The University of Mary football team made another step in NCAA Division II football.

It might seem like small potatoes to a football fan, but it's a big deal to coach Myron Schulz and his staff.

The culture of Schulz's squad has changed.

Almost 50 members of the U-Mary football team stuck around for most of the summer instead of spending the majority of those months at home.

The ones who stayed in Bismarck for the summer were seniors, juniors and sophomores. The majority of the freshmen and recruits spent the summer at home.

"It becomes a code of spirit,"Schulz said. "They become a family working together. Now, it's an expectation of our program. You have a change of culture when you go up a level."

After the school year ends, Schulz tells his juniors and seniors to take a vacation and return to Bismarck for the summer. He tells his sophomores to go home, but come back in July. Schulz encourages the freshmen to go home and enjoy their family.

Cornerback Marcus Parence, a junior, made the decision at the end of the school year to stick around this summer. He's working on campus doing lawn care and maintenance.

Schulz understands the sacrifice some of his players have made to remain in Bismarck for the summer. Parence could have returned to Colorado Springs, lived at home for free, made a higher wage and had a wide variety of entertainment choices.

"It's actually been fun here,"Parence said, "going to the river and just kind of hanging out. (The team) influenced my decision. I talked to some of my friends, and that helped me out with my decision to stay."

Parence's presence in the Capital City has been beneficial.

"I got some of my classes out of the way so I don't have to take as many in the fall,"Parence said. "I can stay in shape more. I can run when I get back home, but I don't get pushed as hard."

In addition to building team chemistry, Schulz can't afford to let his players lose a step in conditioning.

"When some of the kids go home, they get in really small towns or areas where they don't work out or have the facilities," Schulz said. "At camp we will notice the guys who have been here. The guys who haven't been here will need extra conditioning."

Some of you probably noticed U-Mary football players working at various trades around town landscaping, building homes and other various jobs such as waiting tables, working in a video store or a nursery/greenhouse.

"One of the challenges is finding jobs and housing,"Schulz said. "One of the things right now in Bismarck, because the city is booming, we aren't having trouble finding jobs. That's a nice benefit of Bismarck. If you're in a small town there aren't 60 summer jobs available for kids."

The Marauders have been working out Sunday through Thursday. It's not uncommon to see them throwing a ball around after their workouts are completed.

"We have an evening group,"Parence said. "The quarterbacks throw to the receivers, and they are getting to know each other. The defensive backs get to go against something live. We get to see each other almost every day of the week."

(Cindy Peterson is a Tribune sportswriter.)