Swim & Dive Set to Kick Off Season With Rodionoff Invite

MALIBU, Calif. – On Friday, Oct. 3, reigning MPSF champion Pepperdine swim and dive will start its season with the annual Rodionoff Invite. The meet honors eponymous former head coach and 2025 Pepperdine Hall of Fame Inductee Nick Rodionoff’s legacy. 

 

The 38-event meet extends by means of Saturday, Oct. 4 at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool. On each days diving will start at 10 a.m. with swimming set for 11 a.m.

 

The Waves welcome Azusa Pacific, Biola, Cal Lutheran, Cal State Pueblo, The Master’s, San Diego, Utah Tech, and Westmont to the pool. 

 

For these unable to attend, outcomes might be accessible on the Meet Mobile app with a subscription.

 

In conjunction with the school-wide Waves Weekend celebration, the staff will even be honoring alumni with a social and meet all through the 2 days. The festivities conclude with a banquet for Coach Rodionoff’s Hall of Fame induction. 

 

“Historically we’ve seen a lot of success at this meet” stated Head Coach Ellie Monobe. “To have it paired with our alumni weekend, Waves Weekend, and the honoring of Nick Rodionoff makes for a very exciting, higher energy competitive environment.”

 

Pepperdine re-enters the pool for his or her first style of competitors since final February, the place they positioned first on the MPSF Championships. 

 

A bulk of that manufacturing is returning—with a powerful 13 seniors on the roster. This yr’s staff captains are AJ Adams, Anna Ryan, and Ava Langheim. 

 

Langheim hopes to make a splash for the dive staff this weekend. After an damage final season, she’s going to make her anticipated return for the Waves. 

 

Ansley Halbach will assist lead the cost for Pepperdine within the freestyle and IM. Last season she not solely received the MPSF 400-yard IM, however ended the season named to 2 all-conference groups.

 

Another MPSF champion for the Waves is Sophia Ware. The sophomore out of Allen, Texas received the 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard medley relay as a freshman. She was named to the All-MPSF First Team on the finish of the season. 

 

After a really profitable 2024-25, the staff has added a handful of recent faces to this system comprising the Class of 2029.

 

Freshman Sophia Blietz joins from Santa Clarita, Calif. the place she twice certified for state. 

 

Paige Easton’s addition to the roster pairs her up with older sister Elliot, who’s at present a senior. Paige holds the file for many factors scored for Berkeley Prep in Tampa, Fla. 

 

Aliyah Fan provides the Waves a second set of sisters (junior Kiana). The youthful Fan was most lately a 2023 All-American within the 400-yard freestyle. 

 

Jackie Johnson is the latest member of the dive staff. She hails from Omaha, Neb. the place she certified for state in every season of her highschool profession. As a senior, she earned a state championship within the 1-meter.

 

Maile Sullivan joins the blue and orange after a slew of dominant performances in Southeast Asia. While in Singapore she swept the sector, taking first in all her occasions on the 2023 and 2025 IASAS Swimming Championships.

 

Ava Taylor hopes to make an influence for the Waves in her first yr as nicely. A staff captain at Los Gatos High School (Calif.), she represented her college in state qualifiers for 4 years. 

 

The Waves will subsequent put together for the primary twin meet of the season at residence on Thursday, Oct. 9 in opposition to San Diego State.

 

ABOUT PEPPERDINE SWIM AND DIVE

Pepperdine swimming & diving has a wealthy historical past spanning 4 many years, having posted top-five finishes in its convention in 32 of 39 seasons. The Waves have captured three convention championships prior to now 4 seasons underneath Ellie Monobe, its first three convention titles, successful its first MPSF Championship in 2025 after becoming a member of the convention the season prior. In 38 seasons within the PCSC, the Waves noticed 48 particular person champions and 20 PCSC Swimmer or Diver of the Year awards. Andreea Trufasu stands as this system’s lone Olympian, having competed within the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. 

 

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