Azusa, Calif.---The track and field teams are ready to compete in the 2023 PacWest Championships which begins tomorrow Friday, Apr. 28 at the Cougar Athletic Stadium.

Throughout the two-day championship, the Eagles will be participating in 60 events which includes 31 events on Friday and 29 on Saturday, Apr. 29. 

The first two events that the Eagles will be participating in are the women's heptathlon 100m hurdles and the women's hammer throw on Friday. Gigi Fierro, Amaya Heard, Jada Pierce and Jordyn Tipp will be the throwers opening up the championships at 10 a.m. and Joley Sproul and Priscilla Jones will be the first runners to take the track for the Eagles at 1:20 p.m.

Biola has a long first day ahead of them on Friday with their last event being the men's 10,000m run with Jerry Baltzer, Brady DeHaven, Aidan Arredondo, Jacob Shirota and Zachary Wallace competing at 8:50 p.m.

The Eagles first events on Saturday will be the women's heptathlon long jump, women's shot put and women's  4x100m relay.

The two field events begin at 10 a.m. with Sproul, Jones and Pierce competing. The women's 4x100m relay will open up the track events for the Eagles with Jones, Audrey Mousa, Maria Vidal Poy, and Kelaiah Moore running at noon. 

The last events for Biola before the championship ceremony will be the men's 4x400m relay and the men's triple jump.

The Eagles men's 4x400 relay team is Mathias Davis, Jack Sapyta, Trevor Hormel, Dillon Sunday, Shelby Rutledge, Dominic Castro and Melt von Molendorff at 4:50 p.m. Joshua Jackson and A.J. Antonio are representing BU in the men's triple jump.

The 2023 PacWest Track and Field Championship award ceremony is set to begin at 5:15 p.m. pending that the events go as scheduled. 

2022 Team Finishes
Last year both the women's and men's track and field teams finished in fifth place. 

Some Eagles to Watchout For in 2023
Rebeka Preston has two provisional marks this season in the 400m hurdles (1:01.32) and the triple jump (12.17m). Preston received six podium finishes this year and had one first place finish at the Pomona-Pitzer Collegiate All-Comers meet (1:02.67).

Lynette Ruiz has two provisional times in the 5,000m run (16:52.71) and 10,000m run (34:27.55). The Sophomore also recorded two podium finishes, one was a first place finish in the 5,000m run at Occidental Distance Carnival (17:01.36). In last year's PacWest Championships, Ruiz placed second in the 10,000 run (36:36.50) and third in the 5,000m run (17:07.62).

Bethany Mapes has one provisional time in the 5000m run (17:05.71). The Freshman also recorded three first place finishes this year in the 3000m run at the Pomona-Pitzer Collegiate All-Comers meet (10.00.73), 5000m run at the Ross and Sharon Irwin meet (17:21.37), and the mile at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic (5:03.24).

Maggie Williams has one provisional time in the 800m run (2:10.27). The Freshman has recorded three podium finishes, one being a first place finish in the 800m run at Occidental Distance Carnival (2:11.57). 

Jada Pierce has racked up three first place finishes this year in three different events. Pierce claimed first in the javelin throw at Chris Rinne Twilight (35.69m), first in the shot put at PLNU Invitational (12.68m), and first in the hammer throw at Pomona-Pitzer Collegiate All-Comers (41.73m). In last year's PacWest Championships, Pierce won the hammer throw (49.31m) and placed second in the shot put (12.48).

Hanna Bevan picked up three podium finishes this season in the high jump. Her two first place marks were 1.65m at the Pomona-Pitzer Collegiate All-Comers meet and PLNU Invitational.  

Britta Holmberg received a first place finish in the 3,000m steeplechase this season with a time of 11:12.29 at the Ross and Sharon Irwin Meet. In last year's PacWest Championships, Holmberg placed ninth in the 5,000m run (18:23.73).

Caleb Pook has two podium finishes in pole vault. He placed second at the Mangrum Invitational (4.52m) and third at the Pomona-Pitzer Collegiate All-Comers meet (4.31m).

Jayden Bennett has a podium finish in the long jump where he placed third at the Pomona-Pitzer Collegiate All-Comers meet (6.38m).

Brady DeHaven recorded a personal best in the mile this season at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic where he placed ninth (4:29.27). In last year's PacWest Championships, DeHaven finished 14th in the 5000m run (15:24.81) and sixth in the 10,000m run (31:46.16).