Pepperdine Men’s Cross Country dig for a quick start at the sound of the whistle at the University of California, Riverside Invitational on Sept. 19. The men’s team placed second, according to Finished Results. Photos courtesy of Rory Christiansen
Pepperdine Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams competed at the 2026 West Coast Conference (WCC) Championships on Oct. 30 in San Diego, Calif. The women’s team raced in the 6K against eight conference opponents, finishing seventh overall. The men’s team followed with an 8K race, securing a fifth-place finish out of eight competing universities.
Women’s 6K
The women’s race started at 10:00 a.m., with Pepperdine getting off to a strong start in fourth place at the 1.12K mark, trailing behind Santa Clara University.
Senior Lizzy Crawford set the pace for the Waves, leading the team in third place with a time of 3:49.4. Crawford positioned herself between two San Francisco runners and ran stride for stride with senior Anna Buettner, according to Track Scoreboard.
As the race reached the halfway point at the 3K mark, the Waves slipped one spot, lying in fifth. Crawford remained the women’s frontrunner, but dropped to 13th place with a time of 10:35.4. Behind Crawford sprinted junior Grace Simpson in 24th place, with a time of 10:44.9, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
By the 5K mark, the Waves dropped to seventh in team standings. Despite the women’s team slide, Crawford continued to pull forward for the Waves, sprinting into 10th place with a 17:57.6 time at the mile marker.
Senior Lizzy Crawford battles to gain a lead at the Master’s Invitational in Santa Clarita, Calif on Oct. 3. Crawford secured third overall, according to runsignup.com.
Although she maintained her strong effort through the final stretch, Crawford eventually crossed the finish line in eighth place with a time of 21:33.2. Simpson followed with a time of 23:02.1, while freshman Clara Michael made a comeback from the tail of the pack, running from 39th to finish in 35th place, according to Track Scoreboard.
As a team, the Waves finished seventh with 170 points. Individually, Crawford improved 25 positions from her finish at last year’s conference championships, earning All-WCC First Team honors, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Men’s 8K
The men’s race kicked off at 11:00 a.m., with the Waves taking an early lead in the team standings in first place. At the 1.12K mile mark, the Waves placed four runners in the top five, leading the pack.
Senior Dominic Silhol led the runners in first with a time of 3:18.6, followed closely by freshman Christian Weber in second at 3:19.1. Junior Elijah Gentry claimed third at 3:19.4, and senior Gordon Nilsen rounded out the group in fifth, falling in perfect stride with Gentry, according to Track Scoreboard.
At the 3K mark, Pepperdine maintained its first-place team standing, with Silhol continuing to lead the field in first at 9:13.7. Down the pack, Gentry followed in fourth with a time of 9:13.9, with Nilsen held fifth at 9:14.0.
The 5K mile marker brought a significant shift in the race as the Waves dropped to fifth in the team standings. Pepperdine no longer had a runner in the individual top five, but Gentry led the men’s team in 11th at 15:31.4. Silhol followed closely in 12th at 15:33.4, while Nilsen placed two behind him with a time of 15:34.4, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
As the men’s meet came to a close, the Waves continued to keep their pace to maintain fifth place in team standings. Gentry and Silhol continued to run back-to-back, claiming 11th and 12th. However, Nilsen fell out of stride with the two, falling to 19th place with a time of 22:16.8, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Senior Dominic Silhol mentally prepares to race on Sept. 19 at the University of California, Riverside Invitational. Silhol placed sixth overall and broke the Pepperdine 8K school record, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
As the 8K finish line came to a single stride distance, the Waves ultimately secured fifth place overall with 111 points, finishing nine points behind Santa Clara University. Gentry and Silhol crossed the finish line dominating in 11th and 12th, while Nilsen finished 25th. Gentry and Silhol earned All-WCC Second Team honors for their performances, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
The conference championships mark the end of Men’s and Women’s Cross Country regular-season competition. The Waves return to action Nov. 13 at the NCAA West Regional Championship meet in Sacramento, Calif.
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Contact Genevieve Cantu via email: genevieve.cantu@pepperdine.edu