A HARD RYD

By Brandon Petersen

Westcliff Surf finished second at the fourth stop of the NSSA 2025-26 college tour, battling through difficult conditions at the Oceanside Pier in an event defined by calm weather, inconsistent waves, and razor-thin margins.

The result marked Westcliff's second runner-up finish of the season, following a second-place showing in Event 1 and wins in Events 2 and 3. With four events now complete, Westcliff and rival Point Loma are locked in a complete stalemate atop the standings — each program owning two wins and two second-place finishes — setting up yet another big-time showdown in Santa Cruz in three weeks.

"We've won almost every event so far, so I actually think this was a good one for us to have early," Westcliff head coach Lucas Taub said. "With States and Nationals coming up, you need events like this to remind you that you're human and there's still work to do."

Oceanside presented a unique challenge.

With little swell and minimal wave energy, heats were often scrappy and unforgiving, rewarding surfers who stayed active, patient, and precise – the Huntington Hop was the most prolific technique of the weekend.

Westcliff opened in strong form, winning every first-round heat on Saturday and continuing that momentum through the second round. As the event progressed into the later rounds, however, the field tightened and opportunities became harder to come by.

Several Warriors saw strong runs end in the quarterfinals, including Jordy Collins, Titus Santucci, Taylor Stacy, and Jackson Taylor, a reflection of just how narrow the margins were in the later stages of the contest.

Despite the exits, Westcliff's depth across disciplines allowed the team to remain firmly in podium contention throughout the event.

One of the weekend's biggest standouts was Jacob Hardy, who delivered a breakout performance in his return to the lineup. Hardy was consistently sharp across multiple rounds and played a critical role in keeping the Warriors in the team race.

His points proved decisive in a meet where the difference between second and fourth came down to a single heat result.

"The biggest standout for me was Jacob Hardy," Taub said. "He's back on the team, he earned his spot, and he was on fire all event. If it weren't for him, we probably don't podium at all."

Freshman Ryder Smith continued an impressive early-season run, reaching his second final in four events. Competing at his home break as an Oceanside Pier local, Smith rose to the moment and provided another key performance for Westcliff, further establishing himself as a dependable contributor in pressure situations.

Additional strong efforts came from Kylan Crapenhoft, while Annabella Lopez and Taylor Stacy both posted solid first- and second-round heats before falling out of contention later in the draw.

Jackson Taylor made his debut for Westcliff and showed promise with a pair of competitive heats, narrowly missing advancement in a tightly packed field.

Even without claiming the top spot, Westcliff's second-place finish reinforced the program's consistency and resilience.

Through four events, the Warriors have yet to finish outside the top two, a testament to the depth and balance of the roster across both shortboard and longboard divisions.

"I didn't even think we were going to podium after everything that happened, so to still finish second really shows our depth," Taub said. "We're strong, we're deep, and I'm really proud of the way this team keeps showing up."

With one regular-season event remaining in Santa Cruz — a home stop for Jackson Taylor — the stage is set for a dramatic conclusion to the NSSA College Tour regular season.

States follow immediately after, with Nationals looming later this spring, making the timing of this test particularly valuable.

As the Warriors reset and return to training, the message remains clear: Westcliff is battle-tested, evenly matched with its top rival, and well-positioned for the championship stretch ahead. Santa Cruz will decide future momentum, but Oceanside confirmed what the season has already shown — this race is just heating up.