HONOLULU --- Natasha Currence is grateful that she was equipped with diligence and perseverance during her high school years in Hawai'i. Those values have served Currence exceedingly well as she's become a dependable leader and an accomplished sprinter who will join the Eagles for her final season of athletic eligibility. 

"I chose Biola because I was given the opportunity to further my education while completing my eligibility with a team that would help me thrive on a spiritual, personal, and athletic level," said Currence.

Currence credits her boarding school arrangement at Lahainaluna High for helping her develop into a hard worker and self-starter. The Hawai'i-native received room and board at the school in exchange for maintenance work on the campus grounds while she participated in school events that helped her embrace Hawaiian cultural values. Currence then carried that foundational work-ethic into her time at Hawai'i at Manoa, where she earned several prestigious scholarships and All-Big West honors as a sprinter.

After posting a big improvement in her 400m sprint and garnering a "Most Improved Athlete" award from her program in 2018, Currence was part of a 4x100m relay team that took a spot on the podium a year later at the Big West Championships. She also set personal bests in the 100m and 200m sprints during that 2019 season before being part of a school record-setting performance in the 4x400m relay during the abbreviated 2020 schedule.

Currence was part of a 4x400m relay team that broke the school record by almost two full seconds at the 2020 MPSF Indoor Championships in Seattle. And that performance came just two weeks after Currence's contingent won the 4x400m by 0.5 seconds at the 2020 Boise State Challenge in mid-February.

"I am excited to have Natasha join us in the spring. She is a hard worker who has done a great job leading a group of sprinters at Hawai'i," said Head Coach Sean Henning. "She is a true team player who loves relays and working hard to accomplish things as a group. We are excited to add her leadership and ability to our squad very soon!"

The transfer also held team captain responsibilities at Hawai'i and achieved a 3.88 GPA during undergrad that resulted in two Academic All-Big West honors and a UH Scholar Athlete award. She plans to pursue an MA in Public Relations and Reputation Management at Biola and brings a passion for serving others with her creativity.

Currence's refined initiative has led her to volunteer as a videographer at the Hawai'i State Hospital, recording construction and staff preparation for a new Forensic Psychiatry building that will be ready to receive patients in 2022.

Natasha Currence is the first transfer to join the 2020-21 recruiting class for Coach Henning's track & field program. She and the rest of the student-athletes who sign with Biola during the 2020-21 signing period will be listed on the Committed Athletes page.