JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. --- Biola's men's and women's indoor track and field teams wraps up its season at the 2010 NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships this week. Highlighting the Eagles' contingent is defending national champion Natasha Miller along with a number of new faces.

Miller, a junior on the Eagles' squad, enters this week's Indoor National Meet as the reigning pentathlon champion. She has the highest mark in the event this season and is favored to win the event yet again. Miller will compete in the 60 meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump, and 800 meter run on Thursday, as well as the open high jump, triple jump, and 60 meter hurdle events throughout the duration of the meet.

The women's 4x800 meter relay and Distance Medley relay will also compete in semi-final heats on Thursday. The Biola women were the 2009 Indoor National runners-up in the Distance Medley relay and placed eighth in the 4x800 meter relay. Juniors Kelsey Gasner and Katie Thede and sophomores Brooke Forsi, Nychele Fischetti, and Jane Kerner will look to better their record-setting times and earn a spot in the final heats contested Friday and Saturday.

A quartet of distance runners rounds out Biola's national team. Danielle Calhoun will make her Indoor National debut in the preliminary heat of the 5,000 meter run on Thursday. Calhoun punched her ticket to nationals with an automatic qualifying time and will be a contender to make the final heat.

Also running in the 5,000 on Thursday is senior Ryan Richert. Richert is coming back to Indoor Nationals after a two year hiatus due to a near-fatal car accident that occurred in the spring of 2008.

Sarah Brooks is scheduled to compete in the preliminary 3,000 meter run on Friday. Brooks is coming off of a stellar cross-country season where she was named an NAIA All-American for the first time.

The surprise of the winter thus far has been senior Kirk Carlson. Carlson will double with Brooks in the 3,000 meter run semi-final heat on Friday. Carlson was a walk-on to the track team just seven weeks ago and the Indoor Nationals will be just his third collegiate meet ever. The Eagles' look for him to certainly turn some heads on the national scene.

Fans can follow the Biola track and field team this weekend via live results via the NAIA official website at at http://naia.cstv.com/genrel/2010IndoorTFChampionships.html.




Special thanks to Mike Morin and Tyler Sharp for help with this article.