Biola track and field made quite a showing last weekend at East Tennessee State University, as the women took a program-best fifth place overall finish in a field of 40 teams.
The women’s 4×800 relay team ended the second day of action at the 2010 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships on Friday by placing fourth overall. The team of sophomore Nychele Fischetti, junior Katie Thede, sophomore Jane Kerner and junior Kelsey Gasner posted an excellent time of 9:17.84.
Junior Sarah Brooks and senior newcomer Kirk Carlson both raced in the 3,000 meter semifinals on Friday. Brooks finished 13th overall and missed qualifying for the finals by less than three seconds. Carlson ran to a 19th place finish overall in just his second collegiate race.
The big story this year was a similar one to last year: Junior Natasha Miller dominated the competition, winning two more NAIA Individual Titles. She won the pentathlon with a record setting score of 3,992 points and had first place finishes in both the 60 meter hurdles and the high jump on Saturday. Miller is a seven-time NAIA National Champion, a three-time NAIA meet most valuable performer, which she won this meet, and has been named a NAIA All-American in 15 events.
Miller set a couple new school records during the course of this meet, including a 60-meter hurdles win in a blazing time 8.61 seconds. This shattered her previous best of 8.75.
“The highlight for me was winning the 60 meter hurdles,” said Miller. “I did not expect that to happen. It was an unbelievable moment for me.”
Miller also broke the school’s distance medley relay record with Gasner, Fischetti, Thede and alternate sophomore Brook Forsi. Their time of 12:00.35 was seven seconds faster then the school record, 17 seconds faster then what they ran in the semifinals and five seconds faster then last year’s winning time for the event. It was also good enough for a third place finish.
“She is a focused, driven athlete who sets a great example for our team of how to perform at a national level,” said senior Mike Morin. “Indoor Nationals solidifies the fact that Biola track and field continues to turn heads in the NAIA.”
