In that case your status upgrade was not a result of rolling 12-months.

I guess Marriott is putting a new spin on their old SOP of maintaining elite status when one hasn't earned the requisite nights. This has been done on a regular basis for elite level renewals. It happened to me 3 times in the past decade. With the economy the way it is I guess they are extending the same courtesy to elite status upgrades, which is probably a good move.