WOODINVILLE, Wash. --- Jared Donnel accomplished a whole lot in his four years at Bellevue Christian Schools, including a 2017 district championship in cross country and holding three school records. He competed four varsity cross country seasons and four varsity track seasons and now joins Biola's esteemed NCAA Division II running program.

Donnel is a leader who took his cross country team to the state meet in 2015 and twice led his track & field team to district championships (2015, 17). He earned four all-league honors in cross country and made it into the state meet as an individual all four seasons, including the 2017 year when he won his district championship.

He comes from an athletic family as his mother, Vicky, played collegiate basketball at St. Cloud State in Minnesota and his sister, Emily, runs at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington.

Donnel completed his high school career with a 5k cross country personal-best of 15:59. He will be running 8,000m races when he joins the Eagles in the fall. He holds the Bellevue Christian School records in the 2.8-mile, 3-mile and 5k track & field races.

In addition to his undoubted athletic abilities, Donnel is a star student as a member of the high honor roll and the prestigious National Honors Society. His college major is currently undecided, but he is interested in accounting.

"I visited a vast number of universities and the experience I had at Biola continued to rise to the top of the list when considering my future teammates, the atmosphere of
the school/students and the faculty I interacted with," said Donnel. "I am looking forward to the new and exciting adventures of living in Southern California and having sun more than two days in a row!"

Donnel will begin training with his team in August and will participate in his first collegiate cross country race in September, likely Biola's own Biola Invitational at Ted Craig Park in Fullerton.