GENEVA, Ohio --- It was a quick and easy finish for Biola, as its student-athletes wrapped their arms around three more All-American nods on the final day of competition at the 2014 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
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Only four runners competed on the day for the Eagles, but all four earned new personal-bests in their events, and two set new Biola records.
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The runs helped push the Eagles to a 10
th place finish on the women's side with 21 total points. This marks six consecutive top-10 finishes for Biola's women's indoor team.
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"We had great efforts all around today and over the last three days," said Head Coach
Jonathan Zimmerman. "It takes a lot of courage and teamwork to get personal records and school records at the end of this type of three-day meet. We had super efforts from everyone we brought, and they are to be commended for their attention to detail, focus and team spirit."
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Today's three All-American honors push the Eagles to a total of nine nods at this year's championships. These nine awards helped Zimmerman eclipse 100 All-American's under his watch at Biola. He has coached the Eagles' student-athletes to 107 such awards over his eight seasons.
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Danny Ledesma earned his first career track & field All-American nod with a powerful run in today's 3,000m. He set a new school record with his 8:39.25 in an eighth place finish. His record-setting run smashes the previous best Biola mark set by Brian Ball in 2007.
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He became the first Biola men's runner to earn an All-American honor in that event.
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Alexandra Sciarra was the other record-breaking runner on Saturday. She broke the record that she set in yesterday's prelims in the 800m. She placed third in the nation in that event with a 2:11.73. Add this hardware to her All-American leg in the 4x800m relay and the senior now has seven career All-American honors. That is quite a way to go out.
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Anika Gasner scooped up another All-American accolade with her fifth place finish in the 1,000m. She fell just a few seconds shy of breaking her sister's record-holding mark in that event, but now has five career All-American nods to put her on pace to edge her sister in that category. Kelsey Gasner's nine nods currently sits as the second-most in Biola track & field history.
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Lyndee Dawson finished just outside of All-American contention with her ninth-place finish in the mile. She booked it to clock in at 5:01.76, a whole three seconds quicker than her prelim time.
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Biola's indoor season comes to a close with a 10
th place finish and nine new All-Americans, but the track & field season is far from over as Zimmerman's squad now turns its attention to outdoor competition, beginning with the Occidental Distance Carnival on March 14.Â