New Orleans, La. - After a strong year in which the Marian men's track and field and cross country teams were all represented at their respective NAIA Championships, Marian was ranked No. 2 in the USTFCCCA NAIA Program of the Year rankings. 

The USTFCCCA Program of the Year honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons) based on the institution's finish at their respective Championships.

In order to be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each of the Championships. Scoring is based on the team's finish at each Championship in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points … 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award winner. Ties among schools split points for positions taken.

Marian was eligible for the honor for the first time since 2021-2022, as the Knights qualified for the NAIA Cross Country Championships, while flooding the entry lists with athletes at both the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The men's cross country team scored 10 points toward the scoring, while the indoor track and field team scored 1 for their 1st place finish. Outdoor track and field season ended with a 4th place finish, giving Marian 15 total points. 

Marian's finish in the rankings for Program of the Year is the tied for the best finish ever, with the 2016-2017 programs finishing second overall and the 2021-2022 programs finishing in 15th in the final standings. 

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