LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Many Biola seniors are spending this final week of the school year wrapping up finals and preparing for graduation. However, seven Eagles are preparing to spend graduation in Marion, Indiana, working towards a different type of final and preparing for the 2011 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which runs May 26-28.
Among the 14 athletes that qualified for the NAIA championships are seven seniors, the cornerstone of Head Coach Jonathan Zimmerman's rebuilding of a program which--prior to his arrival five years ago--had never been much of a player on the national level.
Those seniors are Natasha Miller, Kelsey Gasner, Sarah Brooks, Erika Perez, Carter Williams, Ryan Richert and Evan Thibodeau. All seven are missing Biola's graduation ceremonies on Saturday to compete and had to be finished with finals and moved out of their campus housing before leaving on Tuesday.
"It's been a real challenge for them to complete finals early and to pack up and move out at the end of the school year," said Zimmerman. "They will need to adjust back to athletics now and refocus for just one more meet.
"It's hard to put into words the journey I've had with the seniors," said Zimmerman. "They've certainly made an impact for our program and I am very proud of them. They have in many regards put Biola on the map in Indoor and Outdoor track and field."
The seniors are among the most decorated track and field athletes in program history, combining for 31 All-America honors during their time at Biola. That group is led by 10-time national champion and 21-time NAIA All-American Natasha Miller.
Miller will be competing in three events at the NAIA championship, the heptathlon, the high jump and the 100m hurdles. Miller is the two-time defending NAIA champion in the high jump and the heptathlon and is currently seeded first in both events. If she wins the individual title in all three events, she would be just the sixth NAIA female athlete to win seven individual titles in a career.
Biola is also looking for a solid showing in the steeplechase. On the women's side, Kelsey Gasner is seeded third while Nychele Fischetti is seeded sixth. On the men's side, Carter Williams is the 23rd overall seed in the event. In the five seasons under Coach Zimmerman, Biola has had at least two athletes compete in every outdoor national meet.
Biola senior Sarah Brooks is the 15th overall seed in the 10,000 while freshman Taylor McCahon earned a qualifying spot in the pole vault and is making her first trip to the NAIA Championships.
For the fourth-straight season, Biola's women's 4x800m team has qualified for nationals. This year's squad of Brooke Forsi, Jane Kerner, Erika Perez and Carissa Bowman will look to improve on last season's 15th place finish in the event.
The Eagles also are sending a group of four men to compete in the marathon. Ryan Richert, Spencer Lyle, Evan Thibodeau and Brian Aukshunas will compete in the 26.2 mile run around Marion. Lyle, Thibodeau and Aukshunas are making their first-ever national trips.
The schedule for the championships is a busy one, especially on Thursday as the heptathlon begins along with the 100 hurdle prelims, 4x800 qualifying, 3,000 steeplechase semifinals, the finals of the 10,000m and the pole vault competition. Friday concludes the heptathlon and features the finals of the 100 hurdles while Saturday features the finals of the high jump and steeplechase along with the marathon.
"It's been a very good year-to-date and hope to have fun and finish well this coming three days at Indiana Wesleyan University," said Zimmerman. "Expectations are high to represent and compete well."
