MARION, Ind. --- Biola opened the 2013 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships with strong showings from its pole vaulters and in the javelin despite cold weather, wind and rain on Thursday at Indiana Wesleyan University.
Freshman
Nicole Falkenstein and junior
Taylor McCahon performed well despite the wind and rain, each clearing 3.55m to finish in a three-way tie for seventh place. The top-eight finish earned the pair NAIA All-America honors.
Biola athletes have now earned five NAIA All-America honors in the event over the last two years including indoor and outdoor. Falkenstein earned All-America honors for the first time while McCahon became an All-American for the third time in her career. She was an All-American in the vault in both the indoor and outdoor championships last year.
Junior
Peter Stacy had a solid showing as well, finishing 12th in the javelin with a throw of 173 feet, 3 inches.
In qualifying heats, freshmen
Kellian Hunt led the way, qualifying for Saturday's finals in the 1500 by placing 12th in 4:43.59.
Also running a qualifying time was the all Freshmen 4 x 800 relay team of
Alicia Hoverson,
Anika Gasner,
Alisa Murray, and
Kellian Hunt. The quartet finished as the fifth best time in the qualifying round, running a 9:23.47 to qualify for Friday's finals.
Junior
Andrew Daedler ran a 4:03.28, but just missed out on qualifying for the finals, finishing 16th oerall in the 1500.
Senior
Carly Tillery closed out the individual races by running a 12:28.14 in the 3k steeplechase to place 23rd overall.
"It was a great day with two All-American's in the pole vault and with the 4 x 800 and Kellian qualifying for the finals," said Head Coach
Jonathan Zimmerman. "Assistant Coach
TJ Ellis did a great job guiding the vaulters today as conditions were less then ideal with the temperature at 60 degrees and winds 20-25 mph."
Biola has just one event being contested on Friday: the finals of the 4x800 relay.
