Cross Country/Track Q&A: Karl Winter

To say that Karl Winter, a rising junior on the men's cross country and track teams, made the most of the shortened 2020 track season would be an understatement. In the span of two weeks, Winter set new school records in the 3000 and 1500-meter runs, the latter of which came days before the NCAA canceled spring sports. Winter caught up with us from his hometown of Stockton, California, to talk about his shortened sophomore season and what the Waves have done throughout quarantine.

Q: Between breaking the school record in the 3,000 meters and breaking the 1,500-meter record two weeks later, you had arguably one of the most successful two-meet stretches in program history. Would you mind walking us through what happened in the 1,500-meter race at Long Beach State?

A: I was excited going into that race to be running a 1,500 again. I was out for the majority of the previous track season with an injury. Having set the 3K record a few weeks before, I was really getting off to this season on the right foot. Going into that race at Long Beach, I knew I was going to be in the fast heat, which is what I wanted because I wanted to run fast. I had the school record on my mind going into that race.

The first lap was pretty slow. We went out in 65 [seconds], and we needed to run 63 or 62 if we were to run an even pace. I was toward the back of the field and I realized we were going a bit slow at about 300 meters in, so I tried to move around people. There was a lot of pushing and shoving because it had gone out slow — at one point less than 400 meters in, I got shoved out into lane three. But then the pace started picking up, which was nice. We went 65 for the first lap, then around 63 for the second lap. I was still at around mid-pack and the race was still a little bit slow, but I could tell that everyone else knew that too, so people were picking it up a bit. The third lap was a 61.

Once we got to the bell lap, the school record had gotten out of my head because I didn't think I was going to get it. So I thought I was in it to win the race. I went through the final lap in fourth or fifth place, and by the time we were on the back stretch, I had moved all the way up to the lead. I flew past a few people between 400 meters and 250 meters to go. At that point I was hammering; it was just me and the track. I hadn't won a race since high school, so being out in front was so exhilarating. I didn't think I had that kind of last lap in me, but I think I ran it in 58 seconds. The school record came along with it. I hit negative splits all the way and it was super exciting.

Q: From a tactical standpoint, how do you usually run a 1,500, and how are you looking forward to running future races?

A: I was hoping to run more of an even-split race and hammer the last lap. I've got a long, loping stride and I've got a good kick that I like to start around the last 400 meters — I'm not going to pick myself to win a 100-meter sprint against 1,500-meter specialists. I'd rather run pretty even for the first three laps and then let everything go at the bell lap. I figured I could run faster than that 3:53 I ran — probably around 3:50 or below — this year and then go from there.

That's why I was so excited for the rest of the season: I wanted to figure out what I was good at in college. In high school I was a miler, but I figured I might be a 5,000-meter guy or a steeplechase runner. I was looking forward to figuring it out, but I'm open to try new things next track season.

Q: Describe what it was like to go from breaking the school record to having the 2020 season canceled and moving to remote learning — all in the span of a few days. How did you process that rollercoaster of emotions?

A: After the Long Beach State race, we were excited because we were supposed to run at the Occidental Distance Carnival where most of us were planning on running the 5K the first time this season. I don't think it had really crossed anyone's mind that it could be canceled.

But, the following Tuesday when school was cancelled for pretty much everyone, we thought that was a problem. The Occidental meet was canceled that day, and then the next 24 hours were a scramble to get us into a meet that wasn't canceled. We got into a meet at Cal State Fullerton where we would be in the fast heat of the 5K, so everything was all well and good for a few hours at most. Then the NBA and NHL seasons got postponed, conferences canceled their basketball tournaments and by that point, we knew it was only a matter of time before the rest of our season was canceled. It was disappointing because we were hoping to run that fast 5K. If the cancelations would've held off for four more days, then I'm pretty confident either myself, Jackson [Felkins] or one of my teammates could have broken the 5K record too.

Q: You're not only a student-athlete, but also a journalist for the Pepperdine Graphic. How were you able to balance reporting on spring sports being cancelled while also processing the loss of your own season?

