Bragging. It’s something Pepperdine students do best. After all, it’s pretty easy to do when we have a Malibu address and our dorm bathrooms are cleaned daily by custodial ambassadors.
We brag about the beauty of our campus, the year-round tans on our bodies and the resort-feel of our rooms. We brag about seeing Britney at Ralphs, playing basketball with Adam Sandler and running into Pamela Anderson at Waves baseball games.
We brag about the minute walk to the ocean, the 20-minute drive to the streets of Santa Monica and the five-minute walk to the Caf for the oh-so-tasty bliss that is Friday bread bowls.
Face it. We’re just darn good at bragging. So while we’re at it, let’s add some other things to the list.
Why not brag about our recent athletic success? Sure, we’re not home to the Trojan football team or the Bruin basketball team, but we’ve got plenty to boast about. Just take a look at the wave of Pepperdine sports accomplishments during the past few months.
Let’s brag about our men’s tennis team, which took home its first-ever national championship in May after defeating Georgia, accomplishing what Sports Illustrated called “one of the spring season’s biggest upsets.”
Let’s brag about the April hiring of Vance Walberg, which has potential to become one of the greatest moves in Pepperdine athletic history. The highly-regarded replacement for Paul Westphal brings with him a career record of 292-29 and an exciting, high-powered style of play that is sure to make those Zags long for the good ol’ Adam Morrison days.
Let’s brag about our always-contending baseball team, which claimed the West Coast Conference Championship title and ventured to the NCAA Regionals in June for the third consecutive year only to be eliminated by a heartbreaking loss to Missouri.
Let’s brag about the team’s five players drafted in this year’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. All-American catcher Chad Tracy was taken in the third round and was later joined in the draft by pitcher Paul Coleman, slugger Justin Tellam, first baseman Nick Kliebert and the WCC’s all-time hits leader, David Uribes.
Let’s brag about our women’s golf team, which placed third at the NCAA Championships in May and then watched as senior Eileen Vargas advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur earlier this month.
Let’s brag about the men who make up our other golf team, which tied for 22nd at the NCAA Championships in May and had its star player, 2006 graduate Alex Coe, finish as a low amateur at the U.S. Open in June and become a guiding force behind Team USA’s summer victories.
Clearly, there’s much more than custodial services and delectable Caf food to brag about. By now, it’s old news that Pepperdine was voted as having the most beautiful campus, so why not brag about the continuous sports headlines?
It’s time to take notice of our athletes, as Sports Illustrated did when it placed us at No. 10 on its All-Sports rankings for the 2006 spring season. Pepperdine is not only the lone WCC school on the list, but is also the only non-football institution to make the rankings.
Girls, Mr. Sandler might possess the sense of humor, but it’s doubtful he can dominate the tennis court quite like sophomore Andre Begemann.
And boys, Britney and Pam may be fun to look at, but they won’t be competing in golf amateur events like Eileen Vargas any time soon.
So brag away. After all, it’s pretty easy to do when we have an address that represents the home of Pepperdine sports teams.
8-28-2006