Track 2016 Season Outlook
1/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track
MALIBU, Calif. -- Track season officially kicks off this Friday with the program's first-ever indoor track meet at Northern Arizona. This is the first time the Pepperdine women will compete in indoor track, and head coach Robert Radnoti called it an exciting time because everyone competing will be setting new school records.
Junior sprinter Izzy Connell (Campbell, Calif./The Harker School) said she is very excited about the addition of indoor track: "It's awesome that we are trying something new this season and getting in more races thanks to indoor. Our whole team has been putting in a lot of hard work since September and we are all going to have some strong performances."
Coach Radnoti likewise said he is expecting to see some strong performances from the team this season.
"This season we are focusing on continuing to foster a culture of a team of athletes who compete well," he said. "But besides competing well as athletes, we also want to continue to help build up our team members' inner sense of purpose and value to help them become strong leaders and develop good life strategies.
"Overall we are looking forward to what should be a very exciting and rewarding season. Our runners have been putting in some very hard work and I'm looking forward to seeing what they achieve."
On the women's side, there are also many returning runners to look out for. Junior Tori Occhipinti (Coto de Caza, Calif./Crean Lutheran HS) who currently holds the 100-meter hurdles record and is also the team captain, will look to break her personal record and deliver a strong performance this season.
Claudia Rodriguez (Nashville, Tenn./Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet HS), a sophomore, was Pepperdine's top sprinter as a freshman and is also expected to do very well this season.
The women's track team has five seniors this season who are expected to deliver strong performances in their last year. Katie Engel (Honeoye Falls, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima HS) who ranks among the school's top all-time runners in the mile, two-mile and 5,000 meters.
"Katie has been our top endurance athlete for most of her four-year career and we expect great times from her this season," Radnoti said.
Other seniors include mid-distance runner Rachel Rant (Boise, Idaho/Boise HS), mid-distance runner and current 800-meter record-holder Stasia Demick (Seattle, Wash./Holy Names Academy) and 400-meter hurdles record-holder Hannah Turpin (Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon HS), who are all expected to do very well. Law school student and distance runner Mariah Gondeiro (Raynesford, Mont./Belt HS/Rocky Mountain College) will also compete for the Waves for the first time in her final year of eligibility.
Junior mid-distance runner Lindsay Sheaffer (Portland, Ore./Jesuit HS), who returned this year after going abroad to Florence the spring of her sophomore year, is also expected to be a strong runner this season.
"Lindsay held the school record for the 800 meters until Stasia broke it," Radnoti said. "So they will be able to help push each other this season."
The women's track team has some newcomers to look out for, such as freshman sprinter Catie Barilla (Alta Loma, Calif./Los Osos HS) and junior Kendall Dunn (Aurora, Colo./Cheney HS/Arapahoe CC) who transferred to Pepperdine last year and will compete this season for the first time.
The men's team will get started when the outdoor season begins on February 20 with the annual tri-meet with host Westmont and UC Santa Barbara.
Sophomore Kyle Cajero (Tucson, Ariz./Pusch Ridge Christian Academy) is the current school record-holder in the 800 meters and junior Torin Wile (Beverly Hills, Mich./Brother Rice HS) is the school record-holder in the 400 meters.
Among the men's newcomers, freshmen Nick Heath (Scotts Valley, Calif./Scotts Valley HS) and Trevor Sytsma (Renton, Wash./Liberty HS) are both expected to have strong performances this season.
"Nick was Pepperdine's top cross country runner as a freshman," Radnoti said, "Both Trevor and Nick are strong performers and they will have some healthy competition this season."
Radonti said his strong coaching staff will help in achieving the team's mission. They include Clayton Graham, Venus Jewett and Chad Johnson.
--By Jenna Welsh, Athletic Communications intern
