DAVID NAKAGAMI
Staff writer
This year looks to be the season of first-year coaches with high expectations, with the Pepperdine cross country and men’s basketball teams bringing in new faces. The reigns to Pepperdine’s cross country team were handed over to Robert Radnoti when Dick Kampmann stepped down after 17 years of faithful service.
Radnoti, who describes his predecessor as a “great friend and a wonderful man,” is grateful that Kampmann has decided to stay on with the team and help build on the foundation laid before him together.
Another solid layer was added to the groundwork this Saturday when the Waves hosted the Pepperdine Invitational at its newly-designed course in Alumni Park.
At 8 a.m., with the sun gleaming off of the Pacific Ocean and lighting the Malibu coastline, the starter’s gun echoed the beginning of the men’s five-mile race.
Pepperdine’s men runners employed the “pack running” strategy, finishing 2-3-4-6. Junior Sam Hudson placed second with a time of 27:40, while sophomore Tim Hatters (28:11), junior transfer Nick Rowan (28:14) and fourth-year runner Chris Gaudreau (28:25) followed close behind in the race.
Sophomore Matt Jenks’ 10th-place finish at 30:13 secured the Waves’ win in the men’s dual meet as the Waves drowned Cal State Northridge’s hopes for victory by a tally of 25 to 30. The lone bright spot for the Matadors was Manuel Ruiz’s tape-breaking time of 27:21.
After a brief break to prepare the markers for the women’s 3.1-mile event, it was time for Pepperdine’s women to take to the course.
Cal State Los Angeles’s Karla Alburez paced the field, never relinquishing her lead, as Pepperdine’s own senior Kyla Maher nipped at her heels. Alburez ran the course in a swift 22:35 and Maher stopped the clock at 23:07.
Eighteen seconds later, sophomore Brieanna Carroll crossed the finish line in fourth place. The other Waves runners came in steadily. Notably, sophomore Amanda Gordon (9, 24:03), junior Courtney Young (13, 24:11), senior Tarrah Crowley (15, 24:28), senior Beth Bedingfield (17, 24:40) and sophomore Courtney Smith (18, 24:43) all finished within 40 seconds of each other and under the 25-minute mark.
With these final results, the lady Waves would have edged out the Golden Eagles of Cal State Los Angeles to take first place. However, in a cruel twist of fate, seniors Maher and Bedingfield were disqualified for running off course. Therefore, instead of first place, Pepperdine fell to second place with a score of 53, several points above third-place Southern California. Cal State Northridge rounded out the scoreboard, coming in last as a team with a tally of 79 points.
Unexpected surprises aside, Radnoti was bound to be proud of his runners after seeing the results of this race. A strong team finish for both the men and women signal these athletes’ intense approach to the program, one that is well on its way to becoming competitive in Division I contests.
“It is very exciting,” said Radnoti of the prospects of the young season. “I’m having a fun time. I just want my squad to believe that they are a championship team.”
A championship cross country team is definitely something to get excited about, and the Waves will look to build on their success on the road this weekend, traveling to Riverside on Saturday to participate in the 26th Annual UC Riverside Cross Country Invitational. The men will be running an 8K at 7:30 a.m. and the women a 5K at 8:15 a.m. on the UCR Agricultural Operations Course against 20 to 25 other teams.
09-28-2006
