LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Student-athlete experience has been priority number one throughout Biola's transition to NCAA Division II, and the level of care given to them from a Sport Performance perspective plays a huge role in student-athlete care. 

Three years ago the Eagles added their first-ever full-time strength & conditioning coach, Frank Ramirez. Now, with more student-athletes than ever, the Sports Performance department has grown with the addition of Biola alumna Monica Kinney. 

Kinney will assist Ramirez in the day-to-day strength and conditioning program for Biola's 300+ student-athletes.

"I want to help guide the student-athletes towards their athletic potential and more importantly a fulfilling, Christ-centered life," said Kinney. "A lot of these student-athletes will not go on past Biola in athletics. So, it is critical that we use strength and conditioning to equip them with tools to be engaging, contributing Christians to a world that desperately needs the love of Jesus Christ."

She joins his staff after spending several years as an instructor at Santa Ana College and Washington State University before more recently working at the University of Denver as a Sports Performance Intern.

At Denver, Kinney created a year-long training program for the men's basketball team and facilitated daily training sessions for eight of the Pioneers' NCAA Division I programs. While serving as P.E. instructor at Washington State, Kinney also volunteered with the Cougars' Sports Performance staff, gaining valuable experience.

Kinney (nee Hurt), began her career as an assistant swim & dive coach here at Biola from 2014-16 under then-head coach Eddie Shepard. One of her primary responsibilities while serving as an assistant coach with the swim program was to prepare workouts and supervise the student-athletes in and out of the pool.

Before serving as an assistant coach, Kinney swam for Shepard for three seasons (2010-13).

She has certifications from the NSCA as a CSCS, has a USA-W Sport Performance certification and is, of course, AED, CPR and First Aid certified. Kinney earned her BS in Kinesiology, exercise science from Biola in 2014 and added an MS in Kinesiology, Strength & Conditioning from CSU Fullerton in 2016.

Ramirez will oversee the full Sport Performance program, assigning Kinney specifically to men and women's swim & dive, men and women's tennis and women's golf.