NEW ORLEANS, La. - After another strong year in which the Marian men's track and field and cross country teams were all represented at their respective NAIA Championships and won another national championship, Marian was ranked No. 2 today in the USTFCCCA NAIA Program of the Year rankings. This is the second consecutive year the Knights have been the No. 2 team in the NAIA. 

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.

To be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each Championship. 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.

This year's finish in the standings is the third in program history as the NAIA runner-up, matching the efforts from the 2016-17 year and 2024-25 year. 

Marian had a strong year, beginning with a 15th-place finish at the NAIA Cross Country Championships. The Knights then followed into the indoor track and field season, where they earned their second consecutive national championship, winning the indoor championship against the University of the Cumberlands for the second consecutive year. Marian ended its athletic season with a fourth-place finish at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championship, marking another podium finish on the track circuit.

The Knights scored 20.5 points, edging out Indiana Wesleyan by eight points for the second-best overall program in the NAIA. The University of the Cumberlands won the men's top-program, scoring a third place finish in cross country before runner-up and champion placements at the indoor and outdoor track and field championships. 

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