Eleena Zhelezov '95, a Brandeis track and field alumna, was selected by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association to be inducted into the Division III Athlete Hall of Fame. Zhelezov, one of the most successful athletes in Brandeis history, was a nine-time national champion, including eight times in the triple jump.Mark Reytblat, the assistant track and field coach at Brandeis who coached Zhelezov, said that it was only a question of when, not if, Zhelezov would be inducted.

"I was pleased because she is just the best," he said. "She was a fantastic athlete and it was definitely deserving. She would have made it eventually, it was just a matter of time."

Zhelezov is one of just two athletes in NCAA track and field history, male or female and in any division, to sweep an event in both indoors and outdoors 4 years in a row, winning the triple jump eight times between 1992 and 1995. She also won the national long jump crown as a first-year during the indoor season.

During her senior season, Zhelezov was named the NCAA Division III Athlete of the Year and was also the Eastern College Athletic Conference Robbins Scholar-Athlete for that year. She was a 15-time All-American, 14-time University Athletic Association Champion and 13-time New England Division III champion.

Reytblat said that in addition to being a phenomenal athlete, Zhelezov was a hard worker and a great teammate. "She was a really nice person to deal with and she was a great member of the team," he said. "She would do anything to help the team, and she was always on time to practice and always worked hard."

Zhelezov and the other members of the 2011 class will be inducted during a ceremony at the Division III Outdoor Championships this year, which will take place May 25 in Delaware, Ohio.

Zhelezov could not be reached by press time.