BURNSVILLE, MN – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference has named senior Maria Strong the Athlete to Watch for UMary in the upcoming 2026-27 season.

"Maria is a fourth-year scholar-athlete here at UMary. This past season, Maria was part of four new team record relays, including the 200 free, 200 medley, 400 free, and 400 medley. She also obtained an NCAA B cut in the 50-freestyle, clocking a 23.41," head coach Abby Loel said. "This season she is serving as a team captain and has already brought a lot of energy to the pool deck. She is in a great spot at the beginning of this season, and we cannot wait to see what is in store for her."

Strong placed top five in all three of her individual events at the 2026 NSIC Championships, earning the Marauders 46 team points. Her best performance came in the 100 fly, where she placed runner-up (56.80), finishing .04 seconds off the winner. 

The NSIC Swimming & Diving Preseason Coaches' Poll also predicted the Marauders to take fifth in the conference. Last year, UMary took sixth place with 417 team points, a significant improvement from the previous season where UMary finished eighth with 227 points.

"Looking broadly at our whole roster and the upcoming season, I am very excited to see how our scholar athletes handle new challenges as we continue to push them to grow in virtue both in and out of the water," Loel said.

"My staff, Carly Borrman and Alex Lucy, have been working hard this summer to prepare for our athletes' return. Having seven new freshmen in the water, we have new excitement and energy to continue to push our team. With big goals to focus on, we are excited to be back in the water working hard."

The Marauders open their season at home in the BSC Aquatic & Fitness Center for homecoming weekend against the University of Jamestown on Saturday, October 2, at 5 pm.

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