GULF SHORES, Ala. --- Biola Track & Field is set for the final competition of the NAIA era for Biola University Athletics. Head Coach Sean Henning's team is out in Gulf Shores, Alabama for the 2017 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
 
Competition for the championship begins the morning of Thursday, May 25 and runs through the evening of Saturday, May 27. The team had 13 student-athletes reach NAIA national qualifying standards this season and will bring 11 of those student-athletes to Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium to compete.
 
Biola's women finished sixth overall at this national championship meet one year ago. It was the team's highest-ever finish. The Eagles have placed in the top-15 four times and will look to add a fifth this year.
 
"My goal is to try to get everyone on our team to finals. I would like to be a presence in Alabama, meaning we compete so well that the other competitors and coaches know that Biola is there," said Henning. "We would love to come back with some All-Americans and feel like we competed as well as we could. We want to feel that we represented well as a Christian institution as well, which means competing and coaching with integrity and selflessness."
 
Of Biola's 11 student-athletes on the trip, five of them are making their first trip to Gulf Shores for the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
 
Kathryn Doherty is included among the five first-time competitors. She is a part of the 4x800m relay team that coach Henning is most eagerly anticipating.
 
"I'm also looking forward to the 4 x 800 as it is always fun to watch relays as those teams develop and grow throughout a season," said Henning.
 
Another highlight of the week should be the women's 3,000m steeplechase. Lyndee Dawson, Stephanie Croy and Hannah Hunsaker are all competing in the event and have a solid chance to make the finals. It would be the second year in a row that BU would have three women in the final of that event. Dawson and Croy would repeat in the final, while Hunsaker is competing in the event for the first time.
 
Ryan Thompson is holding down the fort for the men's team. He will be the lone male competitor for the Eagles at this year's national championship meet. He qualified in the 5,000m race and will run at 7:00 p.m. on May 26.
 
See the full event schedule below. For more information on the meet visit this link.
 
The meet will have live results available at this link. Live video will also be available at this link. A subscription package to view the entire three-day event is $14.95.
 
These track student-athletes will be the final Biolans to compete in the NAIA as they bring a close to the 2016-17 athletic and academic year. Upon conclusion of the final day of competition in Gulf Shores each varsity sport program at Biola will be considered NCAA Division II programs and Biola's tenure in the PacWest Conference will begin.
 
"I am excited for a new challenge and feel that we will be able to develop over a couple more years into a very strong NCAA Division II program," said Henning. "The standards are higher to make it to the national level, but I think our student-athletes will step up to new challenges."
 
FULL BIOLA COMPETITION SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 25
8:00 a.m. – Women's Hammer Throw (Ambernicole Hollinger)
1:00 p.m. – Women's Pole Vault (Sarah Prystupa)
3:40 p.m. – Women's 4x800m relay prelims (Hunsaker, Alisa Murray, Doherty, Stephanie Chaires)
4:50 p.m. – Women's 3,000m steeplechase prelims - Heats Canceled, straight to finals.
 
Friday, May 26
11:30 a.m. – Women's 100m hurdles prelims (Ashley Otah)
12:00 p.m. – Women's 800m prelims (Murray)
3:30 p.m. – Women's 4x800m relay finals*
4:10 p.m. – Women's 5,000m prelims (Emily Ransom)
5:00 p.m. – Men's 5,000m prelims (Thompson)
 
Saturday, May 27
12:00 p.m. – Women's 3,000m steeplechase finals (Dawson, Hunsaker, Stephanie Croy)
1:20 p.m. – Women's 100m hurdles finals*
2:50 p.m. – Women's 800m finals*
3:30 p.m. – Women's 5,000m finals*
3:55 p.m. – Men's 5,000m finals*
*if qualified
 
NOTE: Brandon Berz (3,000m steeplechase) and Nathaniel Belden (decathlon) also hit NAIA qualifying standards, but will not be competing this week. Also, Dawson also qualified in the 1,500m and 5,000 and will not be competing in those events. Croy qualified in the 5,000m and will not be competing and Hunsaker qualified in the 1,500m and will not be competing.