MANKATO, MN – University of Mary men's and women's track and field will take on the best the Northern Sun has to offer at the NSIC Championships. Minnesota State University will be hosting the meet on Feb. 27 and 28 from the Myers Fieldhouse.

Live video coverage of the meet can be found here with live results here.

The Marauders will have 60 athletes competing across 35 events at the conference meet. At last year's NSIC Championships, the women's team placed 2^nd while the men's team placed 3^rd.

LAST TIME OUT
UMary track and field prepared for the NSIC Championships at home with the Marauders Tune-Up. Taking home wins were Laila Cleare (60m, 200m), Anna Bruno (Long Jump), Makayla Allmaras (60m Hurdles), Maria Ringhand (600m), Holly Fromherz (Mile), and Anna Nasset (High Jump, Triple Jump). Cleare and Bruno both earned NCAA provisional marks.

On the men's side, wins were picked up by Jake Hettinger (Shot Put), Dawson Hawkinson (60m, 200m), Josiah Pena (600m), Zacarias Troutman (3000m), Will Mickelson (High Jump, Triple Jump), Kenny Moxey Jr. (Long Jump). Hettinger and Hawkinson both had NCAA provisional marks.

SCHOOL RECORDS
In his first-ever race with the Marauders at the Mike Thorson Alumni Classic, Nathan Andrews won the 600m Dash and set a school record in the process. His time of 1:19.94 beat the previous mark by over a second. The prior record was set by Osvaldo Cano last year at 1:21.02.

Gideon Hammah broke a long-standing school record in the 1000m in his season debut at the Marauders 2026 Indoor Opener. The sophomore's time of 2:27.81 broke Mario Czarnomski's record of 2:30.21 that had stood since 2005.

Non-NCAA event records were also set at the meet in the 150m by Mark DeArmond (16.78) and Kendall Berg (19.17). The men's 4x300m Relay team of Preston Lemar, Emanuel Latawiec, Dawson Hawkinson, and Ryan Koberoski finished with a time of 2:28.22. The women's 4x300m Relay team of Mya Nishimura, Grace Brandt, Bernadette Belzer, and Tayen Werner cross the finish line at 2:48.85.

Several records fell for the Marauders at the UND Open at the end of January. Gideon Hammah broke his own record in the Mile by four seconds, cutting his time to 4:08.95. Tayen Werner earned her first individual school record with a 54.49 in the 400m, breaking Sakena Massiah's record that was set last season. Kenny Moxey Jr. was sensational in the Heptathlon, becoming the first Marauder in program history to surpass 5,000 points with a total of 5,079.

Non-NCAA event records were set in the Indoor Discus by Sean Erickson (50.82m) and Siena Lambert (40.78m).

Werner broke her own record at the SDSU Classic, cutting her time in the 400m to 53.93.

NATIONAL STANDINGS
Here is where the Marauders' NCAA qualifying athletes currently stand in Division II:

Tayen Werner (400m) – 5th (53.93)
Kelscia Downes, Aspen Eslinger, Kate Van Erp, Tayen Werner (4x400m) – 13th (3:44.37)
Kenny Moxey Jr. (Heptathlon) – 14th (5,079)
Tionce Walrond (200m) – 15th (24.15)
Laila Cleare (60m) – 16th (7.48)
Kelescia Downes (400m) – 20th (54.97)
Anna Bruno (Long Jump) – 29th (5.90m)
Kate Van Erp, Tionce Walrond, Kelescia Downes, Tayen Werner (4x400m) – 37th (3:48.06)
Jake Hettinger (Shot Put) – 41st (16.52m)
Lucas Kupfer (High Jump) – 42nd (2.04m)
Tayen Werner (200m) – 51st (24.54)
Xavier Ifill (200m) – 54th (21.53)
Gabriella Apelian, Kelescia Downes, Kate Van Erp, Tayen Werner (4x400m) – 57th (3:50.66)
Colby Fleck, Xavier Ifill, Ryan Koberoski, Nathan Andrews (4x400m) – 70th (3:15.48)
Dawson Hawkinson (200m) – 75th (21.58)

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Tionce Walrond was named the NSIC Track Athlete of the Week in the conference's first release of the weekly honors. Her time of 24.15 in the 200m at the Mike Thorson Alumni Classic ranks as the 2nd in the nation currently. Walrond also set a PR in the 400m with a 58.52, placing 3^rd. It is the third time the junior has been named the conference's athlete of the week.

Prior to Christmas break, UMary had three athletes named NSIC Athlete of the Week. Tayen Werner (track) and Anna Bruno (field) swept the women's awards for the first time since 2021. Werner had wins in the 400m and 4x400m and scored the 5^th best time in the nation in the 400m. Bruno won the long jump with a top-10 national distance of 5.90m. On the men's side, freshman Colby Fleck was named the conference's Track Athlete of the Week following a 60m PR of 6.87 that ranks 3^rd in the conference. He also was victorious as part of the 4x400m that is 13^th in the nation.

Tayen Werner was named the NSIC Athlete of the Week for the third time in her career after a victory in the 400m at the UND Open. She currently ranks 6^th in the nation in the event and has the best time in the NSIC. Werner was also a member of the 4x400m Relay that placed 3^rd and is now 15^th in the nation.

Werner earned her third NSIC Athlete of the Week award of the indoor season, a first for UMary since 2013, after winning the 400m at the SDSU Classic. She moved up to 5^th in the event and joined a 4x400m Relay team that is now 12^th in the nation.

PRESEASON POLLS
Both the men's and women's track and field teams were picked to finish 2^nd in the Northern Sun Preseason Coaches' Poll. For the women, this is their second consecutive year in the spot. On the men's side, it is the first time since 2019 that they have been picked 2^nd.

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