St. Lawrence University senior Nick Lyndaker joined an elite group of collegiate track and field athletes this afternoon, shattering the elusive four-minute mile barrier at the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational.

Sticking with a decorated field consisting of multiple D-I runners, Lyndaker broke his own mile run program record and joined elite company with a run for 3:59.42, the fifth-fastest mile time in NCAA Division III history, a feat that underscores the sheer magnitude of his progression.

Lyndaker maintained a consistent quick pace to become the first athlete in St. Lawrence history to join the prestigious sub-four club. He began the race in the rear group and steadily climbed into the top group, ultimately finishing sixth in his heat and 15th overall, after entering the meet as the 97th seed. No D-III runner had run a sub-four mile prior to 2018, and now Lyndaker joins that elite group.

"We've had this meet circled on our race calendar for quite a while and today motivation, preparation and experience collided with opportunity," said Saints head coach John Newman. "Nick is a true competitor and I was confident that if his heat was in range, he would put himself in the best position to try and crack four minutes.  He did and this will forever change how our program thinks about the mile race."

"Nick put together an amazing performance and is now able to check a big one off of his big bucket items. I'm extremely honored to be a part of his athletic journey and over the moon with what he was able to achieve today."

He was the second-highest seed for D-III athletes, but finished highest in the standings by 17 places and over two seconds.

Lyndaker will now head home to join his St. Lawrence teammates for the SLU Open, set to begin Friday, February 20.

NCAA Division III Top Indoor Mile Performances

Rank	Athlete	Team	Mark	Date	Meet
1	Ryan Wilson	MIT	3:55.29	Feb 10, 2023	David Hemery Valentine Invitational
2	Aidan Ryan	Williams	3:56.88	Jan 30, 2022	John Thomas Terrier Classic
3	Jeremy Hernandez	Ramapo	3:59.01	Feb 25, 2018	BU Last Chance Qualifier
4	Seth Clevenger	Rowan	3:59.41	Feb 6, 2026	Fastrack National Invitational
5	Nick Lyndaker	St. Lawrence	3:59.42	Feb 14, 2026	David Hemery Valentine Invitational