ST. LOUIS --- Biola sophomore Paul Mendoza helped set a pair of new school records on the men's side to help pace the Eagles to a strong performance in the first day of the 2009 NAIA Swimming and Diving Championships at the Saint Peter's Rec-Plex on Thursday.

Mendoza finished 8th overall in the 500 free, his first of many events this weekend and set a new school record in the perlims of the event with a time of 4:39.44.

He then came back and helped the Eagles to another eighth place finish in the 800 freestyle relay, joining with Ben Oviedo, Zach Perkins, and Brian Shepard. The quartet finished in a school-record time of 7:05.83.

The women's 800 freestyle relay team also shattered the school record in the event, taking seventh place with a time of 8:03.48. The relay team was made up of April Smith, Rachael Sirjord, Amber Kiel and Sarah Warkentin.

Biola also had stron performances from both sides in the 200 medley relays. The women's relay of Kiel, Smith, Sirjord and Warkentin swam to a 10th place finish with a time of 1:52.53.  For the men, Oviedo, Micah Perryman, Shepard and Perkins, swam to a ninth-place finish in 1:39.31.

The Eagles had three other swimmers return for the evening finals. Warkentin took 13th place in the 50 free, touching the wall in 24.83 seconds. Freshman Brittany Rosania placed 16th in the 200 IM as did Smith in the 500 free.

Biola returns to the pool for the second day of the three-day competition on Friday.