GULF SHORES, Ala. --- Four All-American honors highlighted the final day of competition for Biola at the 2016 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. A runner-up mark for Lyndee Dawson in the 3,000m steeplechase and Kellian Hunt's second and third All-American honors stood out.
 
The Eagles' women's team finished the meet with 32 points to take home sixth place at the championship. This was the team's best outdoor finish in program history. The previous best was 11^th place in 2011.
 
The day began as Dawson, Stephanie Croy and Emily Ransom competed in the steeplechase finals. Dawson and Croy earned All-American honors with second-place and eighth-place finishes.
 
Dawson was consistent in second place from the first lap through the end. She finished with a 10:40.46 to finish behind just one runner from Doane College.
 
Croy had a bit different journey to her All-American honors. She stumbled on one of the first few water pit jumps and found herself stuck in the 12^th- or 13^th-place range for much of the race.
 
She picked up speed over the final 300-meters or so and was able to push herself into an 8^th-place finish and a big point for the Eagles. Her finals time was 11:12.36 as she earned herself a spot at the championship ceremony. It is Croy's first individual All-American honors.
 
Ransom improved one place from her run in the prelims. She finished 11^th overall with an 11:18.12.
 
"The three girls did a really good job today," said Head Coach Sean Henning. "Lyndee competed like a champ. She was tired from running three races already, so didn't quite have enough to get the win. But she ran a new personal best and held on to second, so we were very happy about that."
 
"Emily was a bit disappointed about her eleventh place finish, but I was very happy with how she did," said Henning. "As a freshman who has never run at a national championship and was ranked 17^th coming in, she did great in making the finals and beating three girls. This was a great learning experience for her."
 
Next up was the 1,500-meters. This was a competitive race from the gun to the finish as the lead changed hands too many times to count. Kellian Hunt and Anika Gasner represented the Eagles in this final and had to battle a tough field and tough weather conditions all event long.
 
About halfway through the 1,500m Hunt held first place and Gasner was holding steady in fourth, but the final 800 meters were a challenge and saw Hunt fall to fourth and Gasner to ninth.
 
"Kellian did a good job of battling and finishing fourth," said Henning. "Anika had a tough time as her body wasn't responding very well. I was proud of her for competing hard and trying her best."
 
Hunt found herself on the All-American podium for the second time at this year's outdoor national championships following her 4:30.65. It was about a two second improvement over her prelim time and set her up well for another strong effort in the 5,000-meter final later in the afternoon.
 
The final event of the championships that featured Biola runners was that women's 5k. Michelle Clark saw her first action of the meet and Gasner and Hunt returned for their third run a piece. Including prelims it was their fifth race in three days.
 
Hunt used a very strong first third of the race and a push in the final 800m to get herself another All-American honor. She finished eighth overall with an 18:14.24. Gasner was just a few spots behind in 12^th with a time of 19:06.21 and Clark represented well in 14^th with a 19:31.80.
 
"The 5K was a tough one, but I think the girls were really feeling the weather conditions," said Henning. "Sometimes that's how it goes and you just have to take it as a great learning experience and grow from it. Kellian still pulled out another All-American despite feeling exhausted from the 1500, which was great. Michelle had a tough day, but I was proud of her getting this far."
 
The Eagles' season comes to a close until most of the team returns to campus for cross country workouts late in the summer.