SANTA BARBARA, Calif. --- Day one of the 2015 Golden State Athletic Conference Track & Field Championships was dandy for Biola's student-athletes, registering success on the men and women's side.
 
The pole vault saw Biola get three individual conference champions. On the men's side, Holton Witman and Brandon Mancini tied for first place with Thomas Dombrowski of Concordia. All three athletes reached a final clearing height of 4.25m.
 
Nicole Falkenstein won the women's championship and secured a spot at outdoor nationals with a height of 3.50m. She also won the women's conference championship at the 2014 meet. Christina Clark also earned all-conference honors by placing second with a vault of 3.30m.
 
Kevin Horchler earned a third individual title for the men by finishing seven seconds ahead of Zachary Bredeson in the 10,000m (31:51.16). It becomes Horchler's second GSAC track championship (2014 3,000 steeple) and third overall as he was the 2014 Cross Country champion.
 
Brandon Berz earned an all-conference finish in the event Horchler won last season, the 3,000m steeplechase. Berz finished in 9:32.01 to place third behind runners from Vanguard and The Master's College.
 
The 4x800m relay was solid on both sides fro Biola, finishing second and earning eight athletes All-GSAC status. Westmont won both events, beating the Eagles by less than a second in the women's race.
 
The Warriors hold the team lead on both sides after day one and Biola sits in second on both sides. The women's team needs to make up a 43-point differential on day to in order to secure its third conference championship in a row.