MONTEREY PARK, Calif. --- Biola Swim & Dive finished up competition at the Pacific Collegiate Swim & Dive Conference meet on Saturday, bringing a close to the season for some members of the team and renewing the focus for others on the national meet.
 
The biggest development on this final day was once again a moment belonging to Lisa Tixier. The junior won her second individual conference championship of the meet as she took first in the 100-freestyle. She swam a :51.13 in the final to defeat the runner-up by 13-hundredths of a second. Her finals time was a whole second faster than her prelim time.
 
Her contributions helped the women's team finish in ninth place at the meet, which matches the team's finish from last year and is a two-spot improvement on two years ago.
 
On the men's side the Eagles got a few more national qualifiers throughout the week and ended the meet in fifth place, also matching last year's finish and improving on the one from 2014-15.
 
"One thing that has been made clear to me after this meet is that these athletes are stronger than they think, and they have proved that to be true in both their race performances as well as their ability to fight through the physical and mental wall that builds in this point of the season," said Head Coach Emily Mosbacher. "I am proud of the fight they put up against the tough competition, and the way they represented Biola, which leaves me encouraged for nationals coming up."
 
Three new nationals cuts for Daniel Vale made it an exciting week. The junior met the mark in the 50-freestyle (:21.67), the 100-freestyle (:48.39) and the 100-butterfly (:52.04).
 
Wes McCord provided another exciting moment as he finished in 12^th place in the 1,650-freestyle on Saturday and earned his first national cut with a 17:06.73.
 
In addition to Tixier's event victory the Eagles got two other individual top-10 performances on the final day of the meet. Sammy Dammann completed the 200-butterfly in 2:09.42 to finish 10^th overall. Raymond Kam continued his strong meet performance by swimming a 1:56.32 in the 200-butterfly, improving by his prelim time by three and a half seconds, and finishing 10^th. Kam's time was less than a second off the team's all-time record.
 
The Eagles also had two top finishes in the only relay of the day. The men's team of Vale, Michael Severi, Andrew Benson and Tom Franicevich finished fourth in the 400-freestyle relay by putting up a time of 3:14.01. The women's 'A' team of Dominique Kaijser, Emily Silzel, Rebecca Brandt and Tixier placed seventh with a 3:34.23.
 
There were plenty of new national qualifiers on the women's side throughout the meet as well. Kaijser was one of them as she hit the mark in the 100-butterfly (1:00.88) and the 100-freestyle (:55.87).
 
Also getting onto the Eagles' national team was Thomine Mortensen (50-freestyle - :25.19) and Haley Baker. Baker got two qualifying times as she got a :55.13 in the 100-freestyle and a 2:01.10 in the 200-freestlye.
 
"I also have to mention how thrilled I, and the team are, to have had five more individuals qualify for Nationals at this meet, which brings our total number to 26 individuals who will represent Biola at the NAIA National competition," said Mosbacher. "We just need to continue to stay focused and diligent in all that we do leading up to it, and I have no doubt that will finish strong in our final competition."
 
Mosbacher and her team of 26 Eagles will pack their bags and head out to Columbus, Georgia on March 1-4, 2017 as they compete in Biola's final NAIA Swimming & Diving National Championships.