Burnsville, MN – Despite three returning All-Americans and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA championships, the University of Mary claimed the second spot in the 2012 Northern Sun Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Marauders picked up five of the 14 first place votes but finished just four votes behind Augustana, the four-time defending NSIC champion and the 2011 NCAA champion.
 
On the men's side, U-Mary picked up 118 votes to finish fourth out of 13 teams in the preseason poll.
 
All-American Dakota Wolf, U-Mary's NSIC Athlete to Watch, leads a Marauders team that returns six of its seven placers from the NCAA championships.
 
After taking third at the NSIC championships, Wolf was the top conference runner as the NCAA Regional and at the NCAA Championships. The senior from Dickinson, ND, claimed fourth at the regional and sixth at the national championships. Her tremendous fall season helped propel Wolf to 2012 NSIC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year honors and combined All-American finishes at the national indoor and outdoor championships.
 
Fellow seniors Melissa Agnew and Jennifer Agnew also claimed All-American status. Melissa Agnew finished 17^th in the country to earn All-American honors for the second straight year while Jennifer Agnew was recognized for the first time after a 26^th place finish overall.
 
Juniors Kayla Carlson and Nocona Frame and senior Alicia Nehl also return. Wolf, both Agnews, Frame and Nehl each earned All-NSIC honors last year while leading the Marauders to a 2^nd-place finish in the conference.
 
Jesse Bennett led a resurgent U-Mary men's team in 2011 and is the Marauders NSIC Athlete to Watch in 2012. The junior All-Conference performer lifted the Marauders three spots in the NSIC standings to fourth place overall. A two-time All-NSIC honoree, the Kalispell, MT, native finished fourth overall last year after taking ninth individually as a freshman.
 
Two other juniors, Taylor Thompson and Shaun Henderson, have also garnered All-NSIC recognition. Henderson earned the award as a freshman while Thompson was cited for his efforts last fall.  
 
The Marauders return four of the six runners that placed 11th at the Central Region meet, including Jonathon Price.
 
The Marauders open the 2012 season at the Wiley Wilson Memorial meet in Minot, ND, on September 14, 2012.
 
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