A: It was tough to put things in perspective. As the Sports Editor at the Pepperdine Graphic, I was trying to tell the story while also being part of it. But, I think that made the story that much better because the emotions were still so raw for me as well. To see my teammates and friends in the athletic department go through that — all while realizing there are bigger things going on in the world than sports. Sports aren't the be-all-end-all. They're something we can go to for comfort.

In the context of the athletic department as a whole, it was tough for my season to be canceled because I was so confident I was going to have a breakout season. In retrospect, I still have two more years to do the things I want to do at Pepperdine, enjoy my time in college and enjoy my time running cross country and track. For the seniors, they didn't have that. Their final few months around people they love in college were taken from them. For most of them, this was their last chance to leave a legacy at Pepperdine. It was a whirlwind of emotions, but reporting and writing about it helped me to not only process my emotions, but also made the stories better.

Q: According to an article you wrote for the Graphic, seven men's cross country and track athletes ran a marathon as a final send-off for the seniors. How did that come together, where did you go and what was it like running with your teammates one last time?

A: The idea was pitched by Alex Egan, who came up with it as a joke, but Justin Touhey said we should actually do it. Senior captain Jalen Frantal wanted to do a time trial for some semblance of closure, so we paced him for a 5K at Agoura Hills High School the day before.

The next day, Jalen Frantal, Jackson Felkins, Justin Touhey, Preston Gromer, Alex Egan, Adam Fahey and I ran the marathon. It was also the day that some of us had to move off campus, so we knew we had to do it in the morning.

We started running from Pepperdine at around 7 a.m. and we decided we'd run from Pepperdine through Santa Monica, all the way to Santa Monica Pier, past the end of Venice Beach and around Marina Del Rey to Dockweiler Beach. For all of us except Felkins, who had run a marathon before, it was the furthest we have ever ran. We figured we were in good shape and this could be our final thing of the year. It was great for the guys to run together one last time. We were all together until the 20th mile when some of us separated from the pack, but it was a fun finish to the year.

None of us had any perspective on how far a marathon actually was. The craziest part was looking across the ocean at the beginning, seeing the flight towers near LAX and thinking we had to run that far. Then when we finished on the beach, we could look across the ocean and see the Theme Tower at Pepperdine. We could visualize the entire distance we covered, which in most marathons, you can't do. We were lucky enough to run a marathon along the coast, so that was cool.

Q: How have you been keeping busy this summer?

A: Once quarantine started, Jackson and I moved off campus in Malibu, so we were able to run together with a few of the guys who had stayed in the area. Since I've returned home to Stockton, I've been taking online classes. I was supposed to go abroad to Heidelberg with three of my teammates, so I'm trying to take the classes I would have taken there to get ahead. I've gone back to Malibu a few times to visit people there, since it's within driving distance.

Otherwise, it's been the same grind of summer training — except with an added layer of uncertainty because we don't know what our season will look like. For those of us who are returning, it's all about staying healthy and staying in contact with each other. Obviously, we can't be coached right now, but we've been keeping each other accountable and talking with each other every day. Summer training is usually one of the least fun parts about the season because you're alone, it's hot and you have to run early in the morning without the motivation of having your teammates around you. That's why we stay in contact with each other.

Q: You guys don't lose a ton from this past season, and you'll bring in six newcomers this fall. What has it been like trying to get to know the newcomers during the offseason?

A: Several of them visited campus back in the winter and the fall, so we got to meet a lot of them in person. Since then, we've been in contact through GroupMe, texting and we've also had a couple of Zoom meetings. We keep each other accountable during the summer, and it's been great to get to know all of them.

Hopefully, if everyone stays healthy, we'll have a lot of depth this year, which is something we've lacked in the past. If one or two guys got injured or had a bad day, it would sink the ship. But I don't think that is going to happen this year. I think several of these freshmen could contribute right off the bat. They're really excited, and we're really excited to have them.

Players Mentioned

Alex Egan

Adam Fahey

Jackson Felkins

Jalen Frantal

Preston Gromer

Justin Touhey

Karl Winter

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