Seanna Nalbandyan (pictured above) banished any thought of how fast, or slow, she might finish Saturday’s 400-meter hurdle final at NAIA nationals in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

The Master’s University sophomore was on the cusp of becoming the second Mustang ever to earn All-American honors in more than one season. But neither was that idea allotted headspace.

Nalbandyan instead focused on the women standing around her, a formidable bunch with similar resumes. She knew she needed to start fast. She couldn’t allow even a marginal gap to form.

Nalbandyan’s narrow focus paid off as she produced a PR on the NAIA’s biggest stage, finishing seventh and earning her second All-American honor in as many seasons.

She didn’t learn until after the race that she was the first Mustang since Karis Frankian to finish in the top eight of a national final in more than one season. Frankian earned All-American honors in four straight years from 2013-2016.

“It’s an honor,” Nalbandyan said of making history. “I honestly didn’t know that, so it’s pretty cool to be a part of it.”

Championship Saturday, in which the Mustangs found themselves part of four races, was otherwise characterized by impressive performances that missed out on hardware by small margins.

Justin Harris (3,000 steeplechase; 9 minutes, 40.30 seconds) and Stephen Pacheco (5,000; 15:03.64) each finished ninth in their respective races, one place back of All-American honors.

Stephen Pacheco, The Master’s University

Arianna Ghiorso was 11th in the women’s 1,500, capping an inspiring freshman season with a mark of 4:52.63.

Nalbandyan’s time was 1:01.37, beating her previous best of 1:01.66.

Schroeder’s belief entering nationals was that parity could rule the women’s 400 hurdles, or at least more so than it did a year ago. In fact, seven of the eight finalists were within a second of each other during prelims.

Nalbandyan’s margin for error was thin, and even after she ran an impressive PR in the event Saturday, she found herself in seventh place, matching her 2018 finish.

Still, the achievement had a promising ring to it.

After a slow start to 2019, this race had the feel of an upward trajectory toward greater achievement in years to come.

“I’m just super thankful to still be given the opportunity to compete here and be an All-American despite my rough season,” Nalbandyan said. “I ended it on a good note.”

So did Harris.

If Schroeder were to dispense a most improved award, Harris would be a heavy contender.

At one point this season, it remained uncertain whether the junior would qualify for nationals. He was close, it seemed, to drawing a breakthrough race out of himself at any given meet, but such a moment never materialized. Not, at least, until the Golden State Athletic Conference Championships. There Harris ran a 17-second PR and hit the NAIA “B” cut.

He credited the eye-popping improvement to a shift in thinking. Namely, he began to let his arduous training set the bar for what he could accomplish.

Two weeks later, he recorded another personal best at the Oxy Invite in Los Angeles.

What Harris will carry with him this weekend as he packs a bag and boards a flight back to California is another change in mindset, specifically on the topic of competition.

“First Corinthians 6:19-20 talks about how our body is a temple of the Spirit, and that we are not our own,” Harris said. “By reminding myself that I’ve been bought with a price and I owe my ability to Christ, that helped me give it my all, and despite missing All-American by one spot, it’s given me a motivation to really put in some great training so I can best represent Him my senior year.”

Pacheco’s senior year ended with one of his signature late-race charges.

Pacheco trailed Omar Paramo of St. Francis (Illinois) by roughly 13 seconds entering the final lap of the men’s 5,000 meters. Over the final 400 meters, Pacheco erased seven seconds of the deficit and reminded fans why he can’t be counted out at any juncture of a race.

Saturday’s surge was reminiscent of his 5K final at GSAC Championships when he momentarily passed Westmont star Michael Oldach during the race’s final lap and pushed Oldach all the way to the finish line before finishing second.

“He never gave up, and he left everything he had on the track,” Schroeder said Saturday. “He never makes excuses. He has the mind of a champion. I love this guy.”

Early Saturday morning, Ghiorso typed out a message that summarized the most important item on her day’s itinerary.

“So many months of hard work, pain and suffering have led up to the most important race of the year,” she posted on Instagram. “I race the 1,500 in Alabama for NAIA nationals today.”

The caption, tucked beneath a photo of Ghiorso racing at last month’s GSAC Championships, contained an important second section.

“Although I have a goal in mind, my greatest desire is to bring glory to the Lord and bear witness to His name, no matter the outcome,” she wrote.

Ghiorso did not become the third Mustang in program history, and second in as many years, to earn All-American honors as a freshman. She was disappointed with her performance and said she felt she was capable of “so much more.”

But, that didn’t mean the opportunity was wasted.

“I’m very grateful to the Lord for giving me this opportunity to be here as a freshman,” Ghiorso said. “I’m not taking that for granted, and I feel blessed to have been able to be here to watch my teammates perform amazing.”

As far as her race, Ghiorso said there was a point where she let herself fall too far behind the leaders. She felt afterward that if that hadn’t happened she would have finished as an All-American.

“I definitely learned a lot from this race and am excited to use that to perform better next year,” she said.