GRINNELL, Iowa -- Wellesley College junior Randelle Boots is one step closer to defending her title, after advancing out of the preliminaries of the mile run at the 2012 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships. 

Boots, who came into the event with the sixth best time in the field, took fouth place in the first heat of the preliminaries. Her time of 4:56.42 was faster than any runner in the second heat, sending her into tomorrow's final. 

Boots is the defending champion in the event. She won the 2011 NCAA Championship last March, with a time of 4:56.46. She also took All-America honors as a first-year, finishing third overall.

Tomorrow's race will start at 3:40 pm CST. It will be broadcast live on ncaa.com.