Held at Bentley University, the first meet of the New Balance Twilight Meet Series serves as an opportunity for local track and field athletes to test themselves against elite competition.

For a select few Judges, mainly those of the squad's middle-distance and distance crews, the meet yielded top performances.

"There were some disappointments for some but really awesome races for others, but I have to say I'm still really amped about how my race went," said Amelia Lundkvist '14, who finished eighth in the women's 1500-meter run in four minutes, 35.92 seconds. "I honestly surprised myself and still can't really believe I ran that fast."

While some collegiate meets give the Judges the chance to compete against top talent, there are few whose caliber match the aforementioned Twilight Series.

Many local athletes who train with prestigious training groups like the Greater Boston Track Club and the Boston Athletic Association attend these meets. The winning performances on both the men's and women's side are usually close to those seen in events at NCAA Division I meets, as opposed to the Division III competition that the Judges usually face.

The women's 1500-meter was a fast race that could have proved challenging to collegiate competitors, but the Judges fared well. In addition to Lundkvist's eighth-place effort, Victoria Sanford '14 came in 16th in that event, running the distance in 4:45.66, just a little bit less than 10 seconds behind her training partner and teammate, as the duo, who headlined most of the Judges' middle-distance performances, finished strong.

On the men's side, the 1500-meter run yielded a couple of top times from Brandeis athletes. In that race, Mik Kern '13 finished 13th in 3:54.26. He was a few seconds ahead of University Athletic Association champion Alex Kramer '13, who took 26th in 3:58.50.

The previous weekend, from May 3 to May 4, the Judges competed at the New England Division III Track and Field Championships held at Colby College.

In that meet, Lundkvist and Sanford also competed in the 1500. Lundkvist led the way for the Judges, finishing ninth in 4:37.51. Sanford took 15th in that race, completing the three-and-three-quarter event in 4:45.56.

Similar to the aforementioned female pair, Kramer and Kern also took part in the 1500. That time, Kramer led the way in the battle between the duo, as he took seventh in 3:52.73. Kern wasn't far behind, however, as he placed 13th, crossing the line in 3:56.80.

While middle distance has proven to be the Judges' forte in previous years-standout Chris Brown '12 placed fourth in the 1500 at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships-the Judges qualified two competitors for the 5000-meter race in the aforementioned New England Division III Championships.

After breaking 15 minutes in the 5000 the weekend before at the UAA Championships, Ed Colvin '14 took 10th in 15:11.92. Jarret Harrigan '15 joined Colvin in the 5000, and managed to break five-minute-mile pace, finishing the race in 15:26.93.

Friday's Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships saw a few Judges have one final opportunity to compete. Kramer took sixth in the 1500, finishing in 3:53.78. Kern placed 27th, timing in at 4:03.71. Lundkvist and Sanford also competed well, placing 13th and 23rd with times of 4:39.87 and 4:44.80, respectively.

Though the Judges will say goodbye to Kramer and Kern, as well as Erin Bisceglia '12 MA '13, the prospects for the middle-distance and distance squads look strong on both sides.
Colvin, who battled injury throughout the year, will look to return healthy. Harrigan took large proverbial strides this year, and he has the potential to be a top runner next year. Taylor Dundas '14 hopes to rebound from an Achilles' tendon injury in time for the fall. Grady Ward '16 improved a great deal during the track campaigns, which should set him up for next year's cross-country season.

On the women's side, Lundkvist and Sanford have made massive improvements in the past two seasons, which they will attempt to carry over into the fall. The return of Kelsey Whitaker '16, who barely missed qualifying for the women's 800-meter final during this year's UAA Championships, as well as the return of Maggie Hensel '16, Rachel Keller '16, Molly Paris '16 and Nora Owens '16, bodes well for the future.

After a short time off, the Judges will begin preparation for the fall season. Based on how they performed in the last couple of races of this season, it is very possible that they will further improve in time for the fall.