GENEVA, Ohio — The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's track and field team's 4X100-meter relay placed 15th in the preliminaries of the NCAA Division III Championship this evening at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.  

The Lyons' quartet of senior Emily Zielinski (Orange, Conn.), junior Wendy Wooden (Sharon, Mass.), sophomore Camille Connors (Woburn, Mass.) and junior Michaina Loriston (Boston, Mass.) recorded a time of 47.49 to finish behind Chapman University's mark of 47.37.

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse placed first to qualify for Saturday's finals race with a time of 45.83. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire grabbed the final qualifying spot with a time of 46.83. Bridgewater State University (4th/46.30) and Colby College (8th/46.67) were the only New England schools to qualify for the event finals.

Wheaton continue its quest for a medal in tomorrow's 100-meter dash when Loriston competes in the prelims at 3:45 p.m. in Geneva, Ohio.