LA MIRADA, Calif. --- This Friday, Biola Cross Country will be competing for the PacWest Conference championship title. Earlier this week, we heard from one of the top-7 student-athletes who contributed to earning the men's cross country team a new overall team time school record, and hear more about his experience leading up to his last season.

Senior kinesiology major, Christian Perez, is making a comeback this season. He shared that even through two whole years of battling injuries and learning to embody a character of grit and perseverance, with a servant's heart for the Lord and his team, he's trusted God's timing. He's also found how his ultimate identity lies in Him, rather than in just running.

However, he's very excited and ready to give his all, hopefully to lead Biola to PacWest and NCCAA national titles this season.

Perez expressed how this was not the four-year college running career he was planning on, but at the end of the day, he wouldn't change it.

"I just physically and mentally know I'm in better shape, and that has been a great blessing," said Perez. "I look back and see the constant growth of my faith and my relationships with coach and the guys on the team."

His hard work, and persistent state of motivation to contribute to his team is showing through this season, with a highlight of being a part of the men's history-making day in Santa Clara.

At the Bronco Invitationa, Gabe Plendcio set a new individual school record and the team as a whole walked away with a new team time record of 2:04.26.

"That day's experience was pretty motivational," said Perez. "It was awesome to realize that we just set a new school record. We were just all so hyped for each other. We were overwhelmed with joy for the guys."

He continued, "The school record wasn't our goal to get, but it was something we were able to do. But, I would not be surprised if it gets broken again, because this team is built with studs. The work ethic, and culture, is aiming to continuously prove and show that records are meant to be broken."

Ultimately, one of Christian's best takeaways from being a part of this team is not the titles, but the relationships. He shared that's what makes being a part of a team so special.

He explained how there are so many different personalities which together create the great team. They're all uniquely different, and "always are goofy, but performing pretty spectacularly."

Perez's personality certainly contributes to the team dynamic as well. Some fun facts about him include that as a kid, his dream job was to be in SWAT or a special agent.

"(I was) so into the scene, like that or the marines," said Perez.

Then coach talked him out of that and he continued on to be a valued member of the Biola Athletics family.

He also said that if there was a food Coach Henning wouldn't recommend him eating during the season it'd be, "Tamales, I think they're so good, and my mom makes the best ones I've ever known," but you might catch him sneaking some Mexican food in before a race.

Leading into the PacWest Conference Championships tomorrow, the men's team is focused on working on running in their new groups, as a pack, and to "show the purpose of Biola's cross country is more then running, but glorifying the Lord through the process."