Loyola University Maryland has received a Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching grant from the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF),
Hanson will work with the Loyola cross country and track and field programs as an assistant coach beginning in September 2020.
Grants were awarded to institutions to support collegiate female coaches on the rise, assisting with living expenses, professional development and mentorship. Loyola is one of 10 universities and colleges to receive the grants, which will be designated for female coaching fellows across all three NCAA divisions in a wide variety of women’s sports as well as strength and conditioning.
Hanson graduated this year from Marquette University where she was a three-time Big East Conference All-Academic honoree, an All-Big East performer and a top-five all-time performer for the Golden Eagles in the 3,000 meters.
“I’m excited to work with Mary as she continues her career in athletics, now in the role of coaching and developing young adults in higher education,” said Amy Horst, the Greyhounds head cross country and track and field coach. “She has proven strength and resilience in her love of the sport and the opportunities it provides for team community and individual growth. With Mary’s impressive background as an athlete and education at Marquette, I’m confident she’ll transition quickly to the Loyola environment and help as our program continues to ascend in the Patriot League. Mary has been well connected in the Greater Milwaukee community, and those experiences will be an asset to our student-athletes, Loyola, and Baltimore City.”
A native of Dodgeville, Wisconsin, Hanson was a four-year letterwinner at Marquette where she was a team captain as a junior and senior.
“I feel very privileged to have been given this opportunity and to be joining the Loyola community,” Hanson said. “I'm looking forward to using my own experience to guide student-athletes as they navigate the ups and downs of collegiate athletics and pursue their goals. While I've only known Amy Horst and her colleagues for a short time, it's apparent that I'm joining a community whose values and philosophies align strongly with my own.”
She capped her collegiate career during the truncated 2020 season with a sixth-place finish in the 3,000 meters at the Big East Indoor Championships, running a personal-best time of 9:36.64 that ranks fifth all-time at Marquette. Hanson also helped the Golden Eagles to a fourth-place finish in the distance medley relay at the meet.
Throughout her career, she posted top times of 2:13.21 in the 800 meters, 4:34.31 in the 1,500 meters, 4:55.65 in the indoor mile, 9:36.64 in the 3,000 meters and 17:36.80 in the 5,000 meters. She also helped the Golden Eagles to the 2016 Big East Outdoor Track and Field Championship.
In cross country, Hanson was a consistent scorer for the Golden Eagles and was Marquette’s top finisher at the 2018 Big East Championships, and she later finished 67th at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional.
Outside of competition, Hanson was a leader among students at Marquette. She was co-chairwoman of the Marquette Women’s Track and Field Sports Psychology Workshop, collaborating with the school’s counseling center to create a mental health and goal-setting platform for her team.
Hanson graduated with a bachelor of science in psychology and gender studies. She took part in a research project to hear and learn from the lived experiences of Black Women in Milwaukee County, contributing to research on race, gender, mental health, and narrative psychology.
