FAIRBANKS, Alaska --- There's nothing like hopping in a pool right after being out in 20-degree weather. The Biola Women's Swim & Dive team got to experience that on Friday and Saturday of this week as it took a trip for two dual meets with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.
 
Biola lost both of the dual meets against a Fairbanks team that is stacked with depth and talent, but it had plenty of performances to smile about on both days of competition. Also, the team got to visit the North Pole, so there's that.
 
The Nanooks took day one by a score of 126-97 and the host school took the second day 119-85 with the Eagles tightening the gap at the last minute with a huge win in the 400-freestyle relay.
 
That win in the final event will give the team plenty of confidence and satisfaction as it catches the fight home this evening.
 
"We definitely looked stronger on day two after the team got a good night's sleep," said Head Coach Eddie Shepard. "The most exciting part of the meet was when we won the relay. UAF puts together some really strong relays and we were able to hang right with them through the first three legs until Lisa Tixier brought it home for the victory."
 
Tixier also had some individual success at the meet with two first-place finishes on Saturday and two more on Friday. She stepped away from her norm and swam the 500-freestyle on Saturday and tied for first with a 5:24.00. She also swam a 1:00.11 in the 100-IM to take home the prize in another unconventional event.
 
Her first-place finishes on Friday came in much more standard events in the 200-freestyle (1:57.00) and 100-butterfly (:58.15).
 
Abby Blake and Christina Ali were the only other Eagles to win an event over the course of the two days. On Friday night Blake swam an 11:01.23 in the 1,000-freestyle to out-touch the second-place swimmer by 10 seconds. Then, on Saturday, Ali stepped up and edged out Noelle Graham of the Nanooks to take first in the 50-freestyle (:25.74).
 
Angela Kirschner didn't find herself atop the podium, but she did have several strong swims on the weekend with a relay win, a second-place relay, two individual second-place finishes and two third-place swims.
 
"Lisa really stepped it up by winning those events for us and putting in some really fast times," said Shepard. "Our seniors, Abby and Angela, also made strong contributions against this tough UAF squad."
 
The Eagles rejoin their male counterparts to compete with a full squad against Azusa Pacific at Azusa Pacific next Saturday at 10:00 a.m.