New Orleans – Two of track and field's most honored individuals continue to garner accolades. Fresh off another conference crown, University of Mary Head Track and Field Coach Mike Thorson was named the Central Region Women's Outdoor Coach of the Year and 11-time All-American Melissa Agnew earned Central Region Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
 
For the second straight season and third time in four years, Thorson was named the region's women's outdoor coach of the year by his peers. In his 20th season at U-Mary, Thorson directed the Marauders to a second straight Northern Sun outdoor title and the school's fifth conference crown in seven years. Trailing by 35 points in the standings after day one, the Marauders scored 165 points on day two. In a conference meet featuring four nationally ranked teams, U-Mary won eight titles and captured the league championship by 42 points. Nine Marauders posted NCAA qualifying marks this season and six qualified for the NCAA championships.
 
Just like Thorson, Agnew is a repeat choice, earning Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year honors for the second straight year. A senior from Onamia, MN, Agnew is the division's lone automatic qualifier in the 1,500 meter run. Her time of 4:22.59 leads the runner-up by 2.29 seconds. Agnew won both the 1,500 and 800 meters at the NSIC championships to lead the Marauders to a second straight conference crown. She was named the NSIC Outdoor Athlete of the Year for a second straight season. Earlier this spring she was named the women's indoor track athlete of the year by the USTFCCCA.
 
Ranked 18^th in the nation, the Marauders next compete at the NCAA Division II national championships on May 23-25 in Pueblo, CO.
 
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