Pepperdine University
Bob Larsen Distance Carnival
Pepperdine Track Competes at UCLA This Weekend
3/20/2025 2:29:00 PM | Track
MALIBU, Calif. — The Pepperdine track team is back in action at the Bob Larsen Distance Carnival and the Jim Bush Legends Invitational, held at UCLA's Drake Stadium on Friday and Saturday.
Friday's distance events start at 7:20 p.m. with the men's 1,500 meters and will wrap up with the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 5,000-meter run under the lights. Saturday's action begins with the women's 100-meter hurdles at 1:35 p.m. before the 4x400-meter relay wraps up the meet at 4:10 p.m. The meet will not be livestreamed, but a live result link can be found on the track team's schedule page on pepperdinewaves.com.
Head coach Lauren Floris and company are coming off a successful weekend in Fullerton two weeks ago, which was highlighted by Lizzy Crawford breaking Floris' school record in the 5,000-meter run. All told, the Waves have broken 15 new school records across indoor and outdoor seasons, yet this weekend could add to that total.
The marquee event at the Bob Larsen Distance Carnival is the men's steeplechase, where two Waves will look to break one of the program's oldest records. Chris Ogle's school record of 9:10.33 has stood since 2008, yet Elijah Gentry and Patrick Thomas can make a push to break it. Making his highly anticipated collegiate debut in his signature event, Gentry ran his lifetime best of 9:09.58 and took second in the event at the 2024 New Balance Nationals as a senior in high school.Â
Later that evening, Crawford will look to lower her school record in the fast heat of the 5,000-meter run. She owns Pepperdine's fourth-fastest time in the event. Not to be overlooked, sophomore Gordy Nilsen runs in the second of three 1,500-meter run heats on Friday night; his race kicks off the meet at 7:20 p.m.
Pepperdine's first event on Saturday is the 100-meter hurdles, which features Maddy Ortman leading a trio of Waves in the event. Over in the 400-meter hurdles, freshman Brittany Rivas comes in with the fifth-fastest seed time in the event with her school record of 1:03.74.
Elsewhere in the sprinting events, Kaley Peterson will look to lower her time in the 100-meter dash; her personal best time of 12.10 ranks fourth in program history. The 200-meter dash is the event of choice for the Waves, which have seven athletes entered in the event. Rounding out the sprints, Isabella Reyes, Lexi Thomas and Lia Cooper will all look to break 60 seconds in the 400-meter dash.
The distance and mid-distance crews will compete on Saturday, as well. Nine men are entered in the men's 800-meter dash, while five women will be entered in the same event. Caroline Graham and Hannah Bruner — who set the indoor school records in the 800 meters and the mile, respectively — lead a group of seven Waves in the 1,500-meter run.Â
Capping off the meet, Pepperdine's indoor 4x400-meter relay school-record-holding team of Reyes, Rivas, Thomas and Ortman will look to break the outdoor 4x400 record this weekend. The quartet broke four minutes last weekend in Fullerton, yet they went 3:55.25 indoors earlier this spring.
From here, the Waves compete at the Vince O'Boyle Track and Field Classic, hosted by UC Irvine on Saturday, March 29. All schedule updates can be found on the track team's schedule page on pepperdinewaves.com.
Players Mentioned
