Bismarck, ND – The national success of the University of Mary women's track and field and cross country team this season caught the attention of the state's sportswriters and sportscasters. Marauders Head Coach Mike Thorson was named the 2012 North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association College Female Team Coach of the Year for the second time in the last three seasons.
 
Additionally, distance runner Dakota Wolf was one of three finalists for the Female College Athlete of the Year and the women's track and field team was a finalist for the Female College Team of the Year.
 
A big season on the gridiron earned Marauders wide receiver Tyler Steffan finalist honors for the College Male Athlete of the Year.
 
Thorson, who was also honored by the NDAPSSA in 2010, led the Marauders to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Division II cross country championships, 10^th place at the NCAA outdoor championships and 13^th at the NCAA indoor championships. U-Mary easily captured the 2012 Northern Sun indoor and outdoor conference titles and placed second in cross country, trailing only the eventual national champions. The USTFCCCA ranked the Marauders fourth in the nation in its Program of the Year standings.
 
According to the NDAPSSA release announcing the honor, “Thorson guided the Marauders to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference indoor and outdoor track titles and was named NSIC coach of the year. Thorson coached a double All-American in junior Melissa Agnew, who placed second in the 1,500 meters and third in the 800 at the NCAA Division II Outdoor. Thorson also led Mary to a second-place finish at the NSIC Cross Country Championships. Three Marauders placed in the top six at the conference cross country meet.”
 
Wolf was a major part of the Marauders accomplishments. The junior from Dickinson, ND, collected four All-American citations this season. The NSIC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, Wolf finished sixth in the nation in cross country and led the Marauders distance medley relay team to third place while finishing fourth in the mile at the NCAA indoor championships. She ended the season by placing fifth at the outdoor national championships.
 
The Marauders first NCAA AFCA All-American after leading Division II in touchdown receptions with a school record 17, Steffan also earned All-NSIC and all-region recognition. The junior from Dickinson, ND, caught 54 passes for 914 yards, averaging 16.9 yards per reception. The NSIC touchdown leader finished 15th in the nation with an average of 9.27 points per game. Steffan was second in the conference in receptions and receiving yards and finished 35th in receiving yards per game and 75th in receptions per game in NCAA Division II. He also set the school single game record for scoring receptions and tied the U-Mary single game school record for touchdowns when he twice caught four scoring strikes in a game.
 
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