Biola’s indoor track and field athletes finished strong on Saturday, March 3 at the 2012 NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. The tournament spanned over three days and Biola finished 10th overall.

From the 17 athletes that competed — a program-best — five athletes earned a total of 11 All-American honors on the women’s side: Nychele Fischetti, Brooke Forsi, Jane Kerner and Alexandra Sciarra in the 4x800 meter relay and the distance medley relay, Taylor McCahon in the pole vault, and Forsi also achieved this status in the 600 meter dash.

These noteworthy results broke several new records for Biola: McCahon pole vaulted 3.6 meters, Nychele Fischetti ran a time of 4:59.44 in the mile, Brooke Forsi ran a time of 1:35.52 in the 600 meter dash, and the 4x800 meter relay team, Forsi, Sciarra, Fischetti and Kerner, achieved a time of 9:09.41.

With this outstanding outcome, Biola’s women indoor track and field team came home with a 10th place finish overall. The girls were inspired by their teammates during the three tough days of competition. Fischetti, a senior originally from Eagle River, Alaska anchored the distance medley relay after running the third leg of the 4x800 meter relay. She concluded the evening running the mile with a time of 5:09.63.

"I felt so encouraged by my teammates to be able to do it today," Fischetti said to NAIA media coordinator Rudy Roediger on Thursday. "That's how I made it through."

Kerner also commented to Roediger on the community Biola track family.

"I chose the NAIA and Biola specifically because I like the coaches' atmosphere and the encouragement,” she said. “It's a family, no matter if you are the biggest rivals or teammates, everyone is encouraging."

Overall, Biola presented great results at the 2012 NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships. The accomplishments earned there will flow into the team’s outdoor season, beginning March 9.

To see full meet results, visit Lightning Timing and read the NAIA’s Day 1 Recap and Final Day Recap articles. Check out next year’s recruits in an article featured on the ESPN website.

Written by Ashleigh Fox, Media Relations Intern. Jeff Hoffman contributed to this article. For more information, contact Jenna Bartlo, Media Relations Coordinator, at 562.777.4061 or at jenna.l.bartlo@biola.edu.