Cross Country/Track Q&A: Karl Winter

Karl Winter is a senior on the men's cross country and track teams at Pepperdine and is a highly decorated athlete with many accomplishments. He is the current school record holder in the 800, 1,500 and 5,000-meter races and was the first Pepperdine track athlete to qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary meet in the modern era. Karl speaks on winning his first race of the season, new coach Lauren Floris and his expectations for his final season competing for the Waves:

Q: You won the first race of your senior cross country season at the Mark Covert Classic. How were you able to start off so strong?

A: I was very excited to race after a long summer of training. There's always some nerves involved in your first race of the year but I wanted to get off on the right foot. My goal was to run to compete for the win and I was able to accomplish that. It was very exciting and important for the team moving forward.

Q: This is your fourth season competing for Pepperdine. What are your goals for your senior year?

A: My goal is always to run as fast as possible. Other than that, I am hoping to make the All-WCC team at the end-of-season conference meet. I want to compete for a spot for nationals and I want to help improve as a team and improve the program as a whole. My team goals are to place top three in the conference and secure an auto bid for nationals.

Q: You have a new head coach this year. How has Coach Floris been as a coach and what has she brought to the program?

A: I couldn't ask for a better coach than Coach Floris. She has brought stability, a wealth of knowledge and communication skills to our team and program. She has lofty expectations and wants to push us toward those goals. I would hope and expect to have her here for a very long time.

Q: You became the first Pepperdine runner in the modern era to qualify for the NCAA West Region Track Preliminary event this past spring. How were you able to achieve this incredible accomplishment?

A: To be honest it wasn't even on my radar but it was the result of a lot of training put in during quarantine. I think it was a symbolic achievement for the program to put ourselves on the map and become a national brand. It was very humbling to compete against the best runners in the country at Prelims. It was a great start and now we have added expectations for this coming year.

Q: How are you able to do it all -- you run at a high level, have a 3.99 GPA, write for the Graphic, and serve as one of the athletic broadcasters for games on campus.

A: I have a great support system in everything I am a part of. It is very much a team effort in every aspect for me. I would not be able to do any of that work and perform as I am able to on my own. I have a lot of great people I work with and they keep me going. They are very understanding of when I fall short and encourage me to keep pushing.

Q: What are you most excited about this season?

A: I was very excited to compete in Minnesota. It put us on the map against Big 10 competition and so we could see how we stacked up. I give all the credit to Coach Floris for the opportunity to compete against the best.

Players Mentioned

Karl Winter

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