LA MIRADA--- The Biola Men's Track and Field team welcomes eight new speed and power runners to their squad for the 2023 season. Biola's eight newcomers include seven freshmen and one graduate transfer who will join a returning roster of 27.

"We have a big men's class this year," noted head coach Sean Henning. "Eight newcomers to the speed/power side of the team on top of the eight distance athletes gives us the biggest men's roster I've had here at Biola. I'm excited for each one of these guys, they bring so much to the table both as athletes and as men." 

Stefan Jungmichel - Graduate Student, Queens University, Germany
Personal Bests: Decathlon-7038, 400m-50.49, 110mH-14.79, 400mH-54.35, HJ-1.95m, LJ-7.14m, JT-49.89m, SP-12.36m, DT-39.75m

Coach Henning's thoughts: "I'm excited that the Lord brought Stefan to Biola. He brings a lot of ability in a number of events and has championship experience which is invaluable. He is a young man who is a student of the sport and wants to continue learning and growing. I'm looking forward to the impact he will have on this team both as an athlete and a person."

AJ Antonio - Freshman, St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Overland Park, KS
Personal Bests: HJ-6'6", TJ-42'8"

Coach Henning's thoughts: "AJ is a great young man who committed pretty early in the process. He came to Biola back in the fall of 2021 and immediately loved what he saw here. He has had his fair share of injuries and setbacks, but if we can keep him consistent the sky's the limit. He brings a lot of talent in the jumps and will be a great teammate and positive influence on this team."

Zach Ybarra - Freshman, Brea Olinda HS, Brea, CA
Personal Bests: 200m-23.32, 400m-51.84

Coach Henning's thoughts: Zach knows Biola well and is a great fit for what the school is about. He has had a lot of success running the 400 for Brea-Olinda, and has been a valuable leg for them on the 4x400 relay. I have a feeling he will make some big jumps in his ability over the next four years and will be a great leader in this program."

Jack Ferrence - Freshman, Lake Mead Christian HS, Henderson, NV
Personal Bests: 100m-11.41, 200m-23.37, HJ-6'0"

Coach Henning's thoughts: "I'm excited to watch Jack grow in this sport. He is a baby when it comes to his experience in track and field, coming from a very small program with limited coaching. He does, however, have a big drive to be great and compete at a high level. I'm looking forward to watching him learn and grow over the next four years in sprints and jumps."

Jack Sapyta - Freshman, Burbank HS, Burbank, CA
Personal Bests: 200m-21.90, 400m-49.33

Coach Henning's thoughts: "Jack had a tremendous senior year at Burbank High School and has shown that he can be a great sprinter at the collegiate level. I really enjoyed getting to know him and his parents during the spring and I feel like he chose Biola for the right reasons. I look forward to him having an immediate impact on this program and developing into a strong Christian leader over the next four years."

Caleb Pook - Freshman, Ballard HS, Seattle, WA
Personal Bests: 110mH-15.15, Pole Vault-14'3"

Coach Henning's thoughts: Caleb is a unique athlete. He is a great hurdler and vaulter, but also is a high level diver on Biola's Swim and Dive team! He is definitely a talented individual who has tremendous upside. We look forward to helping him succeed in both sports during his time here at Biola."

Brycen Mogensen - Freshman, Granite Bay HS, Granite Bay, CA
Personal Bests: 100m-11.34, 200m-22.77, 400m-49.73

Coach Henning's thoughts: "Brycen is a great fit for Biola. I knew his character would fit in well with what we are trying to do in the program from the first time I met him. Brycen will be a great asset to our sprints group and will be a tremendous servant leader in this program over the next four years. I look forward to watching him continue to develop as a great sprinter."

Caleb Murphy - Freshman, Issaquah HS, Issaquah, WA
Personal Bests: 400m-51.3, 800m-1:57

Coach Henning's thoughts: "Caleb also ran cross country in high school, but we are moving him down to focus on the 400 and 800 this year. He brings a good amount of speed and endurance to the table, which can usually equal a pretty good 800. I think he will have tremendous upside in the right program and that we will see tremendous growth from him in both events as a freshman."

In addition to these nine newcomers, eight Eagles will compete in their first track and field season. Benjamin White, Luke Poarch, Nick Geringer, Zachary Wallace, Jake Sorani, Aiden Sherer, and Elijah Suwyn just concluded their first cross country season with Biola and are looking forward to racing in Spring.

Henning concluded, "I look forward to watching the culture of this team grow into something special and these guys will have a huge part in our team's success on and off the track this season."