BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Graduate student Emily Mackay is on her way back to an NCAA Championship Meet – for the fifth and final time of her historic career at Binghamton.

The distance running standout placed third overall in the women's 1,500 finals at the NCAA East Region Meet on Saturday at Indiana University with a school-record time of 4:11.65. Running in the second of two 12-runner heats, she was also third. The top five runners in each heat – plus the next two fastest times – advanced to the NCAA Championships, which will be held June 8-11 at the University of Oregon.

The top time in Mackay's heat – and overall – was 4:10.80 by Shannon Flockhart of Providence. Mackay's previous school record of 4:13.57 was posted at the Virginia Challenge back on April 22.

Mackay will join men's teammate Dan Schaffer at the NCAA Championships in two weeks. On Friday night, he was sixth overall in the 5,000. This marks the first time that the Bearcats have posted a pair of NCAA meet qualifiers in the same season since Jesse Garn (men's 800) and Keishorea Armstrong (women's long jump) advanced in 2015.

With her latest accomplishment, Mackay has now made the second-most trips to the NCAA Championships during Binghamton's 21-year NCAA Division I history – a mark she shares with Rory Quiller. Mackay has advanced to the past two cross country meets, the indoor championships back in March as well as two straight outdoor track meets. Erik van Ingen, meanwhile, went to seven such meets between 2009-12.

Also on Saturday, senior Aziza Chigatayeva was 16th overall in the women's 3,000 steeplechase (SC). Running in the first of three 16-runner heats, she was seventh with a school-record time of 10:06.77. The top three finishers in each heat – plus the next three fastest times – advanced to the NCAA Championships.  

Chigatayeva shaved seven seconds off her previous mark of 10:14.31, which she recorded at the Virginia Challenge back on April 22. She entered the East Region Meet ranked No. 32 out of 48 entries.

Binghamton's final competitor at the NCAA East Region Meet was graduate student Brittany Korsah, who was 39th overall in the women's triple jump. Her distance was 39-10 ½. It marked the final meet of her career.

Mackay, Schaffer, Van Ingen, Garn, Quiller and Armstrong represent six of the seven NCAA Championship qualifiers Binghamton has posted during its 21-year NCAA Division I era. They are joined by Cazal Arnett, who advanced to the 2009 indoor meet in the men's 400. Four of them (Van Ingen, Garn, Mackay and Schaffer) have been coached by Annette Acuff, the distance coach who has held her position since 2000.

NOTES: The prelims of the women's 1,500 at the NCAA Championships will take place on Thursday, June 9 at 8:56 p.m. EST. The finals are set for Saturday, June 11 at 5:41 p.m. The men's 5,000, meanwhile, is set for Friday, June 9 at 10:55 p.m. EST.