Pepperdine Women’s Cross Country team lines up at the starting line, ready for the race ahead Nov. 1 at The Course Spokane Valley. The moment leading up to the start of the race represented the team’s readiness heading into one of the biggest meets of the season. Photos courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics
For the first time this season, Pepperdine Cross Country traveled out of California and north to Spokane, Wash. to take on the toughest competition in the 2025 West Coast Conference Cross Country Championships, hosted by Gonzaga University on Nov. 1.
To lead off the morning, the women’s 6K race began at 10 a.m., followed by the men’s 8K race at 11 a.m., both taking place at The Course Spokane Valley. Fans unable to attend in person could stream the championship live on ESPN+.
The women’s team finished 12th out of 12 competing teams, whereas the men’s team placed seventh out of 10, according to MeetPro.
Across both races, the WCC Championships brought together some of the nation’s top colleges, featuring schools like Portland, Washington State, Gonzaga, Santa Clara, Saint Mary’s, San Francisco and Seattle U. The women’s competition faced two additional opponents, University of the Pacific and Loyola Marymount University.
Despite the wet and muddy course, the Waves showed resilience throughout their race.
Junior Elizabeth Crawford leading her opponents through The Course Spokane Valley on Nov. 1. The closeness of the race is on full display.
In the women’s 6K, Pepperdine was led by junior Elizabeth Crawford, who finished 33rd with a 21:41.8 time. The next scorers — sophomore Grace Simpson, junior Jessica Guardino and senior Ashley Eagan — all finished within two minutes of one another. The Waves crossed the line with an average team time of 23:32 over a 2:57.8 spread.
In the men’s 8K, the Waves top finisher was junior Gordy Nilson, placing 34th overall with a 24:48.1 finish. Following closely behind Nilsen, sophomore Elijah Gentry placed 39th with a time of 25:04.4. The Waves’ total team time came to 2:06:04, averaging 25:13 per runner with a spread of 0:41.6.
Sophomore Elijah Gentry maintains his stride in the middle of a tough race, battling the cold at The Course Spokane Valley on Nov. 1. His performance reflected the resilience of the men’s team.
Although the Waves did not contend for the top spots, the day was full of individual accomplishments and learning opportunities for the men and women. The women’s team battled through to finish with 318 points, while the men scored 195. Both teams look to build on their performances and move up in the rankings as they move ahead in their season.
Washington State had a clean sweep, winning both events as a team and individually.
Looking ahead at the remainder of the season, the team will travel to Sacramento, Calif. for the NCAA West Regional Championship on Nov. 14, then the NCAA XC Championships on Nov. 22 to close out their 2025 season.
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Contact Madison Chavez via email: madison.chavez@pepperdine.edu
