NEW ORLEANS --- Biola cross country received considerable recognition from the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Tuesday and Wednesday. The women's squad entered the regional rankings at No. 7 in the west, while the men's team moved up to No. 4 in the west region and No. 22 in the nation.

The Biola Invitational kicked off the 2021 season for both programs last week. Both BU squads delivered strong showings against an impressive field of teams.

The men's cross country squad was crowned the victors at the season opener, outrunning the field of 21 teams. Biola edged Cal State San Marcos by one point to land the win. The narrow victory over the Cougars pushed the Eagles past CSUSM in the regional rankings, as the Cougars remained at No. 5.

Brady DeHaven led the Eagles to a top-place finish, placing fifth with a 25:04.2 time in the 8k race. All five scoring runners for BU finished within the top-15 to help Biola post a 45 overall score as a team.

The team effort also helped Biola crack the top-25 in the national coaches poll. BU was featured as the No. 22 squad in the NCAA DII Men's Cross Country National Poll on Wednesday, marking the best national ranking for the team since week two of 2019.

"This is a testament to the hard work this team has put in," said head coach Sean Henning. " We have a lot of work to do, it's about being the best version God has made us to be. I'm excited about the direction this team is going and we will keep building up each other as a group and are committed to our standard of excellence.

For the women's squad, true freshman Lynette Ruiz pushed the pace for BU in its opening race. Ruiz climbed the leaderboard to nab fifth place, while landing a time of 17:56.4. 

Three BU runners finished amongst the top-15 individuals to give the Eagles a second place finish as a team. Biola logged a score of 64 at the Biola Invite, trailing just Cal State San Marcos, who was ranked one spot ahead of BU in the regional poll at number six.

"This just means that people now know we have a solid team, which we've known all along," commented Henning. "We have yet to 'play with a full deck of cards' so to speak, but we are looking forward to having everyone back, healthy, and on the same page as a unit. I'm proud of the way some girls have stepped up so far this year and we will keep pushing our limits and seeking to maximize each person's God-given ability to its fullest."