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Eagles dive into national championship meet

Strong relays propel swim in first day of season’s final meet.
Jacob Knopf/THE CHIMES
Jacob Knopf/THE CHIMES

Only two events took place during the first day of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics swim and dive championships in Columbus, GA, but the Eagles still found a way to build upon the progress they have made this season. Eight of the Biola’s top swimmers teamed up to put impressive marks in men’s and women’s 800-yard freestyle relays.

The women earned All-American honors with their relay time. Freshman Emily Silzel, sophomore Rebecca Brandt, freshman Bethany Harper and superstar junior Lisa Tixier clocked in at 7:41.47, good enough for third overall. Savannah College of Art and Design of the Appalachian Athletic Conference and Olivet Nazarene University of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference were the only two teams who finished with faster times.

The men finished ninth overall in their relay, but their silver lining came in the form of a season-best 6:58.04 time. Senior Michael Severi, freshman Andrew Benson, freshman Raymond Kam and junior Tom Franicevich combined for the impressive mark. Benson in particular shone in his first taste at a collegiate national championship, as his 1:42.34 split proved the fastest time in his squad.

The Eagles are just beginning  in Columbus. They have three consecutive days of competition starting on March 2 at the NAIA national championships before they bid farewell to the association and head towards an offseason of gearing up for their first season in NCAA Division II next fall.

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About the Contributor
Austin Green
Austin Green, Managing Editor
Austin Green is a junior journalism major who was first among his friends to predict that LeBron James would sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. When not focused on school or work, he enjoys watching sports, going to the beach or coffee shops, and hanging out with the guys on his dorm floor. [email protected] I laughed the first time I heard a former editor-in-chief use the line “once you join the Chimes, you never really leave.” Now in my third year here, it turns out the joke’s on me. After two years in the sports section, including last year as sports editor, I’m thrilled to be serving this year as managing editor to help build upon the legacy of such a great publication. My aspirations remain in sports journalism, but experience has deepened my love for dedicated local news reporting and its importance in communities. Much of my appreciation for that type of journalism came through working as a digital production intern for NBC Los Angeles last summer. There I helped cover stories such as the Trader Joe’s hostage crisis, the Cranston and Holy wildfires, and the Lakers’ overhaul of their iconic uniforms. I am so excited to help build this next chapter of the Chimes as we become a web-first publication with a deeper, dedicated focus on the communities in and around campus. I also contribute a print sports column, “Everything Eagles,” which provides a deeper look into Biola Athletics.
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