LA MIRADA, Calif. --- For the fourth-straight year, Biola's women's cross country team is heading to the NAIA National Championships. However, for the 2010 Eagles, the expectations are a bit higher.

Biola has been ranked at or near the top of the NAIA rankings all year, including holding down the top spot through much of the season. Entering the NAIA Championships, the Eagles are sitting at No. 2 having edged arch-rival Azusa Pacific University for the first GSAC Championship in program history. 

Now, they turn their sights to an elusive NAIA Title. 

The 2010 NAIA National Championship race is on Saturday, Nov. 20, at the Fort Vancouver Historical Site in Vancouver, Washington. The women's 5K race is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. PST, followed by the men's 8K race at 11:45 a.m.

"We are excited to be here for the fourth-straight year and are looking forward to a national championship experience," said Head Coach Jonathan Zimmerman, who earned 2010 GSAC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year honors two weeks ago.

Biola has never won an NAIA Team Championship, though the women's team nearly captured the title last year. The Eagles finished just three points behind Cal State San Marcos—the top-ranked team at this year's championship—in the closest finish in the 30-year history of the event. 

The two teams are excepted to be close again in this year's race, though the Eagles are hoping experience helps them break through in 2010. 

Biola has three seniors on this year's team including Sarah Brooks and Katie Thede who will be participating in their fourth national race. It will also be the third for senior Kelsey Gasner and juniors Nychele Fischetti and Carissa Bowman. 

"We have a good veteran group and add a talented pair of freshman in Alexandra Sciarra and Chelsea Janzen," said Zimmerman. "We have a nice balance overall with three seniors, two juniors and two freshman."

Gasner has done exceptionally well for the Eagles this season, placing in the top five in all five of Biola's meets this year. The senior placed second at the GSAC Championships two weeks ago and has finished no worse than fourth all year. 

Gasner was one of five Biola runners to earn All-Conference honors at the GSAC Championships. Fischetti placed seventh followed closely by Sciarra in eighth. Brooks and Bowman rounded out the quintet, finishing 13th and 14th respectively.

Maybe the biggest question mark this weekend will be the weather. The forecast calls for rain much of the rest of the week and a 60% chance of showers at race time.

"Conditions will be what you would expect from this time of the year with chilly, rainy weather," said Zimmerman. "It's rained real good here for the last few days with rain expected all week. So, it will be a real 'donnybrook' out there."

Regardless of the weather, the outcome for the Eagles is clear. As Coach Zimmerman said after capturing the GSAC title two weeks ago: "From the beginning of the season, we've talked about just getting a little bit better then last year."

The women's team will be joined by senior Ryan Richert, who qualified for the NAIA Championships with a seventh-place finish at the conference championships.

Richert, who last qualified for nationals as a freshman while at Olivet Nazarene University, looks to cap a remarkable comeback with an All-American finish on Saturday. The senior nearly lost his life two years ago when he was hit by a car while riding his bike home from school. After numerous surgeries, Richert was able to return to running in 2009 and qualified for the NAIA Track Championships in the marathon. 

Follow the action on Saturday on the NAIA Championship website at http://naia.cstv.com/sports/w-xc/spec-rel/081310aaa.html. Results will be updated on the Biola Athletics Twitter Feed as well as through Biola Athletics Text Messages.