SANTA BARBARA, Calif.---The Biola track & field teams had a promising start on the first day of the 2024 PacWest Championships at the Westmont Track.

The Eagles participated in 24 events on Friday where they collected eight podium finishes and had 14 athletes qualify for their event finals. 

Biola's eight All-PacWest athletes were Susi Bruennig, Lynette Ruiz, Stefan Jungmichel, Jacob Shirota, Britta Holmberg, Reanna Maroon, Charles Bailey and Karis Brown.

BU took second and third place finishes in the women's 3000 steeplechase and 10,000m run. Bruennig led Biola in the 3000m steeplechase with a second-place finish and an NCAA Provisional time of 10:46.32 and she was followed by Holmberg who rounded out third (11:02.46).

Ruiz took charge in the 10k, finishing second with an NCAA Provisional time of 36:16.25. Brown finished third with a speedy time of 37:52.18.

Biola's other podium finishers were Jungmichel in the pole vault (2nd, 4.43m), Shirota in the 10k (2nd, 31:35.24), Maroon in the pole vault (3rd, 3.67m) and Bailey in the 3000 steeplechase (3rd, 9:19.10). 

Alyssa Strumbo (7th, 3000S, 12:00.81), Melt von Molendorff (4th, 3000S, 9:25.80), Jeremiah Echeverria (7th, 3000S, 9:42.66), Ellie Stetina (7th, 10k, 38:37.32), Ryan Todd (5th, 10k, 31:38.43) and Jerry Baltzer (8th, 10k, 31:55.18) picked up additional points for Biola in the men's and women's 3000m steeplechase and 10,000m runs. 

Biola also earned points in the men's and women's javelin and hammer throws. Jungmichel secured four points for the Eagles in the javelin with a fifth-place finish (51.16m), Olivia Bellig got a point in the javelin with her eighth-place finish (33.38m) and Faith Winningham received four points in the hammer throw (42.67m).

Three of the 14 Eagles who qualified for event finals had two qualifying event performances including Jungmichel (110mH, 400mH), Donovan Tommy (100, 200) and Matthew Kaloustian (100, 200).

Ben Sonneland stood out in the preliminary 800m run, finishing first in his heat and second overall to advance to tomorrow's final (1:53.48).

Jack Ferrence began the decathlon where he competed in five events and earned three podium finishes. He won the shot put with a personal-best throw of 12.05 and placed third in the 100m (11.27) and high jump (1.78m).

Additionally, Ferrence placed fourth in the long jump (6.37m) and 400m (53.61). Tomorrow (Saturday, Apr. 27) Ferrence will take on the 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1500m run.

After a long day, Biola's women ended the first day in third place with 43 points. The Eagles trailed second-place CUI by seven points (50) and the tournament's leader Azusa Pacific by 27 points.

Biola's men concluded the first day fourth of seven teams with 38 points. Ahead of BU's men were No. 1 APU (87.50), No. 2 CUI (43) and No. 3 Fresno Pacific (41.50).

The Eagles begin the last day of the PacWest Championship tomorrow at 11 a.m.