Pepperdine Athletics inducted the 2018 class of Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame honorees during a ceremony on Sunday, Oct. 14, at the Firestone Fieldhouse on the school’s Malibu campus. This year’s inductees included four former student-athletes and a special achievement award for Pepperdine President Andrew K. Benton and his wife, Debby.
Benton, who announced he would be stepping down as president of the university in July 2019, has long been a supporter and administrator of Pepperdine Athletics, according to information shared by the university. “President Benton served as Pepperdine’s institutional representative to the NCAA and the West Coast Conference from 1992-2000 … He was president of the West Coast Conference Presidents’ Council for three consecutive years,” a blurb described.
A 1967 Pepperdine graduate, Marilyn White earned a silver medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games and set a U.S. record for the indoor 220-yard run before becoming a Pepperdine student in 1965. White, according to the university, was one of the first women to earn an athletic scholarship to Pepperdine—before the university had a formalized female sports program.
“This is the highlight of my athletic career,” White said of the hall of fame induction. “Just being able to share the happiness of competing and the strength of competing.”
The other inductees included Matt Rigg, a 1987 graduate who played men’s volleyball for four seasons; Julie Evans, also a 1987 grad who played women’s volleyball and held the school’s career kills record for 10 years—she is now No. 2; and Carolina Llano, a women’s golfer who graduated in 2006 and went on to earn an LPGA Tour card in 2008 and 2009. Women’s basketball player Miranda Ayim, a 2010 graduate, was also listed among inductees but was not able to attend the ceremony; she will be formally inducted in a future year.
