Biola University senior Christine Tixier made history this weekend at the 2015 NAIA Swimming & Diving National Championships. Tixier won three national championships, broke three national records and received an All-American honor every time she was in the pool.

Those accomplishments earned Tixier her second NAIA Women's Swimmer of the Year honor. It became one of the final gems on Tixier’s crown of achievements that she has accumulated over her four-year career at Biola.

“We've been blessed to have Christine as a part of this program,” said head coach Eddie Shepard. “She's cemented herself in the history of Biola swimming and has been a major factor in progressing the strength and notoriety.”

Tixier won three individual national championships during her 2015 meet, bringing her grand total up to eight in her four trips to the championship meet. She won the 100-butterfly for the fourth time in her career, took first in the 200-IM, with her sister Lisa Tixier finishing just behind her, and crushed the competition in a record-setting 200-butterfly on the final day of competition.

In addition Tixier led three relay teams (800-freestyle, 400-medley, 400-freestyle) to top-3 finishes, accounting for 12 of the 20 All-American honors Biola swimmers claimed at the meet.

“One of the things our entire team would say about Christine is that she is very much about her teammates. She cares much more about how her teammates are doing than about her own personal performances,” said Shepard.

One of the NAIA records that Tixier beat was the longest-standing record in swimming history. She swam a 2:02.75 to win the 200-IM and broke Laurette Hakansson's 1993 record.

The senior ends her career with eight national championships, 12 All-American honors, two NAIA Women's Swimmer of the Year awards, 11 school records, three national records, two NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors and two, hopefully three, Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American honors.

Written by Neil Morgan, Sports Information Director. For more information, contact Jenna Loumagne at 562.777.4061 or jenna.l.bartlo@biola.edu.