TORRANCE, Calif. --- It is quite clear that Sophie Abe specializes in the pole vault. She holds the North Torrance High School record in that event and won three pole vaulting competitions as a senior before starting her collegiate career at El Camino College.

But the thing that has really made Abe's athletic career wonderful and unique up to this point is her willingness to seize opportunities and display her athleticism in venues outside her specialties. There is certainly no reason to change that approach as she joins Biola Track & Field.

Abe is a versatile track athlete to begin with. In addition to the pole vault, she competed in the high jump, 400m, 800m and 4x400m events during her time between North Torrance and ECC and served as a team captain for two years in high school. Abe competed at the LA County Championship in two events as a senior for the Saxons and went onto qualify for CIF Southern Section competition in the pole vault after podium finishes at the LA County and Pioneer League Championships.

All told, Abe placed on the podium at three Pioneer League Championships in high school while maintaining honor roll status all four years and earning a Biliteracy award for Japanese and Spanish. 

As she started at El Camino, Abe turned her attention to pole vault, the 400m and the 800m. She would eventually earn first or second-place finishes at three meets during the shortened track season. But another opportunity found Abe last Fall as she was invited to become a late addition to the ECC cross country team. 

She surprised even herself as her first race resulted in her placing 23rd at the South Coast Conference Championships and becoming El Camino's No. 2 finisher. She ended up racing again a week later because she had qualified for the Southern California Regional Cross Country Championships.

Abe plans to major in public relations and will be an Expansion Lead Coach Intern this fall with the National School Project, a high school ministry that has strong ties to Biola. She is really looking forward to joining the university's tight-knit Christian community, as she also served as the FCA club president at North Torrance and regularly sings on her church worship team. 

"I chose Biola because I'll be surrounded by a community of believers that are all striving to grow in their relationships with the Lord, as I am," said Abe. "I'm excited to train and compete in a highly motivated environment with so many talented teammates! Especially because I've been the only female in the event for the past three years, a change in environment would be great!"
 
Sophie Abe will join her new teammates this coming fall as the Eagles prepare for the 2021 outdoor track season. More information on the incoming 2020-21 class that will join her at Biola can be found on the Committed Athletes page