COSTA MESA, Calif. --- Biola's runners got back in action on Saturday for the first time in what seems like a month. Both sides had a chance to evaluate the competition of four other Golden State Athletic Conference teams at the 2014 Vanguard Invitational.
 
The invitational was run at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa, which is the same course as last season's GSAC Championship Meet. The women finish second of 12 teams with 63 points. Westmont took first place over the Eagles for the first time in the 2014 season with 42 points and three top-10 finishes.
 
The Eagles' men's side finished ninth in an expanded 14-team field. Biola got one runner in the top-10, but a drop-off after that led to the Eagles' 208 point total. They finished 132 points back from the winner, Loyola Marymount.

"It was a fair day for the women," said Head Coach Jonathan Zimmerman. "Kevin ran pretty well with his top-10 finish."
 
Carrie Soholt and Kevin Horchler, Biola's two seniors, led the way for their respective teams with their third top-10 finishes in three events this season. Soholt placed eighth in the 5k, sixth among collegiate competitors, finishing 33 seconds off the pace set by the winner from Westmont, Kelly Collins. Soholt posted an 18:12.71 to set a new season-best.
 
Horchler ran a 25:54.60 to pace Biola's men's side. He finished 1:29 ahead of any other Biola men's runner. He finished ninth overall and seventh among collegiate competition. His time is also a new season-best on an 8k course.
 
Biola's women's contingent ran consistent races on Saturday, with its top four runners all finishing inside the top-20. The Eagles had the second-lowest finish of their seventh-best runner, proving its talent across the board.
 
Anika Gasner (18:15.61), Lyndee Dawson (18:29.39) and Kellian Hunt (18:42.50) were Biola's three other top-20 finishers.
 
The Eagles, and Zimmerman, had a chance to see conference foes Westmont, San Diego Christian, Vanguard and Concordia in action on Saturday. This is the first time this season Biola has competed with at least four other GSAC schools.
 
The Eagles have to weeks to get back to training before they host the annual NAIA West Coast Jamboree Oct. 25. This will be the team's final tune-up before the conference and national championship meets.