The Emory University Track and Field program closed out a remarkable 2018 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships on Saturday at the Birmingham Crossplex with four All-America finishes, including two national runner-up efforts, and two additional school records.
Senior Gabrielle Stravach and the women's 4x400m Relay of juniors Dilys Osei, Dani Bland, sophomore Kaitlyn Leonard and senior Erica Goldman secured second-place showings for the Eagles with Bland adding an individual fourth-place effort to give the Eagles a two-day total of 21 points. Emory finished tied for 8th place at the meet which marks the highest national finish ever for an Emory women's team, indoors or outdoors, in program history.
Stravach became the first female in team history to earn All-America acclaim in the indoor mile as she placed second overall with a time of 4:52.76, breaking her school record mark from Friday by more than two seconds. Her national runner-up performance is the highest individual finish in any event in Emory Women's Indoor Track & Field history.
The 4x400m relay nearly captured the Eagles' first-ever women's indoor national championship but Nebraska Wesleyan's Elizabeth Jones came on strong during the last lap, overtaking Goldman on the final turn and holding on over the home stretch to win it for the Prairie Wolves. The Emory foursome turned in a program-best time of 3:48.45, more than a second faster than their preliminary time, for their second national runner-up finish in the last three years and the third straight All-America honor in the event.
Earlier in the afternoon, Emory added All-America performances by Bland and senior Max Brown in the women's 200m Dash and the men's mile. Bland clocked a time of 25.00 to finish fourth overall while Brown garnered his second career All-America honor in the mile, taking eighth in a time of 4:12.60. He becomes just the fourth Emory male, joining Troy Thompson, Chris Williams and Chris Nehls, to be a two-time All-American in the same event in Emory Men's Indoor Track & Field history.