Bates' distance medley relay team of (left to right) Isabelle Unger, Claire Markonic, Ayden Eickhoff and Jessica Wilson ran one of the fastest times in Division III on March 4, 2016. (Jay Hartshorn) 

MEDFORD, Mass. -- Bates women's track and field punched its ticket to compete in the distance medley relay and triple jump at next week's NCAA Championships on Friday at the Tufts Last Chance Meet, setting or matching two team records in the process.

Sophomore Sally Ceesay (Bronx, N.Y.) equaled her own team record in the triple jump, going 11.75 meters, or 38-6.75. Ceesay started the day ranked 13th in Division III with her previous season-best mark of 38-1.25. Her new mark would place her ninth in the country, while the top 17 athletes in the event receive invitations to the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships next weekend in Grinnell, Iowa.

Bates finished the 4,000-meter relay race in 11:53.98, fourth amidst a field of seven teams that may all become reacquainted next week at NCAAs. Senior Isabelle Unger (Charlotte, Vt.) ran the leadoff leg of 1,200 meters, followed by junior Claire Markonic (Millerton, N.Y.) in the 400-meter leg, first-year Ayden Eickhoff (Corvallis, Mont.) in the 800-meter leg and junior Jessica Wilson (Cumberland, Maine) in the final 1,600-meter leg.

The top 12 teams in Division III receive invitations to compete at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships next weekend in Grinnell, Iowa. At the start of the day, Bates ranked eighth in Division III with a season-best effort of 11:53.42 on Boston University's banked track last month. That time translates to 12:01.06 on a flat track for the purposes of national rankings. 

This will be the fourth time in five years that Bates will compete in the DMR at NCAAs. Bates has finished among the top eight teams to gain All-America honors in 2007, 2012, 2014 and 2015. Markonic has participated in the past two of those years, while Unger and Wilson have both competed once at NCAAs.

Bates' former flat-track record in the event was 11:54.60, set in 2015 by Wilson, Markonic, Sarah Fusco '15 and Elena Jay '15.

The Bobcats are likely to have six athletes competing at NCAAs next week, which would be a team record. Junior Allison Hill (Brunswick, Maine) started the day ranked 11th in the country in the 60-meter hurdles and should also be in position to make the trip.