Azusa, Calif. — Unlike most sequels, Pepperdine track's second trip to Azusa Pacific was better than its first.

Three program records came down at the Franson Classic: William Watkins (Mill Valley, Calif./Marin Catholic HS) set the school record in the 400 meters with a 50.68, Kennedy Kerr (West Hempstead, N.Y./Long Island Lutheran) was the fastest collegian in the 100-meter dash with a 11.86 (good for fifth place), plus Karl Winter (Stockton, Calif./Saint Mary's HS) ran a 3:45.80 in the 1,500 meters to not only win the event, but also put him at 31st amongst all Division I runners in the event.

In addition, Kerr was eight-hundredths of a second off the school record in the 200-meter dash. Her 24.39 ranks second all-time at Pepperdine. Senior Brandon Davis (Troy, Mich./Troy HS) also went under the previous school record in the men's 400 with a 50.76.

Over on the distance side, freshman Ryan Hemphill (Visalia, Calif./Visalia HS) used almost even splits to place third in the 800-meter dash with a 1:54.67. His time ranks fourth all-time at Pepperdine. Junior Kyle McCabe (Westminster, Colo./Holy Family HS) also improved Pepperdine's fourth-fastest 5K time with a 14:37.16, which won the meet.

THE RUNDOWN

• Sophomore Olivia Miller (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles HS) ran a season-best time in the 800 meters with a 2:25.11.

• Watkins also set a new collegiate personal best in the 200-meter dash with a 22.24, which was the fifth-fastest collegiate time in the race and 14th overall.

• Miller finished her 800-1,500 double by leading the Waves in a crowded 1,500-meter race. In only her third attempt at the 1,500, she set a new personal best with a 4:55.65 — a 20-second improvement from her previous best time.

• Winter highlighted a strong showing for the Waves in the 1,500 meter run. Racing alongside senior Preston Gromer (Casper, Wyo./Kelly Walsh HS), Winter ran a 59-second opening lap before running a 1:03 800-meter split. Winter then negative-split the last half of the race, closing in a 55-second final lap to win by nearly 13 seconds.

• In the same race, freshman Johnathan Flint (Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound HS) set a new collegiate personal-best with a 4:05.68 to finish fourth. Gromer finished with a 4:07.84, then his fellow senior Justin Touhey (Stony Point, N.Y./Don Bosco Preparatory HS) ran a 4:08.94; the seniors placed sixth and eighth, respectively.

• Skyler Danley (Easton, Pa./Easton Area HS) was the lone Wave in the women's 5K, but she shaved more than a minute off of her personal best with an 18:22.25 — good for fifth place.

• In the men's 5K, McCabe and Winter led wire-to-wire before Winter peeled off and McCabe finished out the race. McCabe's 14:37.16 was not only 13 seconds ahead of the next finisher, but also six seconds off of his previous best time.

• Elsewhere in the 5K, freshman Nathaniel Lerch (Clarion, Pa./Clarion Area HS) set a huge PR with a 15:42.29 — the first time he's broken 16 minutes on the track. Teammate Tim Wells (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs HS) finished behind him in eighth with a 15:51.38, holding off a pair of San Diego runners in the home stretch.

NEXT UP: Pepperdine will return to Azusa Pacific one more time for the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 16-17. Per APU guidelines, spectators will not be permitted.