Wishard Takes Third at Big Wave Invitational

KANEÂOHE, OÂahu Â Hawai’i native Chelsea Wishard led the Pepperdine cross country team with a third-place finish Saturday at the University of Hawai’i Big Wave Invitational. Wishard, the Waves’ top finisher at all three meets this season, completed the scenic 4K run in 14:43.18. 

Pepperdine head coach Robert Radnoti described the UH course as being a close rival to the one based at Malibu’s Alumni Park.

“Our run today stretched across a beautiful golf course, about half of which was along a fairway that overlooked the Pacific Ocean,” he said. “I thought everyone had a good, strong race, but maybe we could have been more effective if some of us weren’t battling the flu.”

Wishard (Lawai, Hawai’i/Kauai HS) finished just four seconds behind UCLA runner-up Shannon Murakami (14:39.89) and six seconds off the winning pace set by Bruin freshman Katja Goldring (14:37.50). UCLA won the women’s team title with 26 points as it placed five of its runners in the top 10.

The Pepperdine women placed third with 71 points, eight points behind San Diego State. Four Waves, including Wishard, Paige Knudsen (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos HS), Lauren Lodge (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton HS) and Elizabeth Coe (Fountain Valley, Calif./Fountain Valley HS) claimed a spot among the top 20 in the 62-woman field.

Finishing behind the Waves on the women’s side were teams from Brigham Young-HawaiÂi (117), HawaiÂi Pacific (118), UH (167), HawaiÂi-Hilo (172), and Chaminade (250).

Pepperdine’s men’s cross country team finished second to UCLA, as the Bruins scored a perfect 15 team points. Graduate student Cole Feldman (Carroll, Iowa/Drake University/Kuemper HS) led the Waves to the finish line for the first time this season, finishing the 5K route with a 13th-place time of 16:03.57.

Sophomore Seth Allison (Canyon Texas/Canyon HS), who led Pepperdine in the prior two meets, was a second behind Feldman in 16:04.59. Waves James Kelley (Santa Clarita, Calif./Hart HS), team captain Conrad Wozniak (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge HS) and Kenny Smith (Willits, Calif./Willits HS) also finished among the top 20. Wozniak clocked a 16:12.34 in his season debut.

Pepperdine totaled 69 points and were followed in the team standings by HawaiÂi Pacific (75), Brigham Young-HawaiÂi (107), HawaiÂi-Hilo (126), George Fox (166), and Chaminade (188).

The Waves’ cross country teams return to action next Saturday for the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto. 

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