kaylene Manternach, Yessenia Castellanos, Dylan Garcia) (third, 11:54.37); SCAD Atlanta (Avery Raymond, Tatum Dykstra, Ashlyn Vanlandingham, Katie Clarke) (eighth, 11:59.75)
  • Men's 3000 Race Walk - Dorde Racic, Columbia (fifth, 12:54.01)
  • Women's Long Jump - Mackenzi Pringle, Columbia (seventh, 11.97 meters)
  • Men's Weight Throw - Zeke Hagley, Pikeville (seventh, 18.36 meters)

In the team scoring, Milligan led the way on the men's side with 30 points to place fifth. Montreat (six points) was 43rd, Columbia (four points) was 53rd, and Pikeville (two points) was 59th.

On the women's side, Montreat scored 27 points to place 10th. Milligan (12 points) was 23rd, SCAD Atlanta (five points) was 35th, and Columbia (two points) was 56th.