BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – First year runner Josy Wright (Sharon, Mass.) finished 16th in the preliminaries of the 400 meters at the NCAA Division III Men's Indoor Track & Field Championship this afternoon at Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Ala.

Wright finished fourth in the second heat of the day with a time of 48.61 to place 16th overall. 

The top eight qualifiers advance to tomorrow's final heat.

Wright's top-16 finish earns him All-America status in the event. 

The Sharon High School graduate recorded a personal-record time of 47.95 at the New England Division III Championship on March 1 to win the event and qualify for the NCAA Championship. The mark was the 18th-fastest in the nation heading into the title meet in Birmingham and also represented the third-fastest clip in school history.

Wright becomes the first Lyon to compete at the NCAA III Indoor Championship since 2010 when Merzudin Ibric '10, Mark Williamson '11, Cailean Robinson '12, Cecil Jeffrey '13 and Ben Miklovich '13 all qualified. Wright is the first to race in the 400 meters since Ibric and Williamson and is the first freshman to compete for the NCAA crown since Jeffrey and Miklovich in 2010.

Wheaton will now focus on the outdoor season and will compete again on March 27 when it takes part in the Black & Gold Invitational hosted by Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I.