MOORHEAD, MN – National champions Jennifer (Agnew) Keller and Melissa (Agnew) Blanchard made University of Mary history as the first Marauders inducted into the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Hall of Fame. The twin sisters were officially inducted at the NSIC Hall of Fame Banquet on Wednesday, July 8, as part of the NSIC Summer Kickoff event.
 
The pair of distance runners were part of the eight-member NSIC Hall of Fame Class of 2025 and the only two former track & field and cross country competitors represented. Joining Blanchard and Keller on the dais was Katie Jesperson (Augustana University, tennis), Emily (Palkert) Davis (Concordia University, St. Paul, volleyball), Jennifer Bagley Trotter (Minnesota State University Moorhead, softball), Jacob Fahl (Southwest Minnesota State University, men's basketball), Katie (Goetzinger) Voth (Wayne State College, softball), and Stacey (Struzynski) Zimmerman (Winona State University, softball).
 
Few athletes in NCAA Division II history have put together a more dominant two-year stretch than did Blanchard from 2012 to 2013. A standout in both cross country and track & field, Blanchard's extraordinary career was defined by a rare combination of consistency, versatility, and championship-level performance.
 
Over the course of her time as a Marauder, Blanchard earned 12 NCAA All-America honors and captured three national titles. Her senior year in 2013 stands out as one of the most decorated in school and NSIC history. She helped deliver the University of Mary's first-ever NCAA Division II national title as part of the Distance Medley Relay (DMR) team, then went on to win individual national championships in the indoor mile and the outdoor 1500-meter run.
 
Blanchard is the first woman in NSIC history to win three consecutive 1,000-meter titles indoors and claimed a total of nine NSIC championships during her career—eight in track & field and one in cross country (2012). A 13-time All-NSIC honoree, she was a dominant force in the conference and was named NSIC and USTFCCCA Central Region Track & Field Athlete of the Year three times.
 
Her impact extended well beyond the competition. Blanchard was a nine-time NSIC All-Academic Team selection, an eight-time USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree, and recipient of the prestigious NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award. In recognition of her historic achievements, she was named the 2013 NDAPSSA Female Athlete of the Year.
 
Blanchard's legacy was cemented in 2020 when she was inducted into the USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Track & Field Athlete Hall of Fame—one of the highest honors in collegiate track & field.
 
Blanchard owns Imperial Family Chiropractic in Farmington, MN, where she works as a chiropractor. She and her husband Cory are proud parents of Danielle and Julie.
 
Keller delivered a storybook ending to an exceptional collegiate running career by winning the 2013 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship. A five-time All-American, Keller's dominant performance in her final race capped one of the most decorated careers in UMary and conference history.
 
The Onamia, MN, native set the tone early in the 2013 national championship race, surging to a commanding lead and crossing the finish line over 11 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor. She won six of the seven races she entered during the 2013 cross country season, including titles at both the NSIC and NCAA Central Region Championships. Her spectacular season earned her the 2013 USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Year and recognition as the 2014 Division II Honda Cross Country nominee for the Collegiate Women Sports Awards. She was also selected as one of 11 national finalists for the prestigious DII Woman Athlete of the Year honor.
 
In addition to her cross country crown, Keller earned All-American status in four other events as she was 26th at the 2011 NCAA Cross Country Championships, seventh in the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Steeplechase, fifth in the 2013 NCAA Indoor 5,000 meters, and third in the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Steeplechase. She also claimed four NSIC individual titles, including the 2013 indoor 3,000 and 5,000 meters and the outdoor steeplechase and earned 11 All-NSIC citations.
 
Keller's achievements extended well beyond the track. She was a five-time Academic All-American, a 10-time NSIC All-Academic Team member, a recipient of the prestigious NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award and the NCAA post-graduate scholarship.
 
Today, Keller serves as the Director of Rehabilitation and Wellness Programs at the Heart of America Medical Center in Rugby, ND, where she works as a physical therapist. She and her husband Josh are proud parents of three children.
 
Both Blanchard and Keller were inducted into the Marauders Hall of Fame in 2024.
 
Founded in 1986, the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC - the former men's conference) Hall of Fame was established to recognize and honor those who made significant contributions to the conference, to create favorable publicity and public relations for the league and to help preserve the history of the NIC, its member institutions, student-athletes, and other significant individuals affiliated with the league. For the first two inductions (1986 and 1990) each selection hailed from the NIC.  In 1992, the Northern Sun Conference (NSC - the former women's conference) and the NIC merged, creating the current Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  After annual inductions since 2000, the NSIC Hall of Fame will now boast over 225 members and three teams.
Each NSIC institution (who has been a league member for at least ten years) is asked to submit one candidate for consideration for induction into the Hall of Fame. Each of the candidates are derived from individuals who have been affiliated with the NSIC, NIC, NSC and their member institutions.
 
In order to be eligible for the NSIC Hall of Fame, candidates must have made their contributions in one of the following areas: 1) former student-athletes, 2) administrator/coach, 3) official/supervisor/coordinator, 4) contributor/supporter, or 5) team. The conference provides two plaques; one of which will go to the inductee and one to the institution represented.  A history of each inductee will be kept in the NSIC Office and each institution will prominently display the plaques of their respective NSIC Hall of Fame inductees.
 
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