The last time Al Barbour Field saw use in a Golden State Athletic Conference track and field competition, former president Barack Obama had just been inaugurated in office. Athletes from Biola and Soka University competed on Jan. 31, 2009 for national qualification. Eight full years later, on Feb. 18, 2017, Biola hosted the Last Chance Qualifier, where two Eagles athletes earned national qualifying times for the indoor championships.

hastily thrown together meet

The schedule for Biola originally showed the Pomona-Pitzer All-Comers meet on Saturday, but the meet was canceled, prompting head coach Sean Henning to hastily throw together a meet. Athletes from Biola and Vanguard University had the chance to qualify for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Indoor Championship.

The athletes competed in 18 different events, with Biola athletes taking part in 14 of those. On the women’s side, they won every event they competed in. The men took home first in all but two of their events.

Senior star spotlight

The biggest story of the evening came in the women’s mile, the event that produced both of Biola’s national qualifiers. Senior Lyndee Dawson earned herself an ‘A’ qualification by finishing the mile in 5:04.98, while junior Hannah Hunsaker finished with a ‘B’ standard with her time of 5:10.19.

Dawson highlighted her Biola career by becoming the seventh Eagles conference champion in cross country during the fall 2016 season, and looks strong enough to make fireworks on the track as well.

“That was pretty cool. I’ve qualified for a few other events and I really wanted the chance to qualify for the mile because it’s one of my favorite events,” Dawson said. “And it was fun to be able to do it here on the home track because I’ve never raced here.”

The Eagles’ next meet is the NAIA Indoor Championships, which will take place in Johnson City, Tenn. from March 2-4.