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Pepperdine Athletes Prepare for Beijing Olympics
Pepperdine University will be well represented in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, where five former Pepperdine student-athletes will compete and four more will serve as coaches.
At least 12 Pepperdine graduates will play a role in the Beijing games. Three of the athletes will be taking part in their first Olympics, bringing Pepperdine's all-time total to 40 Olympians.
"It's very special when we see our former student-athletes taking part in such a prestigious event," says John Watson, director of athletics. "All of Pepperdine commends them for their achievements and the dedication they have shown throughout their careers to get to this point. Pepperdine has had a strong record of success producing Olympians, both for the U.S. and internationally, and the 2008 games are no different."
Athletes
Tennis player Simon Aspelin ('98) is appearing in his first Olympics. He will play doubles with fellow Swede Thomas Johannson. Currently ranked #11 in the world in doubles by the ITF, Aspelin won the 2007 U.S. Open doubles title and earned All-American honors at Pepperdine all four years.
Merrill Moses ('99) will compete on the USA water polo team in his first appearance at the Olympic games. Moses first played for the senior national team in 2001. He led Pepperdine to the NCAA championship in 1997 and earned three All-American honors.
Canadian baseball player Ryan Radmanovich ('93) is appearing in his second Olympics. Radmanovich reached the Major Leagues in 1998 with the Seattle Mariners and currently plays in the independent Northern League. He played one season for the Waves and following that turned pro as a fourth-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins.
Sean Rooney ('05) will compete on the USA men's volleyball team in his first Olympic appearance. He joined the AVP tour in 2004, played in the Korean League, and made the USA national team in 2007. A four-time All-American for the Waves, Rooney was the 2005 National Player of the Year and the MVP of the NCAA Championships when Pepperdine captured the national title.
Jesse Smith ('05) is appearing in his second Olympics with the USA water polo team. The team took seventh place in 2004 with Smith was one of the top scorers. He made his senior national team debut in 2001 and was a three-time All-American at Pepperdine.
Coaches
Marv Dunphy ('74) is heading to the Olympics for the fifth time as a coach. The head coach for the Waves men's volleyball team will be consulting coach for the USA men's volleyball team. He served as the USA national and Olympic team coach from 1985 to 1988, when the team won gold. His US team maintained a No. 1 world ranking while he was coaching.
Brian Goorjian ('76) will lead the Australian men's basketball team in this year's games. This is his second Olympic appearance as a coach, having led Australia to a ninth-place finish in 2004. After graduating from Pepperdine, Goorjian played for the Melbourne Tigers. He has been coaching since 1985, and has been named Coach of the Year five times, including 2007 to 2008.
Terry Schroeder ('81) is taking the USA national and Olympic water polo team to Beijing. He is currently on leave as the Waves head water polo coach. Though this is his first Olympic appearance as coach, Schroeder has participated in three Olympics as a player, winning silver medals in 1984 and 1988 and finishing in fourth place in 1992. He was a three-time All-American at Pepperdine and remains the school's all-time leading goal scorer.
Troy Tanner ('92) will coach USA women's beach volleyball players Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh in his first Olympic appearance. Tanner won the gold medal in 1988 with the men's volleyball team. He was a three-time All-American at Pepperdine.
Other Roles
Kevin Barnett ('97) will be the NBC sports commentator for the volleyball competitions. Barnett competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics in Sydney and Athens, and at Pepperdine earned two All-American honors.
Bob Ctvrtlik ('85) is vice president international for the U.S. Olympic Committee and a member of the International Olympic Committee. A three-time Olympic volleyball player for the US, Ctvrtlik won a gold medal in 1988 and a bronze medal in 1992. He earned NCAA Player of the Year honors and won a national championship in 1985, his only season at Pepperdine.
Gary Moy ('84) will be working at his ninth Olympic games and servicing 32 National Olympic Committees at the Casa Americas in Beijing. He previously served as team manager for Marv Dunphy's 1988 gold medal squad and as the USA Olympic team delegation director at the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics.
For all the latest news and information on Waves Olympians, please visit the new Pepperdine Athletics blog. For a full list of all Pepperdine athletes in the Olympics over the years, please click here.
