Through the ups and downs, the senior leaders on the spring sports teams have played an influential role in both athletic and spiritual leadership. There are only two spring sports preparing for nationals, and with the school year coming to a close, seniors reflect on their athletic careers at Biola.
David McNeill
"The older guys were great to me. They encouraged me and pushed me to get better." David McNeill, senior infielder for Biola's baseball team. | Aaron Fooks/THE CHIMES
Although the season did not turn out as well as they had hoped, the baseball team had an experienced group of seniors. Two of the senior infielders, David McNeill and Boone Farrington received All-GSAC honors.
McNeill started strong as a freshman, appearing in 39 games and hitting .379. For his senior year, McNeill had a total of 28 RBI’s and also hit his second career home run.
During his first year, McNeill said he felt welcomed and encouraged to cultivate his talents as an athlete.
“My freshman year was a great year because I learned so much about myself and how hard I had to work every day,” McNeill said. “The older guys on that team were great to me. They encouraged me and pushed me to get better.”
Although his career in Biola baseball has come to an end, there are many lessons that David will take away from baseball and apply to other areas of his life.
“The last four years I have matured in my response to failure,” McNeill said. “It has been a process of learning how to respond with composure and a desire to learn how to get better from each situation.”
Alex Calkins
The track and field team is one of the two spring sports that are still in season and preparing for the NAIA Outdoor National Championship starting May 22. Both teams ended their regular season on a strong note with the women’s team winning the GSAC Outdoor Championships for the second year in a row. The men tallied up a program high of 169 team points to secure third place.
For Alex Calkins, his time on the track team has been beneficial not only in competition, but also in the relationships that were fostered during his four years on the team.
“Getting higher PR’s has been fun, but those aren’t the memories that really stick with me,” Calkins said. “It’s been the times with the people that I’ll remember for a long time.”
Calkins has consistently been a strong competitor in the pole vault and earned the GSAC Scholar Athlete award in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Calkins was able to end his track and field career on a high note with a first place finish in the pole vault during the GSAC Outdoor championships
“I just wanted to give it my best for the conference meet,” Calkins said. “I also wanted to compete well for the coach because he has supported my years here and I wanted to give back my last and do well for the coach.”
Jessica Airey
Part of what has made her experience on the track and field team so enriching was the unity and the accountability within the team, Jessica Airey said.
“I think that track has really grown my character a lot more than I had expected, and that was a really fantastic surprise,” Airey said. It also taught me about persevering through difficulty and challenge.”
Although both teams are losing a substantial amount of talented seniors, there is a solid amount of underclassmen ready to fill the empty spaces.
