BISMARCK, ND – A long-awaited University of Mary Night of Champions celebrated the successes of Marauders athletics from this past year. Over 400 UMary scholar-athletes gathered together to honor their achievements that came both on and off the court. Unable to congregate in person the last two years due to the pandemic, a raucous Night of Champions opened with a scintillating highlight video commemorating the year before closing with a rousing rendition of the school song. In between the Marauders Athletic Department announced 18 Night of Champions award recipients and recognized UMary scholar-athletes for garnering over 300 academic and athletic citations during the year.
Marauders Athletes of the Year honors were presented to senior
D'Andra Morris and junior
Danny Kittner. Morris won the NCAA Division II women's indoor triple jump championship with the 10
th best mark ever in NCAA DII. A six-time All-American, Morris also placed 8
th in the long jump at the national championships. The Northern Sun triple jump champion also was named the USTFCCCA Central Region Field Athlete of the Year. Kittner was selected to five All-American teams and was named the Northern Sun and Region 4 Offensive Player of the Year after an epic record-setting season. He caught 128 passes for 1,723 yards and 18 touchdowns to lead the nation in catches, receiving yards and all-purpose yards. The receptions rank third all-time in NCAA D2 history and the receiving yards are fifth.
Rookie of the Year honors went to
Alyssa Becker and
Reece Barnhardt. Becker earned All-American honors while leading UMary to 10
th place at the NCAA Division II cross country championships and is a three-time All-Northern Sun performer, including cross country and indoor track & field. Barnhardt finished fourth at the NCAA Division II national wrestling championships to earn All-American honors. It is the highest NCAA finish for a UMary wrestler. He was also selected the NWCA Division II Rookie of the Year.
Newcomer of the Year honors were awarded to
Kayla Alcott and
Kai Huntsberry. Alcott earned All-NSIC second team honors while helping soccer reach the NSIC tournament for a fourth straight year. Huntsberry was named the NSIC Men's Basketball Newcomer of the Year and earned NSIC 1
st team honors.
The Strength Athletes of the Year are
Maddie Cooper (volleyball) and
Nate Eschleman (football), recognized for their work in the weight room.
Named the Inspirational Athletes of the Year were
Cassidy Pierce (soccer) and
Braydon Huber (wrestling) for their efforts to get the best out of their teammates and strive for the betterment of their teams.
The Unsung Athletes of the Year are
Laura Petik (volleyball),
Riley Mitchell (wrestling) and
Lucas Mayer (men's basketball), honored for the critical part they play in their team's success during competition but did not receive post-season accolade recognition.
Earning Servant Leader of the Year recognition was
Madisyn Waltman (soccer) and
Brannon Flowers (football) for the extraordinary amount of time they put into being not only student-athletes but also as servant leaders on campus and in the community.
The Marauders Academic Senior Student-Athletes of the Year are
Sarah Dudley (swimming) and
Dillan Kovash (track & field), recognized as the top performing scholar-athletes based on their cumulative GPA.
The Marauders Supporter of the Year award went to Tanner Schweitzer, a former UMary football player and wrestler.
Don Williams was recognized for his efforts as a volunteer with the Marauders Armada and an upcoming league honor.
As voted on by the Marauders student-athletes, the women's play/moment of the year was Morris winning the NCAA triple jump championship. The men's moment was Barnhardt finishing fourth at the NCAA wrestling tournament.
Director of Athletics
Dale Lennon and athletic chaplain Fr. Craig Vasek were also recognized for their accomplishments and efforts on behalf of Marauders athletics as both are leaving UMary.
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