Cross Country/Track Announce Newcomers for 2015-16
6/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track
MALIBU, Calif. - Pepperdine Coach Robert Radnoti will welcome 15 new runners to his cross country and track programs this year, as he announced his full recruiting class today.
The four men's runners who will compete in cross country (and possibly track) are Chase Green (Lubbock, Texas/Coronado HS), Nick Heath (Scotts Valley, Calif./Scotts Valley HS), Scott Pendleton (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield HS/Pacific) and Trevor Sytsma (Renton, Wash./Liberty HS).
Five women will run both cross country and track: Elise Froebe (Lake Forest Park, Wash./Shorecrest HS), Mariah Gondeiro (Raynesford, Mont./Belt HS/Rocky Mountain College), Raja Gonzalez (Tallahassee, Fla./Columbus HS), Megan Percy (Colorado Springs, Colo./The Classical Academy) and Kat Perry (Newport Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS).
Six more women will compete in track only: Catie Barilla (Alta Loma, Calif./Los Osos HS), Morgan Bedford (Chantilly, Va./Chantilly HS), Hannah DiBona (Orlando, Fla./Bishop Moore Catholic HS), Lilly McMurrain (Edwards, Colo./Battle Mountain HS), Kim Scales (DeSoto, Texas/Bishop Lynch HS) and Traci Tooker (Foothill Ranch, Calif./Crean Lutheran HS).
The cross country newcomers will be joining a veteran squad in 2015. The women are slated to return eight of their nine runners that competed at the West Coast Conference Championships, while the men should have all eight back.
"I'm really excited about the future of our programs because we have so many experienced runners coming back and we're adding a lot of fresh faces that will help make us better," said Radnoti, who is beginning his 10th season as head coach. "I'm particularly excited about the men because this is our third straight strong recruiting class and that team is really improving. Our women's team has a lot of veterans and I can't wait to see how our new student-athletes will fit in."
Only four of the 15 runners are from California, as the group encompasses eight different states from all across the country.
Here's additional information about Pepperdine's newcomers:
Catie Barilla (Alta Loma, Calif./Los Osos HS) ... A four-year scholar-athlete ... Finished second in the Baseline League in the 300-meter hurdles as a senior ... Won Baseline League titles as a sophomore and junior ... "I chose to attend Pepperdine because I am confident I will grow spiritually and intellectually."
Morgan Bedford (Chantilly, Va./Chantilly HS) ... Received a student-athlete academic award ... Ran one year of varsity track, competing in the 400, 500 and 800 ... "Along with the strong academics, Pepperdine's Christian foundation was what pulled me in. I love knowing that I will receive a good education and gain valuable life skills while being surrounded by fellow believers."
Hannah DiBona (Orlando, Fla./Bishop Moore Catholic HS) ... Received a Student Scholar Athlete award for the highest GPA with two sports ... Competed in the Florida state championship all four years, including in the 400 meters as a freshman ... Was part of district and regional championships in 2015 ... "Pepperdine has been my dream school since the day I was introduced to it! It has been a goal of mine to attend this spectacular university and run track for them."
Elise Froebe (Lake Forest Park, Wash./Shorecrest HS) ... Finished among the Top 25 Senior GPAs ... Was a varsity athlete in both cross country and track all four years ... In cross country, earned All-Wesco 3A second team as a senior and was honorable mention as a sophomore and junior ... Won a state 2A track championship in 2015 ... "I love every single aspect of Pepperdine, the size, the location, its Christian values, its strong academic programs, and that I would be able to run there."
Mariah Gondeiro (Raynesford, Mont./Belt HS/Rocky Mountain College) ... A 2015 graduate of Rocky Mountain College who will attend graduate school at Pepperdine and will run as a fifth-year senior ... Played three years of basketball and had one year of cross country and track at the NAIA school ... Earned All-Frontier Conference honors in cross country and finished in sixth place at the NAIA National Preview Meet ... Graduated summa cum laude ... Was all-state in both cross country and track in high school and won a state title in the two-mile as a sophomore ... "I chose to attend Pepperdine because of the Law School, the environment and Coach Radnoti."
