LA MIRADA, Calif. --- For most people running long distances is something that they try to avoid at all costs, but for the cross country runners at Biola this is just a part of their daily routine.
 
Long distance running takes time, practice, discipline and much effort and exertion; couple that with the challenges that come along with being a full-time university student and life can be fairly difficult for an NAIA runner.
 
The men and women's cross country teams led by Head Coach Jonathan Zimmerman have been able to manage all of these challenges and find success in the past, and they will look to accomplish much of the same this season, while retooling for the future.
 
The men's squad has just eight runners this year, keeping consistent with its past of being small in number but large at heart. According to Zimmerman, eight is enough to do some damage in the Golden State Athletic Conference this season.
 
Senior Danny Ledesma returns for his fourth season with the team. He is a two-time NAIA national championship qualifier and finished fifth in the conference meet a year ago.
 
Joining Ledesma on the men's side is Andrew Daedler who had a breakout year in his sophomore season last year. Daedler ran in every event and finished in the top 14 at the GSAC championship race, earning All-GSAC.
 
The Eagles will run in six events this season, seven if anyone qualifies for the national meet. Their schedule is highlighted by the NAIA pre-nationals invitational in October. This is a tune-up event that is ran on the same track that will host the NAIA national invitational at the end of the season.
 
The women's squad is in transition as they are chock full of youthful runners. Twelve of the 16 athletes on the women's side are either freshman or sophomore runners. This sets the defending GSAC championship team up well for next year and the year following, but could lead to some difficulties this season.
 
Competing at the San Diego State Invitational will be a big challenge for the young women's team, as the event is run by primarily National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I programs. 2012's team placed third in that event; Kellian Hunt was BU's best finisher in the event, placing sixth. 
 
Hunt, and All-American in 2012, returns for her sophomore year, looking to be the anchor for the women's side. She is joined by fellow returning All-GSAC runners Chelsea Janzen, Ilima Kung and Neisa Mains.
 
A highlight of the BU schedule will be a race that both squads will appear in, the Biola West Coast Jamboree. The only home event of the year for the Eagles takes place at Irvine Regional Park on Oct. 26.
 
Both squads open the year Aug. 31 at the University of Redlands Invitational.