PITTSFORD, NY – The University of Rochester women's track & field team saw four athletes qualify for Saturday's finals, as senior Megan Bell won the 800-meter prelims, while Bell, Eva Ciuffetelli, Nora Chen and Raquella Casserino qualified for the 4x400-meter finals on Friday at the 2024-25 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Nazareth University at the Golisano Training Center.
 
Bell led wire-to-wire in the opening heat of the 800-meter prelims, setting a new facility record with her 2:08.35-second time. The senior earned an automatic qualification into Saturday's final with the heat win, while her time held up over the next two heats as the top time in the prelims, edging out Elizabethtown's Kelty Oaster, who came in second in the opening heat, right behind Bell, with a time of 2:08.59.
 
The Wynantskill, NY native will compete in the indoor 800-meter finals for the second-straight year, after placing sixth last year, as well as fourth outdoors.
 
Bell then joined UR's 4x400 relay of Ciuffetelli, Chen and Casserino in the 4x400 prelims, taking off in the second heat. And despite finishing fourth in their heat, the Yellowjackets, the two-time reigning champions in the indoor 4x400, qualified for Saturday's final with the fifth-fastest time in the event.
 
Ciuffetelli, Chen, Casserino and Bell combined for a time of 3:50.62, with Bell and Chen both running 55-second splits to help UR into Saturday's final. They'll be joined in Saturday's final by WashU, Wisconsin La Crosse, Colby, Williams, Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Emory and SUNY Geneseo, with the Bears having set the top mark in the prelims with their 3:47.39-second time in the opening heat.
 
This marks the fourth-straight year UR's 4x400-meter relay secured a spot in the indoor 4x400-meter final, with Rochester coming off back-to-back indoor titles, as well as a fifth-place finish in 2022.

Earlier on in the day, Chen also ran in the 400-meter prelims, notching her first indoor, individual All-America honor with her performance. Chen clocked in third in the fourth heat, the fastest heat of the day, and 11th overall with a new personal-best time of 56.69 seconds to secure Second-Team All-America accolades, the second individual All-America nod of the sophomore's career.
 
With six events complete, MIT leads the women's team standings with 29 points, with Loras in second with 18 points and Chicago in third with 17.
 
Bell will get Rochester started on day two of the 2024-25 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Golisano Training Center in Pittsford, NY with the women's 800-meter finals at 5:05 p.m., with the women's 4x400-meter relay finals scheduled for 6:40 p.m.