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)