Golf teams win conference title
The Pepperdine men’s and women’s golf teams won their respective WCC championships on April 12 at the Saddle Creek Golf Club in Copperopolis, Calif. The women’s team was led by junior Carolina Llano, who won the individual title. Senior Brian O’Flaherty finished second in the men’s individual competition.
The men’s victory was the seventh-straight for Pepperdine. Head coach John Geiberger shared Coach of the Year honors with Saint Mary’s Scott Hardy and UC San Diego’s Tim Mickelson. O’Flaherty, senior Michael Putnam, junior Alex Coe (212) and freshman Colin Wilcox were named to the men’s All-WCC team.
Women’s head coach Laurie Gibbs was named conference coach of the year. Llano, freshmen Marina Choi and Leanne Bowditch, sophomore Eileen Vargas and senior Rachely Kyono were voted to the all-conference team. Choi was also named WCC Freshman of the Year.
The golf teams next compete in the NCAA Regional Championships. The women will play on May 5-7 at a site to be determined while the men will open regional play on May 19 at the Stanford Golf Course.
Volleyball star to train with national team
Pepperdine University women’s volleyball player Sophia Milo has received an invitation by USA Volleyball to train with the Women’s National Team next month in Colorado Springs, Colo. The 6-foot, 4-inch junior middle blocker will be competing with 33 other athletes to be a part of Team USA, which will compete in several international events. Milo is on pace to become Pepperdine’s all-time blocks leader having recorded 249 total blocks in just two seasons, while recording 525 kills in 193 games.
Locals in tennis tournament
Several Malibu residents are scheduled to compete in the 105th annual Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament, which takes place Thursday through Sunday. The athletes are Skyler Ryan Davis, Savannah Mosser, Daniel Moss, Nicholas Patonai, Taylor French, Chelsea Mosser and Leif Sunderland.
MHS hires
football coach
Malibu High School has hired Ray Humphrey as its head football coach. He replaces Rich Lawson, who started the school’s program eight years ago. Humphrey previously served as the defensive coordinator at Santa Monica High School. Last year, the Sharks achieved the most successful season in school history by reaching the second round of CIF Division XIII playoffs before eventually losing to Linfield Christian.
Newspaper recognizes Malibu stadium executive
The Los Angeles Business Journal has added Malibu resident Bill Chadwick to its annual list of “L.A.’s Most Powerful Sports Executives.” Chadwick is the president of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, which is in discussions with the NFL about bringing football back to the sports facility.