Track's Lizzy Crawford Becomes First Female Wave to Qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary
5/21/2026 10:03:00 AM | Track
MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine track star Lizzy Crawford has qualified for the Division I NCAA West Preliminary in Fayetteville, Ark. The junior is just the second Wave to ever qualify for a national regional, and the first woman. She will compete in the 10K, having made the top-48 according to the NCAA's official announcement.
"This is a historic moment for our program," head coach Lauren Floris said. "Lizzy has put in so much hard work over the past few years to achieve this goal. It's amazing to see her dream come true!"
Crawford earned the historic honor thanks to the time she ran in the 10K at the Stanford Invitational. On April 3 she clocked a record-setting 33:44.39, shattering the previous Pepperdine top mark by over three minutes (36:53.68). That time ultimately culminated in a No. 40 seed in the west.
The Thornton, Colo. native will travel to John McDonnell Field on the campus of the University of Arkansas. The women's 10K is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. PST on Thursday, May 28. The top 12 finishers move on to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore.Â
Crawford's historic run can be watched on ESPN+, with live results also available. Ticket purchasing, programs, and full rankings can be accessed on the meet central. The full list of women's qualifiers has been released too.
Karl Winter is the only other Pepperdine runner to qualify for an NCAA Division I Preliminary, doing so in 2021 and 2022. His senior campaign was his most successful, making the quarterfinals of the men's 1500m. Prior to Winter's historic seasons, Ron Pettigrew had owned the most recent postseason appearance for the Waves. The Pepperdine Hall of Famer took fifth in the steeplechase at the 1969 NCAA DII Championships.Â
Crawford's trailblazing season will mark a historic pinnacle for the Pepperdine women's track program, becoming the first regional qualifier dating back to the team's inception in 2006.
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.Â
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FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine cross country/track news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineXCTR.
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"This is a historic moment for our program," head coach Lauren Floris said. "Lizzy has put in so much hard work over the past few years to achieve this goal. It's amazing to see her dream come true!"
Crawford earned the historic honor thanks to the time she ran in the 10K at the Stanford Invitational. On April 3 she clocked a record-setting 33:44.39, shattering the previous Pepperdine top mark by over three minutes (36:53.68). That time ultimately culminated in a No. 40 seed in the west.
The Thornton, Colo. native will travel to John McDonnell Field on the campus of the University of Arkansas. The women's 10K is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. PST on Thursday, May 28. The top 12 finishers move on to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore.Â
Crawford's historic run can be watched on ESPN+, with live results also available. Ticket purchasing, programs, and full rankings can be accessed on the meet central. The full list of women's qualifiers has been released too.
Karl Winter is the only other Pepperdine runner to qualify for an NCAA Division I Preliminary, doing so in 2021 and 2022. His senior campaign was his most successful, making the quarterfinals of the men's 1500m. Prior to Winter's historic seasons, Ron Pettigrew had owned the most recent postseason appearance for the Waves. The Pepperdine Hall of Famer took fifth in the steeplechase at the 1969 NCAA DII Championships.Â
Crawford's trailblazing season will mark a historic pinnacle for the Pepperdine women's track program, becoming the first regional qualifier dating back to the team's inception in 2006.
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.Â
Â
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine cross country/track news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineXCTR.
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