SANTA BARBARA, Calif. --- Biola women's track and field ran, jumped and threw its way to a second Golden State Athletic Conference championship on Saturday afternoon, as the contingent bested second-place Westmont by 43.25 points.
 
The women won their second-straight title, while the men's squad landed a program-best third place mark for the second-consecutive season. The men's team used standout performances from the likes of Marc Opena, Kevin Horchler and others to secure its highest point total in program history at the GSAC Championship. The Eagles' 169 points put them 129 behind the conference champion, Westmont.
 
"These are extremely competitive events that require great focus and team synergy," said Head Coach Jonathan Zimmerman. "We had that from everyone at this meet. This is a very impressive group and an awesome group of seniors."
 
Biola's marquee performance at the Championship Meet was led by individual championship performances from Alexandra Sciarra, Lyndee Dawson, Kate Smiley, Nicole Falkenstein, Megan Crumley, Alex Calkins, Opena and Horchler.
 
Sciarra was the most impressive as she corralled two individual championships to get to four titles in her career. She ran a 2:15.08 to claim first place in the 800m and posted a 1:05.63 to get the crown in the 400m hurdles. She was key in bringing in 42 points to Biola over the two-day meet.
 
Dawson won her first career GSAC title with a 11:21.31 in the 3,000m steeplechase. It was one of her first few times competing in the event, and she finished a whole 20 seconds faster than the second-place finisher.
 
Smiley edged out Erin Reid of Concordia in the 100m dash with a time of :12.08 to get her first conference title. Falkenstein kept her solid season going with a win in the pole vault. She and her stud teammate Taylor McCahon both hit 3.60m to go first and second overall.
 
Crumley nearly hit the national qualifying standard in the javelin throw with a toss of 36.34m. She earned 10 points for the Eagles by edging out Ashleigh Anderson of Vanguard by nearly a meter.
 
On the men's side Calkins got the win by edging his teammate Jeff Tran in the pole vault. Horchler won the 3,000m steeplechase and Opena got the win in the 110m hurdles. Calkins got his second career championship in the pole vault, and Horchler and Opena's crowns were their first.
 
Opena, Sciarra, James McCahon and Jordan Smith were all very busy racking up the points for the Eagles as they each competed in five or more events on the weekend. The four of them combined to score or contribute to 115 points for Biola.
 
Horchler's run in the 3,000m  steeplechase and Calkins' pole vault earned each of them a spot on Biola's men's outdoor national championship team. They will join Danny Ledesma at the meet in Alabama next month.
 
Smiley was the only runner on the women's side to add to the national team with her provisional qualifying time in the 100m.
 
Biola will have the next few weeks off the prepare for their trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama May 22-24.