2024-2025
Indoors – Mariana competed in 3 indoor meets in her first collegiate season. During the regular season, she placed 8 th in the Howie Ryan Invitational weight throw, with a season best toss of 48-3.25/14.71m. At the WAC Championships in Spokane, the finished 11 th in the shot put and 14 th in the WT.
Outdoors – competed in 7 outdoor meets. Some highlights during the season included placing 7 th in the hammer throw and SP and 8 th in the discus throw at the ACU Wes Kittley Invitational; an 8 th place finish in the SP at the TTU Masked Rider SP; placing 4 th in both the DT and HT at the War Hawk Classic, where her hammer throw of 149- 4/45.51m was her season best; and winning the Joe Gillespie SP in Stephenville with a season best throw of 43-7.75/13.30m and getting 2 nd in the DT, also with a season best throw (134-10/41.11m). Mariana finished the year at the WAC Championships in Arlington by placing 10 th in the SP, 11 th in the HT, and 15 th in the DT.

Before ACU
Mariana had a sterling career at Cypress Christian that including 3 gold medals at the TAPPS 4A State meet and 8 visits to the medal stand. As a senior in 2023-2024, she placed 2nd in the SP and 3rd in the discus at the TAPPS 4A meet and she was ranked #79 in the DT among all Texas HS throwers. Her junior year, she won the DT and was 2nd in the SP, as well as anchoring the Cypress Christian 4x400 to a 5th place finish. That year, she was ranked #64 among all Texas throwers in the DT. As a sophomore, she was 2nd in the SP and DT at the TAPPS state meet and started off her HS career by winning the DT and getting 2nd in the SP as a freshman. She set the school record in the DT for Cypress Christian as a freshman and extended that record each year through her senior year. She has all-time HS bests of 38-7 in the SP and 129-6 in the DT.

Personal
Mariana is a 2024 graduate at Cypress Christian HS, where she was also an Academic All-state and All-District athlete. Her parents are Clare and Frans Van Dyk. At ACU, she is majoring in Sports and Recreation Management. She is also an active volunteer at her home church, The Met in Houston, and at The Well in Abilene.

Why did you choose ACU? On my visit, I felt a sense of peace and satisfaction that I believe will allow me to grow as an athlete and as a follower of Christ. I felt like even if I was not an athlete at ACU, I will be able to still continue thriving and will love to be a part of ACU.

What is your favorite thing about ACU? The community and friendships I have found. My community is mainly the track and field team and even though the throwers do not practice with the rest of the team, my best friends are still sprinters and jumpers and we are a pretty tight group.