THIS WEEK
For the second straight weekend the University of Mary men's and women's track & field teams will compete at home when the Marauders host the Mike Thorson Open on Saturday, January 20. Field events commence at 11 am with track events starting at 12 noon in the University of Mary Fieldhouse and Wellness Center.
 
With seven other schools set to compete with the Marauders, the 2024 Mike Thorson Open is anticipated to be the largest indoor meet UMary has hosted inside the Fieldhouse and Wellness Center.
 
UMary will also have several Marauders competing in distance events at the Jim Emmerich Alumni Meet hosted by South Dakota State at the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings, SD, on Saturday, January 20.  
 
FOLLOW LIVE
Live results will be available at www.goumary.com/coverage
 
LAST WEEK
The University of Mary hosted the Rust Buster meet at home on Saturday, January 13. Originally scheduled to compete in Fargo, ND, the Marauders chose to stay at home and avoid the inclement weather while host Bismarck State College in UMary's first competition of the 2024 calendar year.
 
Arianna Passeri paced the UMary women's team with a pair of NCAA provisional qualifying marks in the long jump and the triple jump.
 
For the men, Jorgen Paulson opened with a strong effort in the long jump, narrowly claiming the event with a mark of 6.97 meters. He just edged out teammate Hayden Von Wald for the title by .02 meters. The UMary junior then nabbed the 200 meter dash title with a time of 22.18 seconds.
 
 
TOP NATIONAL QUALIFIERS FOR THE WOMEN

• Arianna Passeri has recorded three NCAA provisional qualifying times in the 60 (7.49), long jump (20' 1.75") and triple jump (38' 10.5"). Passeri ranks second in the nation in the long jump, 13^th in the 60 and 16^th in the triple jump.

 

• Sakena Massiah posted provisional qualifying times in the 200 (24.35 converted) and 400 (56.72 converted). Massiah is ranked 7th in the nation in the 200 and 17th in the 400.
• Tionce Walrond is 8th in the nation in the 200 (24.37 converted). 
• Alyssa Becker is 23rd in the nation in the 5000 (17:00.30).
• Taylor Weidner is 26^th in the nation in the long jump (18' 7.75"). 
• Laila Claire is 29th in the nation in the 60 (7.59 seconds).

 
TOP NCAA QUALIFIERS FOR THE MEN

• Raheem Taitt-Best has posted two NCAA provisional qualifying times in the 200 (21.27 converted) and 400 (47.54 converted). Taitt-Best ranks 5th in the nation in both the 200 and 400.
• Jorgan Paulson has recorded two provisional qualifying times in the 200 (21.61 converted) and the long jump (23' 9.5"). Paulson ranks 15th nationally in the 200 and 20th in the long jump. 
• Hayden Von Wald earned a provisional qualifying mark in the long jump (23' 11.75"). Von Wald ranks 15th in the nation in the long jump.

 
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD PROJECTED TO FINISH FOURTH
After placing 5th at the 2023 NSIC indoor championships, the Marauders earned a first-place vote in the 2024 NSIC coaches' poll and are anticipated to take a step up to 4th place. Minnesota State is projected first, followed by Augustana, Winona State and UMary in the 14-team league. The Marauders took 4th in the NSIC outdoor championships.
 
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD PROJECTED TO FINISH THIRD
UMary is projected to finish third in the in the 2023-24 Preseason Northern Sun Women's Indoor Track & Field Coaches' Poll. Last season the Marauders finished 5th in the NSIC indoor championships. UMary picked up a first-place vote in the preseason coaches' poll. 12-time defending NSIC champion Minnesota State is picked first, followed by Augustana with the Marauders third in the 11-team league.
 
PASERRI, MASSIAH NAMED NSIC ATHLETES TO WATCH
Returning All-American Jumper Arianna Passeri was named the Marauders NSIC Field Athlete to Watch. Passeri won the NSIC outdoor long jump championship and then took third at the NCAA championships. The senior from Rosemount, MN, took 2nd at the 2023 NSIC indoor championships before placing 6th in the country. Passeri is a 2-time All-American with three NCAA championship appearances and a 7-time All-Northern Sun performer.
 
All-conference sprinter Sakena Massiah was named UMary's NSIC Track Athlete to Watch. Massiah earned a trio of All-NSIC honors after taking second in the 400 and running on the runner-up 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams. She also placed 5th in the 400. Massiah posted NCAA provisional qualifying marks in the 200, 400, 4x100 and 4x400.
 
STEVENSON AND TAITT-BEST NAMED ATHLETES TO WATCH
Coming off a spectacular freshman season, Raheem Taitt-Best was named the Marauders NSIC Track Athlete to Watch. Taitt-Best won the NSIC outdoor championship finals in the 200 and the 400. His championship time in the 400 broke NSIC and UMary records. Taitt-Best wrapped up his first collegiate season by placing 14th in the 400 at the NCAA outdoor championships.
 
All-Northern Sun performer Malakhi Stevenson was named UMary's NSIC Field Athlete to Watch. Stevenson took 4th at the 2023 NSIC indoor championships in the heptathlon. He would then place runner-up at the 2023 NSIC outdoor championships in the decathlon.
 
OTHER NOTABLE RETURNERS
On the women's side, Morgan Hertz returns after claiming second-team All-American status by placing 9th in the 400 meter hurdles at the NCAA outdoor championships. The junior from Mott, ND, won the 2023 Northern Sun outdoor title with a career-best time of 59.65 seconds, just missing the UMary school record by .02 seconds.
 
On the men's side All-NSIC performer Jorgen Paulson returns after finishing runner-up in the 200 meter dash.
 
#marauders#