Pepperdine University's track and field team achieved five school records during the Gaucho Relays hosted by UC Santa Barbara on March 7, 2026. The women's and men's relay teams excelled in multiple events, securing top finishes. Head coach Lauren Floris praised the performances as a significant milestone for the program.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Pepperdine track and field competed at the Gaucho Relays, hosted by UC Santa Barbara, marking a strong showing with new all-time bests in the men's and women's 4x400-meter relay, men's and women's 4x800-meter relay, and women's 1600-meter sprint medley relay (SMR).
"Today was a banner day. We ran five relays and ran five school records. And most of them were beaten handily," said head coach Lauren Floris. "I'm so proud of how everyone ran today and how far our program has come in recent years!"
In the women's 4x400-meter relay, Annie Trapp, Mia Skuraton, Lia Cooper, and Lexi Thomas recorded 3:50.91, surpassing the previous record of 3:51.82 set nine years ago by nearly a second. The team finished second, behind only the host Gauchos.
The women's SMR saw Mia Skuraton and Lexi Thomas join Adison Moore and Leah Heckmann for a time of 4:15, improving on the prior mark of 4:15.36 from the previous year's Gaucho Relays. They placed fourth overall.
The women's 4x800-meter relay team of Lizzy Crawford, Ashley Eagan, Brielle McClarnon, and Kennedy Duralde clocked 9:12.18 to continue their season streak of records, earning second place.
On the men's side, Alex Nield, Ryan Fabian, Beckett Sullivan, and Parker Buchheit won the 4x800-meter relay in 7:33.91, more than six seconds ahead of the next team. The men's 4x400-meter relay, featuring Kian Alton, Giovanni Coronado, Beckett Sullivan, and Parker Buchheit, set a new record of 3:16.13, beating the old mark of 3:20.72 and finishing second.
Individual highlights included Adison Moore in the women's 100-meter dash (12.17), Kian Alton in the men's 100-meter dash (11.13), and Annie Trapp in the women's 100-meter hurdles (15.85).
Pepperdine's program, with a history dating to the 1950s, has produced six individual national champions and eight Olympians. The Waves next compete at the Ben Brown and Astro AI Invitationals in Fullerton, Calif., on March 12 and 13.
