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Milligan University (NAIA) Adds 2022 Commitment from Mary Grace Bitting

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A senior at Cuthbertson high School in Waxhaw, North Carolina, Mary Grace Bitting has announced that she will be joining Milligan University, an NAIA school in Milligan, Tennessee, in the fall of 2022. Bitting swims club with the Mecklenburg Swim Association.

“I am beyond exited to announce my verbal commitment to swim and study at Milligan University!  I was welcomed warmly upon visitation and felt as if I was already at home. I could not have done this without the guidance of God and the support of my family, friends, teammates, and coaches. I would also like to thank Lori and ACC for her help and support during my recruiting process! Geaux Buffs!”
At the beginning of March, Bitting competed at the Sectionals meet in Cary, racing the 100 and 200 fly, 100 back, 200 free, and 200 IM. Her top finish came in the 200 fly, where she qualified for the C-final. In finals, she took 30th, touching in 2:09.34. Just a week later she posted numerous best times at the Tarheel States meet. There, she touched in a lifetime best in the 50 free (25.23), 1000 free (11:02.64), 200 Back (2:10.03), 200 IM (2:10.82), and 400 IM (4:40.90).

Top SCY Times

  • 100 back – 1:00.37
  • 200 back – 2:10.03
  • 100 breast – 1:08.34
  • 200 breast – 2:30.46
  • 100 fly – 59.29
  • 200 fly – 2:09.03
  • 200 IM – 2:10.82

The Milligan swim team has been on a rapid rise over the past years, with their performances in 2022 being the team’s best historically. At the 2022 NAIA National Championships, the women swam to a 5th place finish, the team’s best finish at the meet to date. At the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championships, the women also claimed their first conference title. During the season, the team reset 14 individual program records and all five relay records.

Milligan was led in the backstroke events last season by Tyler Cates, a sophomore. Cates finished the NAIA National Championships with a pair of All-American honors, finishing 5th in the 100 back (57.14) and 4th in the 200 back (2:03.53).

Bitting will also be a huge contributor in the 200 IM for the Buffaloes, with a lifetime best that would have led the team last season. With her lifetime best, Bitting would have led Milligan’s roster by three seconds in the race and would have been fast enough to make the B-final at the NAIA National Championships.

Milligan’s class of 2026 will also include Virginia Rainer and Zoey Delaney.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].

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Jorge
2 years ago

Milligan actually has 9 women committed for the class of 2022! Go Buffs!

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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