Amber James, who was pivotal during Wheaton's run of winning six consecutive NCAA indoor and outdoor national championships from 2001-03, was recognized by the NCAA as the greatest female athlete in the 25-year history of the Division III indoor track & field championships.
A 17-time national champion and 24-time All-American between the indoor and outdoor campaigns, James tallied seven national crowns and 10 All-America awards during her four indoor seasons, leading the Lyons to three national titles and one runner-up placement. On the outdoor front, she was even more impressive, notching 10 national championships and 14 All-America performances, as Wheaton claimed three national crowns and one third-place finish in her career.
Helping the Lyons become the first Division III program to sweep three straight indoor and outdoor national titles, James was just the second Division III athlete to grab eight indoor and outdoor national championships in a single event, and the only one to do so in a track event. She also became just the second athlete to capture three successive 200M dash outdoor national crowns. James is the only NCAA Division III male or female student-athlete to sweep an NCAA event national title in all four years in both the indoor and outdoor track and field championships (400m). Her seven career individual outdoor national titles ties her for second all time.
James led Wheaton to the 2003 ECAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship, racing to the ECAC 200M dash title and anchoring two winning relay teams.