Last week, Pepperdine Athletics announced cross country and track head coach Robert Radnoti’s impending retirement.
The announcement comes in the midst of his 14th season with the university; he first joined the Waves in 2006 as an assistant coach for the newly-created women’s track program, according to Pepperdine Athletics. The next season, he became head coach of the cross country and track teams. He is also credited with bringing men’s track program back in 2008.
“I have loved working with all of my athletes over the years and I’m looking forward to having one great last track season with them,” Randnoti said in an online statement. “Hopefully we’ll set a lot of PRs and make Pepperdine proud this spring.”
This season, 19 freshmen from all over the country joined the cross country and track program—which Radnoti said “promises to be one of our best ever,” at the time.
The cross country program had a lukewarm performance at the West Coast Conference Championships at the end of last year. Two Waves were disqualified from the race. At the NCAA West Regional race, the men’s cross country team made Waves history with a 15th-place finish. The women’s program took 34th place.
The track season kicked off earlier this month with sophomore Caila Tongco breaking her own Pepperdine record with a time of 9.21 during the 60-meter hurdles event at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational.
Under Radnoti’s coaching, runners have received the WCC All-Academic honors 91 times, per Pepperdine Athletics.
A new coach for the 2019-20 season had yet to be announced as of Monday afternoon, Jan. 28.