Milligan track and field sophomore Ellen-Mary Kearney got her 2023-2024 campaign off to a blistering start by being named Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Runner of the Week (ROTW) three times in the month of September. Every Monday of the athletic season the AAC names a ROTW for track and field and Kearney has won this honor the week of the 4th, 18th, and 25th. This is Kearney’s ninth AAC ROTW award in her career. With her third win this month, she has already matched her total from the entire cross country season last year.
On top of cross country, she won this award two times during the indoor track season and one time during the outdoor season. Earlier this month, the NAIA also named her NAIA ROTW for the first time in her career for the week of September 6th.
Her win came from her performance at Milligan’s home meet this past weekend, the Eli Cramer Invitational. She placed first in the meet while breaking Milligan’s school record at the 3-mile distance, crossing the line in a time of 17:34 seconds.
Being just 19 years of age Kearney has consistently been one of the best runners in the conference and the nation at large. She explained how success is rewarding, but it comes with its own sort of pressure.
“It feels good, but I don’t expect to be given the award every week. I know I have to continue to work hard, because I have girls like Caitlin (Milligan grad student Caitlin Dominy) on my shoulder all the time and I know every time we line up they want to beat me. There’s never a day I can slack off.”
ellen mary kearney
Kearney finished last year with a boatload of accolades. She was a four time All-American, multi-time AAC champion, AAC Freshman and Runner of the Year, on top of a plethora of school records she has broken. With so much success so early, it can be difficult to stay motivated for athletes her age. For Kearney, she simply wants to get “faster and faster”.
“I just want to get faster and faster and a ton of PB’s. I definitely want to improve my performance at Nationals last year, and the team also wants to win a National Championship again. Last year we were second, which is good, but we want to win” said Kearney.
Last year during cross country season Kearney placed 8th in the nation last year, but she is not resting on her morals.
Kearney explained, “I was happy with my result last year, but I want to place in the top five, which would be really good, and top 3 will be amazing. I’ll take top 10”.
Kearney also credits her family for being a source of her motivation. Kearney is the second youngest of a family full of runners. Her parents are coaches and two of her older siblings have been a part of the Milligan track and field system, Milligan senior Arran Kearney, and Milligan alum and former NAIA national champion Emily Kearney.
“I’ve grown up in athletics my whole life. When I was little, I used to watch my siblings run and compete, and that just made me want to compete. Our parents always pushed us as well”.
Ellen mary kearney
Looking ahead Kearney has big aspirations for her sophomore campaign. On top of her cross country goals, for the indoor season she wants to improve from her 4th place finish at the NAIA National Championships in the mile run and a new personal best in the 3K mile run. For the outdoor season, she wants to improve in her premiere event, the 1500 run and possibly expand her range and try a new event in the 3K steeplechase.
For more updates on Kearney and rest Milligan’s track team visit milliganbuffs.com
All photos come from Milligan’s track and field page and taken by Coach Natalia Rivas-Foster