LA MIRADA, Calif. --- It was an elegant affair on Saturday evening at the Café Banquet as old friends, teammates and coaches joined with new friends, administration and families to celebrate the accomplishments, on the field and off, of three of Biola Athletics' best.
 
Musa Dogonyaro, Ronn Johnson and Rianne Schorel were officially inducted as the third class of Biola Athletics Hall of Famers at an induction ceremony that recounted great memories of these past Biola student-athletes and applauded the impact they made during their time here and since.
 
Dogonyaro was the first to be honored, and following an introduction from Dr. Dave Holmquist, his wife, Lani Dogonyaro accepted his award on behalf of the late-Dogonyaro.
 
His wife recounted his time a Biola with fond memories, including telling the story of how Dogonyaro's coach, Colin McDougall, and the Church of the Open Door organized their wedding while they were students and how she and Musa began their courtship, relatively impromptu.
 
She went on to talk about McDougall's mentorship of Dogonyaro and how she found out about her husband's passing in 2008.
 
"He loved to run, and of course we met while running in Nigeria," said Lani Dogonyaro. "He was a workaholic, he always wanted to be sure he did everything the right way. He would be so, so proud to get this award. Thank you so much for honoring him."
 
Dogonyaro was an All-American and National Champion during his time on the track for Biola. He is also the all-time leading goal scorer in men's soccer program history with 55 goals. Originally from Nigeria, Dogonyaro competed in two Olympics (1968, '72) for his home nation.
 
Next to be inducted was Ronn Johnson. Johnson was a big man for the Biola men's basketball team in the late-1960s and early-1970s. He is still the Eagles' all-time leader in rebounds (1,460) and rebounds per game (12.8). He was introduced by his teammate, Holmquits, and former coach, Jim Poteet, and then took the podium to accept his award.
 
Poteet described how he found out that Johnson was a good player through his cousin, who was the main player he was recruiting to come to Biola. Poteet was corresponding with Johnson's cousin via handwritten letters and phone calls and allowed Johnson to tag along on a trip to California to see him play. Poteet mentions how a coach just knows if a player can play the first time you see them on the court, and Johnson had what it took.
 
"I am honored to be on the same podium as people like Rianne and Musa. Musa was a great athlete and great friend," said Johnson. "I had some really great teammates. The only way you can ever become a great player is having great players around you. I thank God for the opportunity to play with great friends and for a great institution."
 
Johnson had one of the most emotional moments of the night when he took time to thank his parents and the rest of his family, including his five children and wife of 30 years.
 
As Holmquist introduced Johnson, he recalled a time when he was playing with Johnson. The team was playing a game at Grand Canyon University and Johnson was going head-to-head with a future NBA player in a back-and-forth battle. Holmquist recalled a stretch of the game where Johnson scored 16 straight points for the Eagles. It was a feat that Holmquist, who's been at Biola for 30-plus years, said was the most impressive performance from an athlete he had ever seen.
 
The induction of Schorel closed out the night, as she was introduced by her former coach Mike Silzer. The three-time All-American and 2004 NAIA West Region Player of the Year is the first Biola women's soccer player to be inducted in the Biola Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
Silzer described the story of how he heard of this "Dutch girl" who was a phenom and playing in Charlotte, North Carolina, which is where he played professional soccer. He immediately began a furious pursuit, along with a Dutch translator, to get Schorel at Biola to score goals.
 
"While I was at Biola, I was amazed with the people, the sunshine, the beaches, but most of all I was excited about the coaches," said Schorel. "I never had any coaches who believed in me like they did. I also had many teammates around me that made me so much better."
 
Schorel was a part of the best few years in Biola women's soccer history. She led the team to its only Golden State Athletic Conference championship and a second place finish at the 2004 NAIA National Championships.
 
More so than her soccer accomplishments, the Dutch import remarked about the remarkable kindness of the people she encountered during her time at Biola.
 
After she accepted her induction and Greg Vaughan, Vice President for Enrollment Management, offered closing remarks, the book was closed on the 2014 Hall of Fame induction, and it will be one year until the Eagles' Hall of Fame welcomes three more honorees.