For many Division III collegiate track and field athletes, qualifying for the NCAA Championships represents the ultimate achievement.

Since most events only accept between 15 and 20 competitors nationally, qualification is incredibly selective. Given the elite nature of the event, it is usually impressive for a school to have one competitor qualify to compete on the ultimate stage.

Hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan University, this year's NCAA meet saw three Brandeis competitors wearing the blue and white stripes.

Amelia Lundkvist '14, Victoria Sanford '14 and Kelsey Whitaker '16 competed in the semi-finals of the women's one-mile run, representing the first time in Brandeis history that the women's squad sent three competitors to the same event.

And while none of the three made it to the final-which consists of the top three competitors in each semi-final plus the next four best times-they were simply thrilled to be there.

"Just to make it [to nationals] was awesome," said Lundkvist, whose winter season was greatly limited due to an injury.

"I thought my season was over only a few weeks ago, so to only race three times and workout four times and qualify is pretty awesome," Lundkvistcontinued.

"I wanted to do better, obviously, but remembering how little training I've had makes me feel better and more excited for outdoor."

As many national-caliber track competitions do, the race began at a conservative pace. In an effort to save their energy for the finishing stretch-another key characteristic of tactical races such as the mile-the trio sat in the middle of the pack, biding their time.

With two laps to go, Lundkvist-as Whitaker and Sanford trailed not far behind-surged, moving up to fourth place. However, two competitors passed her in the final stages of the race leaving her in sixth place-less than three-quarters of a second from a berth in the final.

Ultimately, Lundkvist led the Judges' charge, placing 12th overall with a time of four minutes, 59.78 seconds. It was the second time in just over a week that she shattered the five-minute barrier, building off of a 4:59.35 second effort at the Tufts Last Chance Qualifier on March 6.

Whitaker finished just behind Lundkvist, crossing the line in 5:02.20 for 13th place.

Sanford, who received the final bid to the championships, placed 15th in 5:02.54. In addition to recording a personal record, Sanford bettered her seed by two spots.

Having qualified as a team for the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in the fall, the trio had previous experience on the national stage.

However, the experience still proved to be incredibly enjoyable.

"I felt like a pro!" joked Lundkvist.

"It was fun. The experience was really cool. We had our badges and hospitality room and baskets for our gear before the race so it was cool. I can't wait for [our outdoor season], though; I'm hungry for more!"

Despite qualifying for the season's biggest occasion, there is little time for the Judges to rest on their laurels. The outdoor season is set to begin at the Tufts University Snowflake Classic on March 29. Given her results during the indoor season, Lundkvist-an All-American in cross-country-is aiming for more come spring.

"I'll be focusing on getting stronger, building mileage, and being able to finish [the race] better," she said. "I also want to focus on not only making it to nationals but being All-American [as well]."

Given the experience that she gained in the NCAA Championships last weekend, there is a very real possibility that she could make her goal a reality.