IRVINE, Calif. --- Biola University built its lead at the 2021 Pacific Collegiate Swimming & Diving Championships with a strong showing on Thursday to earn a nearly 200-point buffer over second place heading into the final day of competition.

Biola (605 points) leads a trio of PacWest Conference institutions atop the PCSC standings through two days. Concordia Irvine is a ways back in second-place (406) and Fresno Pacific (380.5) is just behind them and will look to steal second-place tomorrow. 

The day began with an epic first two events as Biola saw two school records fall on the opening relay and individual efforts. Tanner Smith, James Gamette, Matthew Trejo and Jake Michelsen went 1:33.30 in the 200-medley relay to end on the podium and earn 32 points while setting the new record.

That was quickly followed by an event win from Matthew Trejo in the 100-butterfly. Trejo swam a record-time of :49.35 and picks up a conference title in his freshman season. Dylan Pon (3rd - :50.94) and Matthew Holmes (5th - :51.69) also found a way into the top-5.

Patrick Waggoner accounted for another individual PCSC title for the Eagles when he went 1:41.22 to win the 200-freestyle. That was a massive event for BU at Waggoner, Jonas Huckabay (2nd - 1:41.96), Michelsen (4th - 1:42.21) and Gabe Weber (8th - 1:44.61) combined to earn 63 points for Biola.

Tanner Smith finished second in the 100-backstroke with a :52.30 placing him only behind a top-10 Division II swimmer from FPU. Biola again managed big points in this event as Clayton Owens placed fourth (:52.69) and Jackson Black fifth (:52.73). It was a new college-best for both Owens and Black.

Biola managed three men inside the top-6 in the 400-IM, paced by Michael Maurer's 4:11.61 to help him finish on the podium (third). Nathan Schwantes (4:13.63) was fifth and Colin Snyder sixth (4:18.16) to help nab 43 points for the Eagles. It was a big-time personal-best for Snyder.

Gamette, after being part of the record-setting relay earlier in the day, led Biola's effort in the 100-breaststroke. He finished fourth with a :57.94 and was followed immediately by Noah Benson's :58.25. It was a PR for Benson and just narrowly off Gamette's all-time best.

The Eagles concluded the day on a high note with a second-place finish in the 800-freestyle relay. The group of Trejo, Huckabay, Michelsen and Waggoner went 6:52.66 to finish behind only Concordia Irvine and wrap up 34 additional points for BU.

The diving portion of the men's meet also came to its conclusion on Thursday. Biola was able to claim 65 total points in diving. Westin Dawe took second place in both the three-meter (153.35) and one-meter (151.90) and Luke Hanson got on the podium with a third-place finish in the three-meter (114.05).

The meet wraps up on Friday with both Biola teams aiming for their first PCSC titles. Last year, both teams set all-time bests with third-place finishes. This year, both teams sit atop the leaderboard two-thirds of the way through.

Follow the meet live at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUBh41ICkXVRO9SC7YWhq5g.