MALIBU, Calif. - The Pepperdine men's and women's track teams kick off their 2015 season at Westmont this Saturday (Feb. 21) in a three-team meet against the host Warriors and UC Santa Barbara.

"I'm looking forward to the individual improvements of everyone we have," Pepperdine Coach Robert Radnoti said. "We've got a number of freshmen coming in so we want to see where they are at, particularly on the sprint and hurdles side."

With 11 freshmen joining and only one senior, the women's team has a fresh group of runners looking to place their names in the Pepperdine records book. There are also a number of strong returners who currently hold spots in the top-five best-times list.

Record-holder Stasia Demick (Seattle, Wash./Holy Names Academy) will return this season. The junior currently has the best 800-meter time for Pepperdine.

"Stasia had some issues with injury during the fall cross country season," Radnoti commented. "But we are hoping that she'll come back really strong."

There are a few people going after records this season, led by senior Lisa Santroch (Shoreline, Wash./Shorewood HS). She currently holds the #2 spot in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

"Lisa's pretty close to the steeplechase record, which is also close to the NCAA qualifying time, so she's going to be one of our strongest runners," Radnoti said.

On the distance side, junior Katie Engel (Honeoye Falls, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima HS) has top-five times in the mile and two-mile and sophomore Elle Lemco (San Jose, Calif./Prospect HS) in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Both women will be chasing long-distance records.

Several other returnees have made it in Pepperdine's record book, including junior Hannah Turpin (Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon HS) in the 400-meter hurdles, junior Rachel Rant (Boise, Idaho/Boise HS) in the 800 meters and sophomore Tori Occhipinti (Coto de Caza, Calif./Crean Lutheran HS) in the 100-meter hurdles.

Top freshmen include Claudia Rodriguez (Nashville, Tenn./ Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet HS) and Madison Hays (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge HS) who will be chasing records in the shorter sprints and hurdles, respectively, as well as Madison Blume (Glendora, Calif./St. Lucy's Priory HS) and Sarah Landers (Vancouver, Wash./Columbia River HS).

The men's side of just five runners includes two returners. Both sophomores Torin Wile (Beverly Hills, Mich./Brother Rice HS) and Nick Blanchard (Portland, Conn./Portland HS) have made it on Pepperdine's top-five lists. Wile will be going after the 800-meter record along with freshman Kyle Cajero (Tucson, Ariz./Pusch Ridge Christian Academy).

Radnoti's staff includes returning coaches Venus Jewett, Jeroen Bik and Jen Triggs along with new assistant coaches Clayton Graham, Chloe Levray, Hayley Lytle and Desmond Jefferson.

Pepperdine -- which competes independently -- will have six more meets through the end of the spring semester, including the Cunningham Track Classic (March 6-7), Ben Brown Invitational (March 14), UC Irvine Invitational (March 20-21), Cal Poly Invitational (March 28), Pomona-Pitzer Invitational (April 4) and Beach Invitational (April 17-18). Runners who earn or are close to NCAA qualifying times may continue competing after that.

-- Written by Athletic Communications student assistant Sarah Barge