From left, Vanessa Paolella, Amanda Kaufman, Elise Lambert and Ayden Eickhoff pose with their trophies after placing second in the distance medley relay at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston on Friday. Jay Hartshorn photo

BOSTON — Vanessa Paolella, Amanda Kaufman, Elise Lambert and Ayden Eickhoff ran to the highest relay finish in Bates College athletics history Friday at the NCAA Division III indoor track and field championships.

Running the 1,600-meter anchor leg of the distance medley relay, Eickhoff moved the Bobcats from seventh place to a runner-up finish. Eickhoff actually took the lead before she was passed by Brandeis’ Emily Bryson, the Division III mile champion.

Paolella started the relay with the 1,200-meter leg, followed by Kaufman’s 400-meter and Lambert’s 800-meter legs. They finished the relay in a school-record time of 11:43.51.

All four runners earn All-America honors, the second for Eickhoff in her career.

Eickhoff also qualified for the 800-meter finals with a season-best time of 2:11.80. Bates’ Katie Barker also earned a spot in Saturday’s finals, in the 3,000-meter run.