LA MIRADA, Calif. --- After seeing that the Pomona-Pitzer All-Comers meet that was scheduled for Saturday got canceled Head Coach Sean Henning immediately began making plans for the Biola Track & Field team to host a meet at Al Barbour Field on Saturday night.
 
The Biola Last Chance Qualifier was the first to be held at Al Barbour Field (and track) in a long, long time since the Eagles' facility isn't quite your standard sized track. However, the measuring tape came out early this afternoon to mark the appropriate start and finish spots and guarantee a solid meet would take place.
 
The Eagles hosted the Vanguard Lions so that both teams would have a chance to see if they could get any more teammates qualified to compete at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships in a few weeks.
 
The meet turned out to be a success from that standpoint as the Eagles had two student-athletes hit a national standard and the Lions had one of their own.
 
For Biola it was Lyndee Dawson and Hannah Hunsaker who hit the mark. The pair ran together in the mile and both got cuts with strong performances. Dawson hit the 'A' standard with her time of 5:04.98, which is almost four seconds faster than she needed. Hunsaker hit the 'B' mark with a 5:10.19, just over two seconds back of the 'A'.
 
The Lions' lone qualifier came in the women's weight throw. Lydia Perrigo came in at 16.09m to eclipse the 'B' standard by about a half of a meter.
 
"Tonight, athletes from Vanguard University and Biola performed In 17 events for a crowd of Track & Field enthusiasts," said Assistant Coach Jason Hitchens. "Several student-athletes achieved personal-bests in the final opportunity for athletes to meet qualifying standards for national competition."
 
Outside of those qualifications it was just a really fun meet. It was great to see the entire track team working together to pull something off that was really unprecedented. Everyone was helping out where they could, and one of the highlights was Brandon Berz' commentary over the PA microphone for much of the meet.
 
The two teams competed in the 60m dash, 200m dash, 400m, 600m, 800m, mile, 3,000m, pole vault, long jump, triple jump and weight throw.
 
Biola's women took first place in each event that featured both Biola and Vanguard student-athletes. The men took first in all but two such events.
 
The event was a great success and will likely prompt coach Henning to schedule a few more of these over the next couple years when he can. It is of course more beneficial to be at a meet that can offer the full gamut of competition, but there's something special about competing here at home.
 
Speaking of coach Henning ­– a big shoutout to him and his family as they welcomed their second child into the world earlier this afternoon. Making it all the more special of a day for the Biola Track & Field family.
 
Next up on the schedule is the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships. The Eagles will compete in Johnson City, Tennessee and at this event for the final time beginning March 2.