MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine Track starts its 2026 season in two simultaneous locations this Friday. A large portion of the team travels to Boston, Mass. for the John Thomas Terrier Classic Jan. 30-31, hosted by Boston University. Competition is slated for 7 a.m. PST. On those same dates, another contingency of Waves will head to Albuquerque, N.M. for the Lobo-hosted New Mexico Team Open starting 2:00 p.m. PST.
"We're looking forward to kicking off the season in Boston and Albuquerque this weekend," said head coach Lauren Floris. "The athletes have had their best winter of preparation so far and they are ready to run fast."
In the Bay State, the women are expecting big results from team headliner Lizzy Crawford. The junior, coming off an impressive cross country season, has her sights set on success in the 5K.
Mid-year transfer Brielle McClarnon, previously at Miami (FL), makes her Pepperdine debut this weekend. She too will take a crack at the 5000-meter, while demonstrating the all-around skillset her addition brings.
The stalwart cross-country duo of Ashley Eagan and Grace Simpson will throw their hats into the ring for a potential record-breaking run in the mile Friday.
The men are sending the core of their fall runners to New England too. Elijah Gentry and Gordy Nilsen will tackle the 5K, while Beckett Sullivan takes on the 800-meter.
Parker Buchheit, who transferred in from Georgia Tech this summer, makes his blue and orange debut in the sport he spent much of his collegiate career previously competing in. His time with the cross country squad earlier this school year marked his lone foray in the NCAA-sanctioned sport. He joins Sullivan as an 800-meter hopeful Saturday.
Results for the meet will be posted here, with streaming available on FloTrack. The full lineup for the women's events Friday reads here, with the men's Saturday schedule accessible here.
In the Southwest, a pair of freshmen will lead the charge for the other contingent of Waves.
Adison Moore is slated for action in the 60 and 200-meter events. Kian Alton represents the men in the 200, 400, and 4x400-meter relay.
The full schedule for the New Mexico Team Open is available here. Times will be available online, with a stream for FloSports subscribers too.
After jet-setting across the country this weekend, the team takes to Reno, Nev. on Feb. 13 before settling into their California-centric schedule for the remainder of the season.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK
The Pepperdine cross country/track program has a rich history dating back to the 1950s with six total individual national championships to come through the program. As one of the original three programs sponsored by then George Pepperdine College in 1937, the Waves immediately began to make a mark on the track world stage with eight total Olympians and multiple regional champions throughout the program's history.
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To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine cross country/track news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineXCTR.
