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Meet the Olympians

Pepperdine athletes and coaches will face their toughest competition in the hopes of joining the ranks of Pepperdine’s earlier, legendary medal winners.

 Click Here for a daily schedule of upcoming games featuring Pepperdine participants.See below for "Pepperdine at the Olympics" Fast Facts.


It was in 1956, precisely 60 years from the founding of the modern-day Olympic Games in 1896, that alumnus Jerome Walters became Pepperdine’s first Olympian athlete by running the 1500-meter track event.


Throughout the ensuing 56 years, Pepperdine has maintained a presence at the games and more than 40 members of the University community have participated as either unyielding athletes, respected coaches, or loyal spectators (read about alumnus Harry Nelson’s (’50) record-breaking Olympic Games attendance here).

This summer, as thousands of people from around the world travel to London to watch or compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics, a number of Pepperdine athletes and coaches will face their toughest competition in the hopes of joining the ranks of Pepperdine’s earlier, legendary medal winners.

Some are returning competitors; others are international students who will represent their home countries at the games; and some are inspiring their U.S. National Teams to achieve victory as coaches. All go to the 2012 London Olympic Games with the support of the Pepperdine community, befitting University champions.

Meet the Olympians


Yakhouba Diawara, France, men's basketball

Miranda Ayim, Canada, women's basketball

Roxanne Barker, South Africa, women's soccer

Robert Lindstedt, Sweden, men's tennis

Sarah Attar, Saudi Arabia, women's track

Sean Rooney, U.S.A., men's volleyball

Merrill Moses, U.S.A., men's water polo

Jesse Smith, U.S.A., men's water polo

Terry Schroeder, U.S.A., men's water polo head coach

Marv Dunphy, U.S.A., women's volleyball consultant coach

Gary Sato, U.S.A., men's volleyball assistant coach

Marcio Sicoli, U.S.A., beach volleyball coach for Gold Medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh

Pepperdine at the Olympics: Fast Facts


Craig Buck was the first Pepperdine alumnus to win gold, as part of the U.S. men’s volleyball team at the 1984 Los Angeles games.

Also in 1984, Pepperdine’s Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool on the Malibu campus served

as host to the water polo competition, during which Terry Schroeder (’81) won silver with the U.S. team.

Six further gold medals have been awarded to Pepperdine athletes:

1988: U.S. men’s volleyball— Craig Buck, Bob Ctvrtlik (’85), Jeff Stork (’85), and Troy Tanner (’92)

2000: U.S. beach volleyball—Dain Blanton (’94)

2008: U.S. men’s volleyball—Sean Rooney (’05)