By: Billi Derleth, Assistant Sports Information Director
AZUSA, Calif.---The Biola track and field teams wrapped up the 2023 PacWest Track & Field Championships at the Cougar Athletic Stadium.
The women finished second in the PacWest Conference with 153.50 points. The Eagles were 20.5 points ahead of CUI who came in third. Azusa Pacific was the dominant tournament champions in the women's and men's championships. The Cougars' women totaled 246.50 points and their men had 248.50 points.
Biola's men placed fifth in the PacWest Conference with 47.50 points. They lead Dominican who was in sixth by 26.50 points.
The Eagles totaled six podium finishes throughout the final day. Rebeka Preston highlighted Biola with two podium finishes in the triple jump and 400m hurdles which added 14 points to BU's running count. Preston landed second place in the triple jump with a jump of 11.91m. Preston placed third in the 400m hurdles, landing her second NCAA provisional time (1:01.78).
Joley Sproul and Priscilla Jones represented Biola in the heptathlon which included seven events spread out among the two day championship. Sproul and Jones achieved podium finishes in the competitive heptathlon. Sproul led Biola with 4,214 points in second place and Jones was just behind her in third with 4,183 points. Sproul's best performances were in the high jump where she placed first by reaching a height of 1.59m and the 100m hurdles where finished third with a time of 15.38.
Jones earned top three marks in the spot put (first, 12.40m), 200m dash (first, 25.86), 100m hurdles (second, 15.21) and long jump (third, 4.92m).
Maggie Williams picked up the next podium finish in the 800m run. Williams placed third in her event with a NCAA provisional time of 2:09.82. Bethany Mapes recorded the last podium finish of the day with a third place mark in the 5,000m run (17:28.90).
Biola's women recorded points in 11 events today and 10 athletes scored points for the Eagles in multiple events including: Katie Thompson (high jump, triple jump), Audrey Mousa (400m relay, 1600m relay),
Maria Vidal Poy (400 relay, 1600 relay),
Robin Ahlquist (400m relay, 1600m relay),
Sophia Morris (400m relay, 1600m relay, 400m hurdles),
Hannah Champness (1,500m run, 800m run), Jones (400m relay, shot put, heptathlon), Sproul (400m hurdles, heptathlon), Preston (1,600m relay, triple jump, 400m hurdles), and Williams (1,600m relay, 800m run).
Stefan Jungmichel recorded Biola's men's highest finish in the shot put. Jungmichel placed fifth of 13 throwers with a personal best throw of 13.53m.
Aidan Tomasini had the men's next best individual finish in the 1,500m run. Tomasini crossed the line sixth with a time of 3:55.31.
Four of Biola's men recorded points in multiple events including: Mathias Davis (high jump, 400m relay, 1,600m relay), Melt von Molendorff (800m run, 1,600m relay), Jack Sapyta (400m relay, 1,600m relay), and Trevor Hormel (400m relay, 1,600m relay).
Next up for the Eagles is the Occidental Invitational on Saturday, May 6 at 12 p.m. at the Bill Henry Track.
