Mary Marauders

Mary Marauders
Logo
UniversityUniversity of Mary
ConferenceNorthern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
NCAADivision II
Athletic directorMarcus Wagner
LocationBismarck, North Dakota
Varsity teams17
Football stadiumMDU Resources Bowl
Basketball arenaMcDowell Activity Center
Baseball stadiumBismarck Municipal Ballpark
Soccer stadiumMDU Resources Bowl
MascotMaximus
NicknameMarauders
ColorsBlue, white, and orange[1]
     
Websitegoumary.com

The Marauders are the athletic teams that represent the University of Mary, located in Bismarck, North Dakota, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Marauders compete as members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference[2] for all 16 varsity sports . The University also is home to an ACHA men's hockey team.[3] As of November 11, 2019, the University of Mary has discontinued their men's soccer program after 25 seasons of playing in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.[4]

Marauders history

Athletics at the University of Mary began in 1970 when Fritz Fell was brought on board to start a men's basketball program. Al Bortke succeeded Fell in 1973 as the men's basketball coach and athletic director and over the next 36 years would develop an athletic program that enjoyed tremendous success at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics level and later in NCAA Division II. After achieving a record of 335–156 in 16 years as the men's basketball coach[5] that included 11 20-win seasons, Bortke became U-Mary's first full-time athletic director in 1989. During Bortke's tenure, Mary grew from one varsity sport (men's basketball) in 1970, to as many as 19 and the Marauders athletic program became a national power. Bortke is a member of both the Marauders and NAIA athletic halls of fame.

Conference

The University of Mary is a member of NCAA Division II and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and offers nine varsity sports for women and eight for men.

Varsity sports

Men's sports Women's sports
Basketball Basketball
Cross country Cross country
Football Soccer
Ice hockey Softball
Track & field Track & field
Wrestling Swimming
Tennis
Volleyball

Records

Mary Marauders in key sports
Sport Overall record Postseason record Playoff appearances Conference Titles Home stadium
W L W L
Football[A] 191 181 6 10 9 (1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003) 7 (1992, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004 MDU Resources Community Bowl (7,000)
Baseball
Men's basketball 778 688 McDowell Activity Center (2,500)
Women's basketball 739 58 2000 (National Champions}

Notable athletes

Mascot

The mascot or nickname "Marauders" was chosen by a selection process of the student body in the early 1970s. Timothy George, prominent theologian and founding Dean of Beeson Divinity School, offered commentary on the choice of this mascot for a Catholic school in an essay published in First Things in 2014, Mary on the Prairie.[6] In 2017 the University unveiled in its campus restaurant a life-sized statue of a Marauder as a barbary corsair absorbed in conversation with Saint John of Matha. In 2018 the mascot was dubbed "Maximus," a nod to Maximus the Confessor.

Notes

  1. ^ Also one tied game, although ties have been impossible in college football since 1995

References

  1. ^ University of Mary Graphic Standards (PDF). Retrieved February 13, 2017.
  2. ^ "NSIC". www.northernsun.org.
  3. ^ "Hockey". University of Mary Marauders.
  4. ^ "University of Mary to discontinue its men's soccer program". University of Mary Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  5. ^ "Al Bortke (1937 - 2015) Obituary". Parkway Funeral & Cremation Service. Bismarck. 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  6. ^ George, Timothy (October 2014). "Mary on the Prairie". First Things.