LOS ANGELES, Calif. --- The second most important four-day stretch of the 2015-16 Biola Swim & Dive season began on Friday afternoon and continued all day Saturday as the Eagles began competition at the 2016 Pacific Collegiate Swim & Dive Conference Championships.
 
Biola, along with the teams from Azusa Pacific, CSU East Bay, Concordia, Fresno Pacific, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, SOKA, UC Santa Cruz and UC San Diego, met at East LA College to begin the meet with some diving, relays and the 1,000-freestyle on opening night before swimming a full mix of events on Saturday.
 
"We had some really great swims over the first two days of the meet and I think that we are set up to have a great final two days. Some of our strongest events are yet to come, and I could not be happier with how our swims have looked so far," said Head Coach Eddie Shepard.
 
Two school records fell during these first two days of postseason competition. Lisa Tixier broke her older sister's 50-freestyle record with a :23.70 as the leadoff of the Eagles' 200-freestyle relay.
 
Abby Blake broke her own record (for what seems like the 10^th time) in the 500-freestyle. She finished 18^th overall with a 5:11.26. The previous record was set at 5:12.34 during the Collegiate Winter Invite earlier this season.
 
It was a joyous moment as Thomine Mortensen recorded her first career national cut. She finished 37^th overall in the 50-freestyle and posted a time of :25.94.
 
Also scooping up some nationals cuts in this late-season meet was Sammy Dammann (200-IM – 2:15.11), Edward Campana (50-free) and Haley baker (50-free). Dammann finished one place in front of her twin sister in the 200-IM. Her time was just 27-hundreths of a second faster than Sophia Dammann's,
 
Tixier's record-setting 50-freestyle ledoff what would be one of Biola's most successful events of the two-day stretch. She combined with Rebecca Brandt, Christina Ali and Angela Kirschner to finish fourth in the 200-freestyle relay.
 
After one night of diving Shane Brinson finished fourth in the men's three-meter (232.50). He will be back in action later in the meet for the men's one-meter.
 
"This meet is always a bit of a challenge because part of the team is tapered for the meet and part of the team is still working hard training for nationals," said Shepard. "However, both groups have shown that they are ready to race and I can't wait to see how the last two days go."
 
The meet continues at East LA College on Sunday with the 400-IM, 100-butterfly, 200-freestyle, 100-breaststroke and 100-backstroke. Get more information at http://www.pacificswimanddive.org/championships.