WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University track and field teams will send a pair of student-athletes to the 2016 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships later this week at Grinnell College in Iowa. Rookie Emily Bryson of Quincy, Mass., will represent the Judges in the mile run on the women's side, while sophomore Ryan Stender of Amherst, Mass., has qualified in the 3,000-meter run for the men.

Bryson will be making a second-straight appearance at an NCAA championship event, having qualified for the Cross Country championships in the fall. She was named an All-American at that event, finishing in 31^st place. Bryson will compete as the 16^th seed in the mile run. Her season-best time of 5:02.34 in the event was run at the New England Division III Championships at Middlebury College on Feb. 19. Brysons's time ranks 33^rd in Division III, but with several competitors electing to focus on other events, she was able to nab a spot at NCAAs.

Bryson is the only University Athletic Association (UAA) competitor in the mile run this year, and she is one of seven New England runners entered. Bryson is also one of only two rookies entered in the event, and her qualification makes three-straight years with a Brandeis woman competing in the mile run at the NCAA Division III Championships.

Bryson will run in a preliminary race on Friday, March 11, at 1:45 p.m. Central (2:45 Eastern). If she reaches the finals, she will compete Saturday at 1:40 Central (2:40 Eastern).

Stender had a terrific run to make it to his first NCAA Championship event. He won the UAA title in the 3,000-meters with an impressive kick, running a sub-30-second final lap to pass a pair of runners down the stretch. At the Tufts University Last Chance Meet on March 4, Stender shaved nearly 10 seconds off his previous personal best in the event with a time of 8:21.36, 12 seconds better than his UAA-winning time. His time is ranked 13^th in Division III this season and he will be the 12^th seed at the championships.

Stender missed the latter part of the cross country season and the early part of indoor track due to injury. He will be making his first appearance at an NCAA championship. Stender is one of five New England competitors in the 3,000 and the only UAA runner. He is one of three sophomores in the field. Stender is the first Brandeis runner at NCAAs since 2013.

The men's 3,000-meter run is the next-to-last event at the championships and will be held at 4:25 p.m. Central (5:25 Eastern) on Saturday, March 12.

The Grinnell College web site for the 2016 NCAA Division III Championships ishttp://pioneers.grinnell.edu/sports/2016/1/8/MTRACK_0108165920.aspx. The full list of NCAA qualifiers can be found at http://results.deltatiming.com/tf/2016-ncaa-d3-indoor-championships/

Bryson is a 2015 graduate of North Quincy High School.

Stender is a 2014 graduate of Amherst Regional High School.

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