Raja Gonzalez (Tallahassee, Fla./Columbus HS) ... A four-year Scholar-Athlete ... Ran four years of varsity cross country and two years of track ... Earned all-state honors in cross country as a senior and was all-city all four years ... "I chose to attend Pepperdine because it is ranked as one of the top 55 universities in the nation and I was drawn to its unrivaled location and Christian atmosphere."
Chase Green (Lubbock, Texas/Coronado HS) ... A member of the National Honor Society ... Ran four years of varsity cross country and two of track ... Named the school's Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year as a junior ... "I wanted to run at a Division I university and the location of Pepperdine is fantastic."
Nick Heath (Scotts Valley, Calif./Scotts Valley HS) ... Was his class Salutatorian ... Ran three years of varsity cross country and track ... Ran at the Division IV state cross country meet three times and finished 20th as a senior ... Won two league titles in the 3,200 meters ... "I wanted to go to a small, private, Christian university with friendly students. I was interested in Pepperdine's successful business program as well as its great location and it fit my needs well."
Lilly McMurrain (Edwards, Colo./Battle Mountain HS) ... A multiple-time Academic All-State selection ... Ran four years of varsity track and was all-state three times, including the first team as a senior ... "I chose Pepperdine because I agree with the school's religious views and the school fit my personal, academic and athletic needs."
Scott Pendleton (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield HS/Pacific) ... A transfer who played soccer at the University of the Pacific as a freshman in 2014-15 ... In high school, lettered in track as a freshman and sophomore, and in cross country as a freshman ... An honor roll student every semester ... Qualified for the 2010 USATF National Junior Olympic Championships in cross country ... "I chose to attend Pepperdine because it has a stunning campus that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, has great cross country and track programs and an excellent business school."
Megan Percy (Colorado Springs, Colo./The Classical Academy) ... Earned multiple Academic All-State honors ... Ran four years of varsity cross country and track ... Was part of five state championship teams (two cross country, three track) ... Finished seventh in the state in the 800 as a junior and seventh in the 1,600 as a sophomore ... Was an all-league runner in cross country as a senior ... "I chose Pepperdine because the small academic environment with such a Christian support system was exactly what I was looking for in a college. Meeting the girls on the team and seeing their dedication to being exemplary student-athletes completely won me over."
Kat Perry (Newport Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS) ... Ran one year of varsity track, competing in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters ... Also ran one year of varsity cross country ...Was part of a state champion triathlon team ... "I chose to attend Pepperdine because I felt that I would be able to succeed in the classroom and also continue an athletic career in cross country and track."
Kim Scales (DeSoto, Texas/Bishop Lynch HS) ... A member of the National Honor Society ... Ran two years of varsity track ... Earned all-state honorable mention as a sophomore ... Was part of a 5A state championship team in 2013 ... "I felt like Pepperdine was a place that I could grow spiritually and academically. It is also a beautiful campus in a wonderful climate."
Trevor Sytsma (Renton, Wash./Liberty HS) ... Earned a Scholar-Athlete award ... Ran four years of varsity track and cross country ... Was All-SPSL first team as a senior in cross country ... Cross country team came in third palce at the WIAA 2A state championship in 2014 ... "I chose Pepperdine because I loved the Christian environment, and after visiting, I felt confident that this was the school that was going to help me best become the man I want to be. And you can't go wrong with the view."
Traci Tooker (Foothill Ranch, Calif./Crean Lutheran HS) ... A Scholar-Athlete all four years ... Ran three years of varsity track ... Part of a school-record 4x100 relay team ... Won three Academy League team titles ... "I chose to attend Pepperdine because of the faith-based community and the outstanding academics."
Players Mentioned
