The Eagles’ track and field team continued to reach new heights in their record-setting season. During the GSAC championship, held on Saturday at Point Loma, the Eagles broke six school records on the way to a fifth-place finish for the women’s team and seventh-place for the men.
The Eagles were led by sophomore phenomenon Natasha Miller, who brought home 46 of the Eagles’ 103.5 points in individual events, while also contributing in the 4×100 and the 4×400.
This year’s 103.5 points is the highest score the Lady Eagles have ever recorded in a GSAC championship.
Miller dominated the jumping events, taking first in the long jump, high jump and triple jump. After losing her lead in the triple jump, Miller came back on her final attempt to leap 39 feet, 5.5 inches, setting a new school record and reclaiming first place.
Later in the day Miller recorded an 18-foot, 5.75-inch leap in the long jump and a 1:04.11 time in the 400-meter hurdles, breaking two school records in the process.
Biola continued to have a strong showing in the steeplechase, as sophomore Erika Perez and freshman Nychele Fischetti brought home fourth and fifth place, respectively, in the event.
The relay team of seniors Erin Hobson and Janette Hill, freshman Brooke Forsi and Miller took fourth in the 4×100 race, recording a 49.85. After a strong showing in the preliminaries, the 4×400 team of sophomores Kelsey Gasner, Miller, Fischetti and Hill suffered a letdown in the final, falling to sixth place after being seeded fourth.
The 4×800 relay had no such letdown, as Fischetti, freshman Carissa Bowman, sophomore Katie Thede and Gasner raced to a third place finish in 9:38.82.
With 36 points, the Biola men’s team had their best showing since 2004. Like the women’s team, underclassmen played a big role as the freshman recorded 18 points overall.
However, it was junior Ryan Richert who had the highest finish, completing the 1,000 meter run in 32 minutes 5 seconds, good enough for third place and six points for the Eagles squad, as well as qualifying him for nationals.
Freshman Gabriel Aeschliman had a solid day in the sprint races, scoring points in the 200 and 400-meter dash, as well as the 4×100 and 4×400 relays.
Sophomore Jameson Henry had the best showing in a field event, placing fifth in the triple jump with a leap of 12.85 meters.
The Eagles qualified a number of athletes to compete at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships, which will be held May 21-23 in Kansas City. The women will send a large contingent, as eight women earned berths in their events. The women’s 4×800 team was the only relay to qualify, while several athletes qualified for multiple events.
Bowman will run in the 5000m and 10,000m races in Kansas City, in addition to the 4×800. Miller qualified for a laundry-list of events, and will compete in the heptathlon, high jump, triple jump, long jump, 200m, 400 hurdles and 100 hurdles. Perez and Fischetti both qualified in the steeplechase, and senior Erin Hobson will participate in the pole vault. Distance runners Sarah Brooks and lone male qualifier will race in the 10,000m, and Richert will also run the marathon.
